A small Estonian six-wheeled delivery robot experienced an awkward freeze, which puzzled both drivers and pedestrians, in a desperate attempt to cross the road in Tallinn.
The robot’s journey began as it approached a crosswalk. Though the road only had two lanes of slow-moving traffic, getting to the other side proved to be quite a challenge.
The delivery bot, equipped with a bright orange flashing beacon, crossed the first half of the road effortlessly. Then he just froze. Most of the passing drivers were polite, patiently waiting for the robot to move – a bus even gave it the chance to cross. Nevertheless, the six-wheeler awkwardly stood motionless in the middle of the crossing.
At one point, a man can be seen giving the bot a slight kick – possibly to bring it back to life – and the kick did seem to have some sort of delayed effect. After some time, the beleaguered robot suddenly ‘woke up’ and made a forceful move forward before finally crossing the street.
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His success was short-lived, however, as the AI deliverer crashed into a lamp post.
The delivery robot looks identical to the models designed by Starship Technologies. The high-tech company was originally founded in Estonia, with its HQ now based in California. The robots mostly deliver food and drinks but can serve other things as well.
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