March 26 (UPI) — Two delivery robots crashed into two bus shelters in Chicago within a matter of days — and one of the incidents was caught on camera.
The first crash occurred Sunday, when a delivery robot owned by Serve Robotics crashed into a Chicago Transit Authority Grand and Racine bus shelter, shattering the glass.
The crash, which was caught on camera, shows the robot stop and remain in place after causing the glass to shatter.
“We’re aware of the incident involving one of our robots in Chicago,” a Serve Robots spokesperson told WLS-TV. “No injuries were reported, our team responded quickly to clean up, and we’re reviewing what happened to make improvements. We have also been in contact with local stakeholders and are committed to addressing any concerns directly. We take this matter very seriously.”
The second crash occurred Tuesday, involving a robot owned by Coco Robotics shattering the glass at a bus shelter near North Avenue and Halsted Street.
Carl Hansen, Coco’s vice president and head of government relations, said the company would be taking care of any costs for repairing the shelter.
“We’re aware of an incident today in Chicago involving our robot. This is something we take seriously and is well outside the norm of our operations,” he said in a statement provided to CBS Chicago.
A petition to end Chicago’s delivery robot pilot program, started by Chicagoan Josh Robertson, has gathered more than 3,700 signatures. The program is scheduled to conclude in May 2027.