Autonomous delivery robots could be navigating the pavements and footways of Stevenage by the end of the summer.

The robots – which are about 70cm in length and can carry the equivalent of two shopping bags – travel at a walking speed of up to four miles an hour.

And they navigate with the use of cameras, sensors and GPS, and can even cross the road independently – asking passers-by to help them activate a pedestrian crossing, if need be.

Typically, they are used for the "last-mile" delivery of groceries, small parcels, take-away food or pharmacy goods – already operating in a small number of locations across the UK, including Milton Keynes, Cambridgeshire and Leeds.

And on Monday (July 13), proposals to trial the autonomous technology on footways and pavements of Stevenage were outlined to a meeting of the council's highways cabinet panel.

During the trial, which could start as early as late summer, the robots will operate within a geo-fenced area of Stevenage, which will be mapped to account for safety, accessibility, rights of way and land ownership.

And depending on the outcome of the trial, it could then be rolled out to other areas of the county too.

As well as focusing on the safety and operational performance of the autonomous robots, the trial will consider public perception, transport and environmental benefits.

And according to officials, it will help to build an understanding of whether the technology can support local deliveries, reduce short car trips, improve access for mobility-impaired residents and for carers.

County council officials say the trial will enable Hertfordshire to test the technology in a "controlled, reversible and evidence-led manner".

And they say it will support "the council's ambitions around innovation, decarbonisation and improved accessibility".

It will, according to the report presented to councillors, also enable the council to explore future uses for the support of social care, community-based delivery services, and meals-on-wheels style initiatives.

The costs of the trial would be met by the operator, Starship Technologies, which currently operates the robots in Milton Keynes, Northampton, Cambridgeshire, Leeds, Bedfordshire, as well as in areas of the United States, Finland and Estonia.

However, the county council would retain the right to pause or terminate the trial at any point, should safety, accessibility or compliance concerns arise

At the meeting, Stevenage was reported to have been selected for the trial "due to its uniquely safe and controlled environment, including an extensive transport network, reducing interaction with live traffic and enabling a phased approach to deployment".

At the meeting, the move – which does not require the backing of the county council – was welcomed by county councillors from all political parties.