Delivery Robot Crashes at Crosswalk on 'Red Light'... Who Is Responsible?

No Injuries but Some Damage to Vehicle Headlamps
Robot Operator: "Accident Occurred During Remote Control Process"

It was recently revealed that a delivery autonomous robot in Songdo, Incheon, collided with a passenger car while crossing a crosswalk on a 'red light.' The incident was first brought to public attention through an online community. The accident occurred around 8:40 a.m. on the 3rd at a crosswalk in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. No one was injured in the accident, but it was confirmed that the vehicle's headlamp and door were partially damaged.

The vehicle driver stated on an online community after the accident, "The crosswalk signal was red, but there were people jaywalking, so I waited and then started moving again when I collided with a jaywalking robot." He added, "After the accident, the robot was remotely controlled by the company and scratched the vehicle again, causing secondary damage." He continued, "The operating company claims the robot has pedestrian status and insists the driver is at fault. I feel unfair because they say I am at fault for not avoiding the robot that ran onto the road by jaywalking."

Later, the driver deleted the post, saying, "Both parties have amicably agreed not to escalate the dispute any further." However, news of the accident spread mainly through social networking services (SNS). Regarding this, a representative of the robot operating company explained, "The delivery robot does not move unless the signal is green when autonomously crossing a crosswalk. At the time, the controller remotely operated the robot after seeing all the people crossing the crosswalk, during which the accident occurred." They emphasized, "We have reached an amicable agreement with the vehicle owner, and since the pilot service began in September, the delivery robot has never caused an accident."

Meanwhile, the robot in question obtained outdoor mobile robot operation safety certification from the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement in January. Robots with this certification are granted pedestrian-equivalent status under the Road Traffic Act, allowing them to travel on sidewalks and crosswalks. This robot delivers food and miscellaneous goods within approximately a 1.2 km range from the delivery destination and is known to be used by residents in areas such as Songdo, Incheon.