Legal challenges for networking robots deployment in European urban areas: the privacy issue

Abstract

In this article we present a study of the legal challenges that must be solved in order to deploy robots and sensors in urban areas. We start describing urban issues and robot deployment problems that can derive in legal aspects. Then we identify the main challenges and then we focus in the privacy issue, discussing the concept, the European laws concerning these topics and its approach in networking robots in urban areas. Moreover, we describe some of the problems with cameras and wireless communications systems and we describe one solution for the privacy issue in the case of Bluetooth. Finally we present some open problems in the privacy issue.