Starship robot 'wipes out' Rushden shopper

A Starship delivery robot was involved in a confrontation with a Rushden, UK resident, Abdul Sottar, who reported that the robot "charged" at him after it had damaged a cat repellent device in his garden. 

Sottar approached the robot to investigate and, while attempting to take a photo of its identification number, the robot began to move erratically, hitting him multiple times before driving away.

Starship Technologies stated that the robot was operating at a low speed of 4 mph and emphasied that such incidents are rare. Following the event, the operator of the robot received additional training to prevent similar occurrences in the future. 

Starship offered Sottar GBP 50 to replace the damaged device and established an exclusion zone around his property to prevent the robot from entering his garden again.

Sottar expressed concerns about the need for better safety measures, especially when humans take control of the robots, and highlighted the potential dangers posed by these autonomous machines. 

The incident added to the ongoing discussions about the safety and accountability of delivery robots in public spaces, particularly regarding their interactions with pedestrians.