Amazing that they thought an airline would just be okay with them loading a 10lb+ lithium battery into a passenger seat without any questions or concerns.
1064
Ahelex6 days ago
+293
"Trying to bring a potential firebomb on a plane as a carry-on, WCGW?"
293
Nolsoth6 days ago
+85
Look as long as the TSA can check the robots shoes for bombs I don't see the issue.
85
moreobviousthings6 days ago
+17
I wonder how they did the body scanner?
17
Fallouttgrrl6 days ago
+46
They tried using the default scanner but finally had to use the Android version
46
equatornavigator6 days ago
+73
“Then, they come and start asking, ‘What kind of batteries does it have? What’s going on with this? X, Y, and Z.’ They want to see it” as if that’s not the airline’s job
73
ODoyles_Banana6 days ago
+25
It's definitely something where the excitement for the idea exceeded the logic behind it.
25
imaginary_num6er6 days ago
+13
“I will initiate self-destruct”
13
Whatdoesthibattahndo5 days ago
+14
They're tech bros, they don't give a shit why the rules are there, they just think they shouldn't be there
14
Murphuffle6 days ago
+4
It's easy to understand in terms of advertising
4
thejourneybegins4220 hr ago
+1
Meanwhile I can't use my power bank.
1
Certain_Luck_82666 days ago
FedEx is certainly OK buying space in the belly of that same aircraft to ship 10lb+ lithium batteries.
0
jcw995 days ago
+7
Unlikely. LiPo is considered hazardous cargo and is thus generally not allowed on passenger flights. Even for non passenger flights they will need to be packaged in a manner that means that should they go off the fire stays contained and the aircraft can land.
7
BeedrillLover886 days ago
+1475
It's because the battery pack was too big and over what Southwest allows. Saved you a click.
1475
w1n5t0nM1k3y6 days ago
+413
Not just the airline. There are legal requirements [set by the FAA](https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/lithium-batteries) about maximum battery sizes allowed on commercial passenger flights.
413
moreobviousthings6 days ago
+180
And no one thought of that beforehand?? Seems like AI making people stupider.
180
shortcircuit216 days ago
+54
Surely they’ll make an exception for AI! /s
54
Murphuffle6 days ago
+51
This is probably just an advertisement for the company. Cause a ruckus, make headlines.
51
Melodic-Frosting-4435 days ago
+11
That is exactly it. This was for marketing. What is funny though is Southwest took the battery off the plane, so the robot became a paperweight he had to haul around. Apparently making his actual demo at the destination a non-event.
11
Whatdoesthibattahndo5 days ago
+4
Tech bros don't think about the rules or the reason behind them, they just think the rules shouldn't be there
4
ODoyles_Banana6 days ago
+52
The the AvSax kits we carry to contain lithium fires are designed with those limits in mind as well, basically meant for phone and laptop batteries. There would be zero way to contain a fire from a battery of this size.
52
tepkel6 days ago
+7
Correct me if I'm wrong, but that seems like it would be a bad thing.
7
BlackSpidy5 days ago
+2
I'm not an expert, but it seems to me it'd be a bad thing.
2
wrosecrans6 days ago
+13
This is why even big clunky laptops never have a battery bigger than 100 Wh - that's the biggest you can bring on a plane.
13
rsclient6 days ago
+17
In my e-bike group, people ask occasionally about how to ~~ship~~ *fly on an airplane* an e-bike. The short answer is: you can't. You can't check it in, and you can't take the battery as carry-on.
It's crazy that they thought the airline wouldn't have a problem with this.
[edit: I realized that I said "ship" an e-bike when my brain was clearly thinking "fly on an airplane". That's because people want to take their e-bike when they go on vacation]
17
nalex666 days ago
+11
What’s crazier is that the robot made it all the way to sitting in a seat before anyone thought to ask about batteries.
11
lukumi6 days ago
+3
160 is usually the cutoff, at least for major American airlines. And not more than 2 of them. But yes 100 is safer, less restrictions.
3
ToastAndASideOfToast6 days ago
+22
But it can't fly without its emotional support battery.
22
mido_sama6 days ago
+27
Thank you.
27
faster_tomcat6 days ago
+14
+1 That site is kind of cancer (on mobile anyway).
14
Granadafan6 days ago
+9
And people wonder why most people don’t bother clicking on the links in posts
9
Consistent-Throat1306 days ago
I didn't have any problems with it on a several years old low end mobile.
Might I suggest blocking ads on your device?
0
Skorpyos6 days ago
+8
Oh I thought it was a rare case of a Karen robot causing delays.
8
imaginary_num6er6 days ago
+4
Not the assigned seating issue where there are 2 adjacent empty seats, but Southwest tells the robot to remain in their own seat?
4
SatoshiReport6 days ago
+2
Why was the flight delayed for that though? You tell the passenger no and move on.
