OAKLAND, CA– Passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland arrived in San Diego more than an hour later Thursday after an unusual passenger — a humanoid robot — caused a runway delay.
The 70-pound robot, named Bebop, was traveling for work when it became the focus of questions and safety checks before departure.
Before boarding, Bebop gave a short presentation to the passengers.
But once the robot was connected, concerns arose.
“Then they come in and start asking, ‘What kind of batteries does it have? What’s going on with this? X, Y, Z. They want to see it,'” Eli Ben-Abraham of Elite Event Robotics said.
“Meanwhile, I’m watching his flight and I see online the runway is constantly being delayed,” said Shana Ben-Abraham of Elite Event Robotics.
Southwest Airlines said in a statement that Bebop’s lithium battery exceeded the airline’s maximum permitted size and was confiscated, leading to the delay.
Elite event robotics She said she is now working on getting the battery back before her next scheduled appearance.
Dustin Dorsey: “So, will Bebop be joining you on another trip in the future?”
“He will be there on Sunday,” Shana Ben-Abraham said. “We will be flying the batteries to Chicago tomorrow in hopes that we can meet the demand for the next event.”
“Right now, we’ve made it weigh less than 100 pounds, so we don’t have to worry about walking it through the stations,” Eli Ben-Abraham said.
The delay ended, and the journey continued, leaving behind a travel story that can only be told in the Bay Area.
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