Developments in robotic technologies suggest that, in the near future, robots will become widely deployed throughout public spaces. One robotic technology that already has a presence in many cities is autonomous delivery robots (ADRs). ADR companies tout their technologies as convenient, sustainable, and affordable. However, access to these robots has been limited; many populations who could stand to benefit from these technologies have not had the opportunity to utilize them and are underrepresented in user research. In this paper, we explore one such population: food pantry patrons. Our study aims to gain insight into their true needs, attitudes toward ADRs, and what engineering and policy developments are necessary to enable ADRs to best serve this community. Based on interviews conducted with 21 food pantry patrons in the Boston, Massachusetts, USA area, we find that for this population, there exist specific needs that ADRs could fill as well as an overall openness to trying ADR services. The insights from this study can guide robot technology development and encourage collaborations between the robotics industry and government organizations to deliver technological services that can provide value to historically underrepresented communities.

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