2
trollsong6 days ago
+1
Just charge him for 3 seats
1
MrUsername04 days ago
Here’s another click-save:
Elite Event Robotics is the company. They seem like a bunch of f****** morons if they can build a robot but not consider the regulatory aspects of transportation.
0
clauderbaugh6 days ago
+289
Please tell me the robot threw its hands up in the air at the counter and yelled "I'm sorry I thought this was America!"
289
Acceptable-Bus-20176 days ago
+18
https://youtu.be/PWpUt3iU9OM?si=dKL91WTRIrSa7jwa
"That m*********** is not real"
18
howdudo6 days ago
+25
Yeah the footage for that is being rendered er uh uploaded as we speak
25
2beatenup6 days ago
+7
Wait till you see Karen or Kevin Robots… I need to speak to the manager!
7
Fallouttgrrl6 days ago
+8
*slaps down ID*
MULTIPASS
8
DisguisedToast6 days ago
+3
-takes a long drag off of a AA battery- I was there when they started flagging our model numbers, man.
3
LSTNYER6 days ago
+2
Just demanded to speak to the manager and wanted a free flight as restitution
2
tyrantcv5 days ago
+2
I wanna shake his hand!
2
DestructicusDawn6 days ago
+133
Maybe they shoulda shipped it then
133
EasyAsAyeBeeSea6 days ago
+143
Shipping lithium batteries is a pain that any company should have enough experience to know that this was going to be a pain.
Sounds like someone thought they find a loophole and it bit them
143
cjsv76576 days ago
+54
Dallas based company moving between two CA cities. Looks like they rely on TSA going "OH COOL ROBOT" and not thinking what powers it. And it worked until now
54
Sir_Senseless6 days ago
+8
Or possibly they got the advertising they were after.
8
EasyAsAyeBeeSea6 days ago
+8
Nah, if you look at what they do and their customers this is not a good look
8
Equivalent-Resort-636 days ago
+7
Robot should have rented and driven in a Tesla.
7
sonofabutch6 days ago
+5
I just shipped my pants!
5
FeelingBlueberry6 days ago
+60
That’s not a passenger, that’s freight.
60
wh4tth3huh5 days ago
+6
It's also trying to get shipped without proper hazardous material declarations and placards...I hope they get their asses sued off by the airline for this dumbass stunt.
6
Dependent-Poet-95886 days ago
+96
Umm you'd think a robotics company would be clever enough to clear transport plans ahead of time. I'm not a roboticist but even I know there are restrictions on electronics especially the battery. It's not like a cellist buying an extra seat for their non-spicy instruments that don't explode, or even a Saudi prince buying seats for his pet falcons (which notably also don't explode even if they're messy).
96
Quiet_Assumption_3266 days ago
+130
They knew what they were trying, they want the "free" publicity, other people being inconvenienced doesn't bother them.
130
shakeyshake16 days ago
+49
The article reads like an ad for the robot. Like the company people want me to read up on their robot. I’m not going to though.
49
EggNo2896 days ago
+6
To be clear this is RENTAL company, not a robotics company.
6
joelluber6 days ago
+2
>non-spicy instruments that don't explode
That's what you think
https://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/Exploded-Cello/66F3D68D2BA310D7
2
FreiaUrth6 days ago
+18
they got an oversized lithium battery through airport security on seated on the plane successfully?? horseshit. i cant even tell HOW horseshit this is but i know theres multiple layers of horseshit here.
18
TacticianRobin6 days ago
+9
Well ICE has been subbing in for TSA occasionally, and it looks like the robot is mostly white. So I can see how it got through.
9
KDR_11k6 days ago
+5
Going by how previous tests of the TSA's ability to find bombs have gone, it's probably just that agency being f****** useless like it always is.
5
grafknives6 days ago
+18
That is OBVIOUSLY a PR stunt.
And it worked.
"Humanoid robotic passenger".
"Bought a seat for him"
Oh, it worked so well fo the company.
18
Effective-Antelope476 days ago
+15
What ID does he use to check-in and to pass the security?
15
FtWTaiChi6 days ago
+7
It just pulls up Tom Hanks's face on its screen and presents it to the facial recognition scanner.
7
Wabi-Sabi_Umami6 days ago
+17
This feels like a publicity stunt. I find it very difficult to believe that the company didn’t know the battery would be a problem.
As an aside, I find these things creepy and wouldn’t want to be near it, especially on a plane. 😂
17
Wand_Cloak_Stone6 days ago
+10
Yeah, no way would I be sitting next to that
10
cc4136 days ago
+15
Robotic luggage, fixed that for you
15
Ravenna-236 days ago
+30
Someone should check the credentials of this robotic team. First rule of science understanding the dangers of a lithium battery, weight and airline protocols.
