As Los Angeles police were summoned to a report of an active shooter at a high school, a food delivery robot was not going to let that interfere with its work.
Video of the Sept. 13 incident showed the robot cruising along until it reached the crime scene.
A food delivery robot forces it’s way across a police crime scene. pic.twitter.com/T5DaET5Q5b
— Film The Police LA (@FilmThePoliceLA) September 13, 2022
The robot was named Connie, according to USA Today.
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The video showed it was apparently perplexed at the crime scene tape until a cameraman lifted the tape so the robot can proceed on its way.
Along the way, a group of police officers gazed curiously at the robot as it made its way along.
The police were gathered after an active shooter call at Hollywood High School.
The call was later determined to be a hoax.
Would you trust a robot to deliver your food?
Yes: 21% (7 Votes)
No: 79% (27 Votes)
William Gude, who operates Film the Police LA, a watchdog Twitter account, said he saw the robot come zipping along.
“I just saw it coming, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” Gude told Gizmodo.
Gude said the robot tried to get around the crime scene tape before a cameraman let it through.
“I thought to myself ‘What did I just capture?’” Gude said.
Gude said the robots are frequently seen in Los Angeles.
“I have these encounters and generally they’ve been funny. [The robots] have names and stuff. That’s creepy,” he said.
The robot was developed by Serve Robotics, a company that spun off from Uber Eats.
“Serve’s standard operating procedure is to reroute and not cross barrier tapes; however in this instance, the robot supervisor believed they were being waved through,” Aduke Thelwell, a representative of Serve Robotics, said.
“We’re taking steps to ensure our operating procedures are followed in the future,” Thelwell said.
“While Serve robots are capable of operating autonomously in most circumstances, they are assigned to human supervisors to ensure their safe operation. This incident was the result of human error in navigating a blockage,” Thelwell said.
The food delivery market in America is worth more than $150 billion, according to McKinsey.
