Waymo Robotaxi Collides with Serve Delivery Robot in West Hollywood, Los Angeles
A Waymo robotaxi, operated by Google’s subsidiary, collided with a Serve delivery robot at an intersection in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. The incident was captured in a video shared on social media.
In the footage, the Serve robot attempts to cross the street and reach the sidewalk. As it moves toward the ramp, the Waymo robotaxi, turning right, strikes the delivery robot.
According to a Reddit post, the Serve robot was crossing the street and adjusting its path before heading toward the ramp. At that moment, the Waymo vehicle, completing a right turn, collided with it. The individual who uploaded the video claimed that the Serve robot ignored the pedestrian red light, though this detail isn’t clearly visible in the footage.
Waymo’s Response to the Collision with Serve Robot
In response to the collision, a Waymo spokesperson told TechCrunch that the company’s robotaxi system, known as the “Waymo Driver,” identified the Serve delivery robot as an inanimate object.
The system is designed to drive safely and can detect people and objects in its surroundings. For instance, it is programmed to exercise extra caution around children. However, this does not mean the Waymo Driver disregards inanimate objects. In this incident, the Serve robot stopped before entering the Waymo robotaxi’s path, but despite braking, the Waymo vehicle struck the robot at a speed of 1.7 meters per second.
Neither vehicle sustained any damage, and within a minute, both resumed their respective routes. While the incident caused no harm, it raises critical questions about accountability in future accidents involving autonomous vehicles. How will companies determine responsibility for damages in such scenarios?
Protocols and Accountability in Incidents
When a collision occurs, Waymo’s system notifies its fleet response teams and passenger support teams about the incident. In this specific case, there were no passengers in the Waymo robotaxi, and it remains unclear whether the response team was informed or if human assistance was required remotely to resolve the issue.
A Serve spokesperson noted that this was the first collision involving their robots and self-driving taxis. They emphasized that during the incident, the Serve robot was under the control of a remote operator, as per their intersection-crossing protocols.
Both companies are collaborating to prevent similar incidents in the future. However, it remains unclear how accountability and damages from future collisions will be managed.