In a rare scene near Lincoln Park in Chicago this week, nearly twenty Coco delivery robots gathered on the streets, causing a traffic jam.
According to a report by CBS News on September 3rd, Chicago resident Becca Ostien encountered an unusual sight on North Clark Street while out for a morning run on August 31st. She immediately captured a video and posted it online, captioning it, “Today’s running route is crowded.”
Ostien mentioned that she often runs on this route but was surprised to see a large group of delivery robots congregating together on that day. One robot in the middle seemed to be trying to move, while the ones on both ends remained almost motionless, completely blocking the sidewalk.
She said, “If you didn’t have nimble feet, it was impossible to pass.”
Ostien expressed her hope for being able to use the sidewalk without encountering a group of robots blocking the way.
The video quickly went viral online, sparking discontent among netizens about the occupation of the sidewalk.
Following the incident, Coco Robotics, the company responsible for operating the delivery robots, immediately released a statement attributing the situation to a “sidewalk deployment error.” Multiple robots simultaneously re-routed their daily routes when starting and leaving their base, causing a temporary system malfunction and subsequent robot congestion.
The company emphasized that this was not the normal operation of the delivery robots and that the team swiftly identified and resolved the issue. Within minutes, the robots dispersed, the scene cleared, and normalcy was restored.
Additionally, the company addressed route-setting issues and implemented additional protective measures to prevent such incidents from happening again, while also apologizing for the inconvenience caused to residents.
This is not the first malfunction involving delivery robots in Chicago. Earlier this year, two robots have collided with bus shelters, one belonging to Coco and the other to SERVE Robotics.
Delivery robots are currently being tested in Chicago as a pilot program but have faced opposition from some residents, with petitions even calling for the halt of the delivery robot project.