A Waymo robotaxi collides with a Serve delivery robot in Los Angeles.

On December 27, a collision occurred between a Waymo robotaxi and a delivery robot from Serve Robotics at an intersection in Los Angeles, according to a video circulating on social media. The clip shows a Serve robot crossing a street in West Hollywood at night, attempting to access the sidewalk. After reaching the curb and backing up slightly to correct its position, the robot started to head toward the ramp, at which point the Waymo vehicle, turning right, struck the delivery robot. The person who posted the video mentioned that the Serve robot had crossed an intersection on a red light before the collision, although this is not verifiable in the footage.

A Reddit user joked about the situation, pointing out that Waymo’s systems had not detected any humans or animals. While this was likely a humorous comment, it can be interpreted as reflecting some concern about how automated driving systems handle situations involving inanimate objects.

When a media outlet inquired with Waymo whether the robotaxi had seen the delivery robot, a spokesperson stated that the Waymo Driver system had correctly recognized the robot as an inanimate object. This system is designed to be a defensive driver that prioritizes the safest route based on the available information at any given time, and its ability to classify various types of users and objects on the road influences its behavior.

In this incident, although the delivery robot had stopped at the curb before entering the lane where the robotaxi was turning, the latter performed a hard brake before making contact at a speed of 4 miles per hour. Fortunately, neither vehicle sustained damage; both remained entangled for a minute before continuing on their way. However, this raises concerns about what happens in the event of collisions between autonomous vehicles and how companies determine liability in case of damages.

According to previous information from Waymo, when a collision occurs, the Waymo Driver system notifies the Fleet Response and Traveler Support teams. The Fleet Response team examines the scene remotely and can send roadside assistance if necessary. In this specific case, there were no passengers in the robotaxi, and it was not clarified whether the Fleet Response team was notified about this collision. A spokesperson from Serve indicated that this was the first incident between one of its robots and a robotaxi, assuring that the bot was under remote control at the time, as it is still part of their protocol for intersections.

So far, TechCrunch has not been able to obtain concrete responses from Waymo or Serve regarding responsibilities in future incidents that could result in greater damages. However, representatives from both companies have confirmed that they are in communication to prevent similar issues in the future.