Shocking footage of self-driving cab smashing into delivery robot leaves everybody making the same joke
The first great robot war of the 21st century has begun
In case you haven't heard of the 'dead internet' theory, it's the idea that the internet died sometime around 2016, and it's just been robots talking to robots ever since.
Well, it seems that robots might not be the brightest tools in the shed, as footage has gone viral of two crashing into each other.
We've seen enough worrying footage of self-driving Teslas smashing into deer or driving off the top of shopping centers, proving that self-driving vehicles might not be as advanced as tech companies will have us believe.
Cue jokes about machines fighting machines for superiority in a world free of humans, as footage of a Waymo self-driving cab hitting a Serve Robotics delivery robot has everyone chuckling.
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While it could've been a lot more serious, at least no one was harmed during the altercation in Los Angeles. TechCrunch has the scoop, claiming that the Serve bot struggled to get up the curb in West Hollywood, but as it headed toward the ramp, it was taken out by a Waymo making a right-hand turn.
It seems that robot lives really don't matter (for now), and while the Waymo would've hopefully detected a human, animal, or another vehicle, it didn't register the poor Serve bot as anything of importance.
When TechCrunch asked Waymo about the collision, a spokesperson explained that the Waymo Driver system 'correctly' concluded that the Serve bot was an inanimate object. The Driver is apparently designed to be 'cautious' and 'defensive' that prioritizes the safest driving path. It can supposedly distinguish between different types of road users and objects, such as driving more cautiously around children and pedestrians.
The spokesperson reiterated that the Serve bot had strayed into the vehicle turning lane as the Waymo cab entered the intersection. Waymo's Driver went for a hard brake and struck the Serve bot at 4 mph.
Although both remained locked together for around a minute, neither was damaged and they soon went their separate ways. We just hope no eggs were being delivered by the Serve bot.
Over on Reddit, users found the funnier side of the accident as one person joked: "Waymo computers: 'Doesn’t appear to be a human or animal.' 'No life form detected' BAM!"
Another added, “And so began the first robot war of the 21st century,” while a third chuckled: "Did anyone call a Robo-Cop?"
TechCrunch notes that there are obvious fears as more automated vehicles hit the roads and who should be liable. Waymo typically dispatches Fleet Response and Rider Support teams when a vehicle is involved in a collision, while the team will review the accident report to see who is at fault. Given that no passengers were inside the cab, it's unclear whether Rider Support would've been notified.
In terms of the other side, a Serve spokesperson said this is the first instance that one of its bots has been hit by a robotaxi. Neither party would go further into liabilities, although both said they have been in touch with each other to try and avoid a similar situation happening again.
That poor Serve bot never knew what (literally) hit it.