South Korea: Robot Crushes Man to Death
In South Korea mishap occur when a man was crushed to death by a robot at a vegetable packaging factory in South Korea while working there. Police are investigating whether the machine was unsafe or had possible defects. According to the police of South Korea’s southern province of Goseong, the accident happened on Tuesday. When robot arms in a vegetable packaging factory grabbed a man and pinned him on a conveyor belt, the man suffered head and chest injuries and later died. Police have not released the name of the man who died but said he was an employee of a company that installs industrial robots in factories and that the man was sent to the factory to check if the machine was working properly.?
“Killer robots” should be banned, UN
The machine was one of two similar “pick and place” robots in use at the factory, police said. This company exports vegetables to other Asian countries. UN already passed a statement emphasizing to ban on killer robots like automatic drones etc.
Also, examine the possibility of human error
Such machines are common among agricultural companies in South Korea. “It wasn’t a sophisticated, artificial intelligence-powered robot. It was just a machine that just pick up boxes and place them. On a conveyor belt,” said Kang Jun-gi, head of the investigation department at Guseong Police. He said the police were working with relevant agencies. To determine whether there was a technical fault or safety issues with the machine. Another police official, on condition of anonymity. Said that the police are also investigating the possibility of human error in the accident.
Robot’s Sensors
The officer said that the robot’s sensors are designe to detect boxes and security camera footage shows that the deceased approached the robot with a box in his hands. The robot was potentially activate. The police officer said, “It was not a very advance. and sophisticate type of machine and it is clear that the robot was confuse seeing a human with a box in his hand.”
More cases of human deaths at the hands of robots
South Korea has seen other safety incidents involving industrial robots in recent years. In March, a man was seriously injure. When he was crush by a manufacturing robot while testing a machine. at an auto parts factory in Gunsan. Last year, a worker was crush to death by a robot install near a conveyor belt at a milk factory in Pyongtaek.
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