Future Is Here? Delivery Robots Cause Traffic Snarl in Russia, Leave Drivers Waiting (WATCH)
Synopsis
A group of delivery robots brought traffic to a brief standstill in St. Petersburg, Russia, after the suitcase-sized machines crowded a pedestrian crossing while attempting to cross a busy road together.
A group of delivery robots brought traffic to a brief standstill in St. Petersburg, Russia, after the suitcase-sized machines crowded a pedestrian crossing while attempting to cross a busy road together. A video capturing the scene has gone viral on social media, showing a line of six-wheeled autonomous rovers slowly making their way across the street alongside pedestrians.
The robots appeared to move at a cautious pace, following their programmed safety protocols as they navigated the busy crossing. Their slow progress soon caught the attention of motorists, who stopped their vehicles to allow the entire group to cross safely.
The sight of several tiny robots moving together through the crossing quickly amused people online, with many comparing them to a group of young schoolchildren being carefully shepherded across a road during a field trip.
🇷🇺 St. Petersburg morning energy:
A whole squad of delivery robots stuck at a pedestrian crossing like lost schoolkids.
Has the future already arrived?!
Writer: Samuelpic.twitter.com/ohD1ZImXlK— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 27, 2026
The incident offers a glimpse into how autonomous delivery machines are becoming an increasingly familiar sight in cities, even as their presence creates some unexpected moments on the road.
Delivery robots become increasingly common
Automated food and package delivery has expanded rapidly in several parts of the world in recent years, bringing robots onto sidewalks and streets alongside pedestrians and vehicles.
Earlier this month, an Indian woman living in the United States shared a similar encounter after her parents spotted an automated food delivery robot on the streets for the first time.
Sharing a video on Instagram, Priyanka described the moment as an "absolute core memory". She said the incident took place at India Square in Jersey City, New Jersey, and that seeing her parents experience everyday futuristic technology for the first time was "truly priceless".
"Watching Mummy and Papa encounter a food delivery robot rolling down the street was an absolute core memory!" she wrote as the caption of the video.