This man was killed by a robot and he's not the first victim

In South Korea, a factory was the scene of a horrific incident. During a routine inspection, a robot malfunctioned, resulting in the death of a man in his forties. An investigation is underway to find out more about the circumstances surrounding this violent death.

Confused with a can of peppers

This fatal incident took place on Wednesday, November 8, at a factory in the Donggoseong district of South Korea. A man in his forties was in charge of inspecting the sensors on a robotic arm used by the factory to sort and move cans of peppers. But while he was examining the machine, the arm started up. The BBC explains:

The robotic arm, mistaking the man for a can of vegetables, grabbed him and pushed his body against the conveyor belt, crushing his face and chest.

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This man died in hospital

Sent to hospital, the man unfortunately died of his injuries. In a statement, the factory owner said that he wished to put in place a 'precise and safe' system to prevent this kind of event from happening again. At the same time, the South Korean police have launched an investigation to shed light on the circumstances surrounding this fatal incident.

This isn't the first time a death has been caused by a robot: in 1979, for example, Robert Williams, a 25-year-old US employee, died in similar circumstances. According to The Atlantic:

We asked Robert Williams to climb into a storage rack to help move things along. The one-ton robot continued to work silently and collided with Williams' head, killing him instantly. This is believed to be the first incident in which a robot has killed a human being.

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This article has been translated from Gentside FR.

Sources used:

BBC News: Man crushed to death by robot in South Korea

The Atlantic: ROBOTS ARE ALREADY KILLING PEOPLE