Southwest Flight Delayed 1 Hour by Robot Battery

A Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to San Diego experienced a delay of more than one hour on April 30 after a humanoid robot passenger prompted safety checks over its seating and battery.

Southwest Flight 1568, scheduled to depart Oakland International Airport around 2 p.m., did not take off until about 3:10 p.m. and landed in San Diego roughly an hour behind schedule. The four-foot-tall, 70-pound robot, named Bebop and owned by Dallas-based Elite Event Robotics, had its own purchased seat because its transport case exceeded baggage weight limits. The robot was traveling for a work-related public appearance.

Crew members first raised concerns when Bebop was placed in an aisle seat, violating airline policy for large carry-on items. It was relocated to a window seat. Further inspection revealed the robot's lithium-ion battery exceeded Southwest's maximum allowable size, a restriction aimed at preventing fire risks in flight. The battery was removed and confiscated before the plane could depart.

Eily BenAbraham of Elite Event Robotics described the process: "Then they come and start asking, what kind of batteries does it has? What's going on with this? X, Y and Z. They want...