Recently, in South Korea, a tragic incident occurred at the production site of the Donggoseong Export Agricultural Complex: a company worker died due to a robot error.
The victim of this terrible tragedy was a 40-year-old man who worked for a robotics company. At the time of the incident, he was inspecting a robot sensor at a vegetable distribution center.
During this time, the robot malfunctioned while lifting and placing boxes of bell peppers on a pallet, failing to correctly identify the worker. The robot grabbed the worker and crushed him against a conveyor belt.
As a result, he suffered serious injuries to his head and chest and was immediately taken to the hospital. Unfortunately, shortly after this, he passed away.
The police intend to launch an investigation into the incident and possible negligence on the part of safety managers at the plant.
Representatives of the Donggoseong Export Agricultural Complex have already expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and called for the creation of an “accurate and safe” robot control system in production.
The incident, as it turns out, is not the first of its kind in South Korea. Back in March of this year, a man in his 50s suffered serious injuries after being trapped by a robot in an auto parts manufacturing facility.
This incident also brings to mind the recent words of renowned entrepreneur Elon Musk, who predicted that humanoids similar to Terminator robots would eventually be able to climb trees and scour buildings in search of their owners.
In light of these recent incidents, questions about robot safety are more pressing than ever.
You never, ever, go inside the work cell of a powered-up robot. This is not a matter of robots turning on their masters, it’s a matter of ignoring what a powerful machine can do to the human body.