Bus collides with delivery robot in Tallinn; Starship plans software fixes

A city bus and an autonomous delivery robot collided in Tallinn, Estonia's capital, on Monday evening, during rush hour and in the dark. The bus driver braked hard to avoid an accident, and several people were injured. The incident raises questions about the safety of delivery robots in traffic and about who is liable when they are involved in crashes. The robot's maker, Starship Technologies, says it intends to improve its software.

The bus driver's response

Andrei Novikov, a board member of Tallinn's public transport company Tallinn Transport (TLT), said a moving object suddenly appeared in front of the bus. He said it is unclear whether the driver immediately realised it was a robot rather than an animal or a cyclist. Novikov considers that the driver acted correctly by braking, and said that, judging by the bus camera footage, the consequences would have been much worse had the stop been more sudden.

After stopping, the driver asked passengers whether anyone needed help or an ambulance; nobody did. The driver contacted TLT's control center, and together they decided to keep the route running, since the damage was minimal and standing still could have blocked traffic. Because of his emotional state, the driver did not finish his shift and was replaced. TLT has filed a police report and later received a health-related complaint from one passenger.

Insurance and liability

Lauri Potsepp, a board member of the Estonian Motor Insurance Bureau, explained that a bus driver is liable for damage caused to others regardless of fault. A passenger can therefore claim compensation from the bus's insurer, and who caused the accident is determined afterwards. If the robot or its operator is found responsible, the insurer may seek reimbursement from the robot's owner.

Starship's account

Pepe Aaviksoo, head of operations at Starship Technologies, said the company is conducting an internal investigation and will share its findings with the public and the police. The improvements will mainly be software-based. Robots generally move autonomously, but an office team can take control when necessary; constant monitoring is not possible because the company has several thousand robots worldwide. Aaviksoo disputed reports that the robot left the scene: after the collision it contacted the back-office team, which moved it to the curb, where it stayed for about 10 minutes.

Maria Pashkevich, head of the Road Safety Department at Estonia's Transport Administration, noted that specific requirements apply to delivery robots, and said no accident involving a robot and human casualties has been registered in the agency's system.