A KiwiBot delivery robot caught fire at UC Berkeley on December 14, 2018, and was extinguished by a passerby and subsequently by the Berkeley Fire Department.
- Date of incident
- 2018-12-14
- Location
- Berkeley, California, USA
- Sources
- 7
Established by press reporting. No regulator or court document is linked to this case yet.
How the event developed
- 2018-12-16Report
A KiwiBot delivery robot caught fire at UC Berkeley on December 14, 2018, and was extinguished by a passerby and subsequently by the Berkeley Fire Department.
sfgate.com - 2018-12-16Follow-up
A Kiwi delivery robot caught fire after its battery malfunctioned at the University of California, Berkeley, and was extinguished by a passerby and the Berkeley Fire Department.
businessinsider.com - 2018-12-17Follow-up
A Kiwibot delivery robot caught fire on the University of California, Berkeley campus due to a defective battery that had been accidentally installed, destroying the robot.
bbc.com - 2018-12-17Follow-up
A KiwiBot food delivery robot idling on the UC Berkeley campus caught fire due to a defective battery installed by mistake, and was extinguished by a passerby using a fire extinguisher.
silicon.co.uk - 2018-12-17Follow-up
A Kiwibot food delivery robot belonging to Kiwi Campus caught fire while idling at UC Berkeley on December 14, 2018, after a defective battery was installed, and was extinguished by a bystander and the Berkeley Fire Department.
sandiegouniontribune.com - 2018-12-17Report
A KiwiBot autonomous delivery robot caught fire on the University of California, Berkeley campus after a defective battery was accidentally installed, producing smoke and minor flames that were extinguished by a bystander.
techeblog.com - 2018-12-18Follow-up
A KiwiBot delivery robot burst into flames on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, after its battery was replaced with a defective part, causing it to overheat and catch fire; no one was harmed.
electronics360.globalspec.com
Every claim above traces to one of these
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- sfgate.comA KiwiBot delivery robot caught fire at UC Berkeley on December 14, 2018, and was extinguished by a passerby and subsequently by the Berkeley Fire Department.2018-12-16copy 2026-09-08tier 2
- businessinsider.comA Kiwi delivery robot caught fire after its battery malfunctioned at the University of California, Berkeley, and was extinguished by a passerby and the Berkeley Fire Department.2018-12-16copy 2026-09-09tier 2
- bbc.comA Kiwibot delivery robot caught fire on the University of California, Berkeley campus due to a defective battery that had been accidentally installed, destroying the robot.2018-12-17copy 2026-09-10tier 1
- silicon.co.ukA KiwiBot food delivery robot idling on the UC Berkeley campus caught fire due to a defective battery installed by mistake, and was extinguished by a passerby using a fire extinguisher.2018-12-17copy 2026-09-10tier 2
- sandiegouniontribune.comA Kiwibot food delivery robot belonging to Kiwi Campus caught fire while idling at UC Berkeley on December 14, 2018, after a defective battery was installed, and was extinguished by a bystander and the Berkeley Fire Department.2018-12-17copy 2026-09-13tier 2
- techeblog.comA KiwiBot autonomous delivery robot caught fire on the University of California, Berkeley campus after a defective battery was accidentally installed, producing smoke and minor flames that were extinguished by a bystander.2018-12-17copy 2026-09-09tier 2
- electronics360.globalspec.comA KiwiBot delivery robot burst into flames on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, after its battery was replaced with a defective part, causing it to overheat and catch fire; no one was harmed.2018-12-18copy 2026-09-10tier 2
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