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Viral West Hollywood Delivery-Bot Collision With Man Using Mobility Scooter Prompts Serve Robotics Safety Pledge

Serve attributes the stop to a prediction-system error, pledging an Accessibility Council for disability input.

Overview

  • Mark Chaney, who has cerebral palsy, recorded a Serve Robotics cart cutting into his path and making contact with his mobility scooter on a West Hollywood sidewalk in mid-September.
  • The widely shared video shows the robot move into his lane and stop abruptly, with Chaney saying the jolt could have caused a fall if he had been on crutches.
  • Serve says the robot did not reverse and came to a fail-safe stop after misreading pedestrian intent, acknowledging a safety-system failure and promising technical improvements.
  • The company says it is fast-tracking an Accessibility Council and creating outreach roles to incorporate feedback from disability advocates.
  • Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials say no criminal investigation is underway, and a separate Sept. 17 incident saw a Serve robot briefly block an LAFD fire engine.