Robot 'Killed' After Being 'Run Over' By Self-Driving Tesla

Now here's a story that's too good to be true. Indeed, it probably isn't.

The story goes as follows: an autonomous robot strayed into a roadway in Las Vegas where it was run over and 'killed' by a self-driving Tesla... and to think we were all shitting it about the machines rising up and killing us.

The incident took place on 3000 Paradise Rd on at 7pm on Sunday.

Engineers were guiding robots to an exhibition when the 'accident' took place, according to a statement issued by the creators of the robot, Promobot.

Apparently, the Tesla Model S, which had a passenger on board, stopped around fifty metres further on.

"The robot suffered serious damage. Parts of the body, the mechanisms of the arms, the movement platform and a head are destroyed. Now the robot is not able to take part in the exhibition and most likely there is no way to restore it," the statement claims.

Promobot

The incident - which was conveniently recorded - shows a man run to the aid of the Promobot as it lies on the ground; a heartening reminder of the human compassion dem robots can only dream of, except no wait, they can't dream either! HA! (I'm not paranoid about the robot uprising, you are).

Watching the footage, it seems difficult to explain how the robot 'suffered serious damage' in the crash. It looks as though the Tesla drives past the robot, who then seizes the opportunity to take a dive - perhaps looking for a fat compo pay out? It looks to be a yellow for simulation anyway.

Give the incident the VAR treatment though, and you realise the Tesla probably hasn't made contact and the robot hasn't dived either; however, there is what looks to be a pull.

Just after the 'collision', in the bottom left corner of the screen, you can see what looks like a rope being dragged from the scene. Yes, it seems the robot has been pulled to the ground, hence the unnatural fall.

The passenger in the Tesla, George Caldera, seems none the wiser though.

According to the Probot statement, he said: "There was nobody there, no men, no cars. I switched this Tesla into a self-driving mode and it started to move. And wow! A robot on the track! I thought the flivver would come round, but it bumped straightly into it!

"I am so sorry, the robot looks cute. And my sincere apologies to the engineers."

Despite Mr Caldera's apologies, Promobot's development director, Oleg Kivokurtsev, is absolutely fuming about the whole thing.

He said: "Of course we are vexed. We brought this robot here from Philadelphia to participate at CES. Now it neither cannot participate in the event not to be recovered. We will conduct an internal investigation and find out why the robot went to the roadway."

LADbible contacted Tesla for comment.

Topics: tesla, US News, Technology

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey