A robot killed a worker by tightening its grip over him due to a fault in sensor in South Korea

Credits : Telguvox

Seoul (South Korea) – A robot killed a worker working in an agricultural distribution centre in Gyeongsang Province. At the time of the incident, the man was testing a sensor on a robotic arm of a pick-and-place machine responsible for moving boxes of peppers from a conveyor belt and onto palettes for transportation. The robotic arm grabbed the employee with its claw, pinning him to the conveyor belt. The robot’s grip crushed the man’s chest and head. He was transported to hospital but later died as a result of his injuries.

A local police official said the man was seen in security footage carrying a box in his hands near the robot before he was grabbed. Authorities believe this may have triggered the robot’s improper response.

South Korea, like many countries, has heavily invested in robotic automation for both industrial and non-industrial spheres. The man’s death this week triggered public concern and questioning about the safety of industrial robots and the false sense of security they may give to humans working in the same area.

According to ‘American Journal of Industrial Medicine’, last year in 2022, a worker was fatally crushed by a robot installed near a conveyor belt at a milk factory in Pyeongtaek. A recent study revealed that workplace robots caused at least 41 recorded deaths in the United States between 1992 and 2017, but this figure is likely an underestimate.

Editorial perspective

Is this not the outcome of the excessive use of science ?