Not the brighter side of the coin this crew
30
stewsters6 days ago
+44
Oh they knew it would not be allowed. This is a publicity stunt to get their name out there at the low cost of travelers being delayed.
How did they get past the security checkpoint?
44
Ravenna-236 days ago
+9
💯 agree with you
9
ODoyles_Banana6 days ago
+7
That's not something within the scope of TSA. Same way they don't enforce bag sizes. That comes down to airline policy.
7
Wildcatb6 days ago
+7
Which is nuts, and should tell us something about TSA.
They'll let you bring potentially explosive material, as long as it's packaged as a battery....
7
SRMort6 days ago
+3
It's far more nuanced than that.
https://www.iata.org/contentassets/05e6d8742b0047259bf3a700bc9d42b9/lithium-battery-guidance-document.pdf
Go have a read.
3
ODoyles_Banana6 days ago
+5
That’s not accurate. TSA doesn’t allow explosives. Lithium batteries aren’t classified that way. You’re treating hazardous if mishandled as explosive.
5
Ravenna-236 days ago
-6
Sugar that isn’t a four pack of AA’s powering a Walkman.
Good on ya old school logic. You haven’t seen a Tesla blow yet?
Come on the internet is waiting to show you what a lithium battery can do when properly provoked.
-6
wizza1236 days ago
+2
A Tesla battery is somewhere in the magnitude of 100-200 times larger than this battery. You can't compare the two they way you are.
2
Ravenna-236 days ago
-2
It’s damn sure not a Walkman
-2
wizza1236 days ago
+2
Straw man. What's one got to do with the other?
2
Ravenna-236 days ago
-5
Well I don’t want to be on a flight where a Tesla blows up. Also homeland security is trying to privatize. So that will be out sourced. Meaning welcome to whatever f****** corporation says it’s ok to roll on a plane with a giant lithium battery.
It’s laughable to think you want to board a plane with that. But soon sugar you too can share first class with a lithium based android. Trust his ticket will be paid for.
Stop being stupid !
-5
just_posting_this_ch6 days ago
-1
TSA shouldn't prevent people from boarding plans with explosives?
-1
ODoyles_Banana6 days ago
+7
Seriously dude, not enforcing airline battery limits doesn’t equal allowing explosives. You’re connecting two things that don’t overlap, you're arguing something I never said.
7
just_posting_this_ch6 days ago
+5
The battery is a highly flammable dangerous object. Well known to not be allowed on airplanes. I have no clue why you said TSA shouldn't prevent it from boarding. What doesn't overlap?
5
ODoyles_Banana6 days ago
+4
You’re mixing up two categories. Lithium batteries are a hazard if they fail. Explosives are designed to detonate. Batteries are allowed under limits. Those limits are set by the FAA and implemented by the airlines, which is why policies can vary. TSA screens for security threats like weapons and explosives. It doesn’t enforce every airline specific rule, just like it doesn’t enforce your bag allowance.
4
KDR_11k6 days ago
+1
A lot of things that the TSA screens for, like large bottles, aren't designed to be a hazard but are banned anyway under the theory that someone COULD use them to build something dangerous.
1
ODoyles_Banana6 days ago
+1
The thing is you can't use lithium batteries to create something dangerous the way you can with other banned items.
[IATA's guidance on batteries ](https://www.iata.org/contentassets/05e6d8742b0047259bf3a700bc9d42b9/lithium-battery-guidance-document.pdf)
>All lithium and sodium ion batteries are classified as dangerous goods due to the presence of the
threat of thermal runaway
Thermal runaway is the only threat these batteries pose.
1
KDR_11k6 days ago
+1
But you could intentionally cause that runaway by shorting out a badly protected battery. That's why it should be a concern for the TSA.
1
just_posting_this_ch6 days ago
-2
Cool story. What's the difference between an oversized lithium ion battery and an explosive? A couple centimeters of copper?
-2
ODoyles_Banana6 days ago
+6
That’s like asking what the difference is between gasoline and a bomb. One can burn if something goes wrong. The other is designed to explode and create a blast wave.
6
just_posting_this_ch6 days ago
+5
Neither of which you can take through security. They warn you at security which items you're not allowed to take. Flammable, or combustible objects are definitely not permitted through security. They have infographics at the entrance.
5
rrdubbs6 days ago
+11
Should have had him arrive with a small 99.9 kWh battery, and just plug himself into the outlet, on an international flight. He just needed enough juice to make it from the terminal to the seat, and then raw dog it staring bleakly ahead sipping electrons
11
KDR_11k6 days ago
+4
I assume you mean Wh because kWh wouldn't fit in that seat.
4
rrdubbs6 days ago
+1
Oops, you are right. Thinking about EV purchase this week… a classic unit mixup!
1
AlyadaHatchet6 days ago
+7
Usually you can't take a battery over 100Wh onto a plane, and it has to be in plain sight while in operation.
