By Ashley Silver
LOS ANGELES — In a tech-driven world, we’re often unsurprised by new automated devices, but this California food delivery robot may be where we draw the line – the police line.
Video shows a Serve Robotics food delivery robot crashing the scene of a suspected shooting at Hollywood High School, passing Los Angeles police and bystanders. The shooting was later found to be a hoax.
William Gude, who shot the footage, told Gizmodo, “I just saw it coming and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I thought to myself, ‘What did I just capture?’”
Gude added that the robot was persistently attempting to go past the barricade to no avail until someone finally lifted the crime scene tape and let him through.
In response to the strange occurrence, Serve Robotics told the Daily Star: “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. We’re taking steps to ensure our operating procedures are followed in future.”
The food delivery robot is used by several food companies, including Uber Eats, to deliver takeout in the area.