Starship plans software changes after robot collides with Tallinn bus

Starship Technologies plans software changes to help prevent similar incidents after one of its delivery robots collided with a bus in Tallinn on Monday evening, injuring several people, ERR reported. The company is investigating what happened.

Andrei Novikov, a board member of Tallinn City Transport, said the collision happened during rush hour in the dark, when an object suddenly appeared in front of the bus. The driver stopped and asked passengers whether anyone needed help or an ambulance. No one initially said they needed one.

After contacting the company’s control centre, the driver continued the route. Novikov said the bus was only minimally damaged, and stopping during rush hour could have disrupted traffic in the area. The driver later left work because of the emotional impact of the incident, and a replacement driver took over. Tallinn City Transport has filed a report with police. The company later received a passenger’s complaint about their health.

Lauri Potsepp, a board member of the Estonian Traffic Insurance Fund, said a bus’s insurer can be asked to compensate passengers injured when a bus brakes suddenly, regardless of who caused the incident. Compensation may also cover damaged belongings, such as clothing or a phone. If the delivery robot is found responsible, the insurer may seek repayment from its owner.

Starship Technologies operations chief Pepe Aaviksoo said the company is conducting an internal investigation and will share its findings with the public and police. He said the robot is largely software-based, so the planned fixes will mainly involve software. The robots generally operate autonomously, though an office team can take control when needed for safety reasons.