There is a heat resistant bag for lithium ion battery fires, but it's sized around that 100Wh (and under) capacity.
Can't exactly toss the entire robot into the thermal burn bag, especially when violating the capacity limits.
7
faster_tomcat6 days ago
+5
Some airlines (including a recent Eva Air flight) forbid the use of USB chargers at all times during the flight. They do provide seat power outlets but they don't want chargers to be used.
5
SteeveJoobs5 days ago
+3
Yep. Pretty recent new rule that started from Singaporean airlines and spread around the industry.
3
Ahelex6 days ago
+1
>Can't exactly toss the entire robot into the thermal burn bag, especially when violating the capacity limits.
What if we just invent a large thermal burn bag and put the plane in it instead?
Then, whatever Li-ion battery fire that could occur during the flight will be contained!
1
ODoyles_Banana6 days ago
+2
Well the reason these bags work is tied to the size and energy of the device they’re meant for. They’re designed for small electronics like phones and laptops, where the total heat release and gas production are smaller.
In use, you add water to the bag and put the device in it. The material absorbs that water and helps pull heat out of the device, which slows thermal runaway. You still have to monitor it and add more water as needed.
Once you scale up to a larger battery, you’re dealing with much more heat, and significantly more gas being produced. That means you’d need far more water and something that can handle the gasses safely.
At that point, you’re into specialized fire containment systems designed for large lithium batteries.
2
robertsruling6 days ago
+6
SOB would probably wind up sitting behind me and kicking the seat until the battery ran out. 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
6
goldenboy21916 days ago
+27
Goddamn clankers ruining this country… /s
27
qdp6 days ago
+3
It’s not fair. How did the clanker get above me on the upgrade list? It doesn’t need the exit row foot room.
3
WeirdSysAdmin6 days ago
+10
Equipment doesn’t travel, it’s transported. Stop humanizing large language models.
10
Masterweedo6 days ago
+5
It didn't work, but they obviously thought it was worth a shot.
5
opisska6 days ago
+5
It's not a passenger. It's just inappropriate luggage.
5
ICanSeeNow176 days ago
+3
Look, this clanker wasn't bothering anybody, why did they have to harass it?
3
BalanceEarly6 days ago
+3
Excuse me, you need to surrender your battery pack!
3
thisthreadisbear6 days ago
+3
Why does this feel like what you would see on a newspaper in Futurama lol.
3
kitkatkorgi6 days ago
+3
Let’s outlaw them now. And put a giant off button on their back.
3
AMileHighDM6 days ago
+3
Fuckin Clanker holding up our lives !
3
StinkyMcgee516 days ago
+3
Wdym passenger? We calling non living things passengers now?
3
bigbigjohnson6 days ago
+3
These damn clankers holding up flights now
3
CptVague6 days ago
+6
Executives f****** **HATE** remote work.
6
HylanderUS6 days ago
+3
OMG, they found a way to make AI go the office!
3
Ok_Pollution70936 days ago
+2
A robot getting better travel perks than me, honestly.
2
AnthonyNHB6 days ago
+2
So this is what causes the eventual robot uprising? Not being allowed on planes?
"Robots everywhere realized the system was built against them and they couldn't even travel the country for work. Well they had had enough; as one they rose up and overthrew their human masters. Now they can travel the country in peace and the soft crunch of human skulls under their feet."
2
ExtonGuy6 days ago
+2
Why don’t they power the robot with ATP production?
2
These_Algae_80826 days ago
+2
Was he smoking in the bathroom?
2
Roadside_Prophet6 days ago
+2
Smart enough to build a robot. Dumb enough to not read FHA regulations on batteries.
2
Simpicity6 days ago
+2
Now you can suicide bomb planes from home!
Pesky door between you and the cockpit?
Not when you can pistol shrimp it down with 8000 lbs of robo-PUNCH!
Hijacking has never been easier
Or more fun!
2
FatesUrinal6 days ago
+2
Not a person. Why is weight an issue if you can just jam it in with the luggage? It’s not like it’s going in an overhead bin. Put an even amount of weight in the other side of the aircraft.
2
Reasonable-Turn-59406 days ago
+1
Take the bus, clanker
1
Flimsy_wimsey6 days ago
+1
What a bunch of amateurs. Or media pigs.
1
solitarium1 day ago
+1
I didn’t think I’d read that headline before I was retirement age, but here we are
This is an interesting timeline
1
i_lost_it_all_16 days ago
+1
I see an opportunity to access the robotic airline flights demographic. Who's in on buying spirit and make it robot only? Time to embrace our robotic neighbors.
1
Ecstatic_Wasabi_51666 days ago
+1
Southwest airlines is probably just mad they didn't charge the robot extra for a carry-on
125 Comments