Worker Crushed To Death By Industrial Robot That Thought He Was A Box

By Bill Galluccio

November 10, 2023

Industrial robot arm grabbing the cardboard box on roller conveyor rack with storage warehouse background. Technology and artificial intelligence innovation concept. 3D illustration rendering
Photo: Shutter2U / iStock / Getty Images

A man at a South Korean vegetable packaging plant was crushed to death by an industrial robot. He was inspecting the robot's sensor when the machine mistook him for a box of vegetables.

The robot's arm grabbed the man and pushed him onto a conveyor belt, crushing his face and chest.

The man, who was in his 40s, was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officials did not release his identity.

Police said that the man worked for a company that installs industrial robots and was dispatched to the vegetable packaging plant to check whether the machine was working properly.

According to the BBC, the worker was checking the sensor ahead of a planned test of the robot. The test was originally scheduled for November 6, but it was moved to November 8 over concerns about the sensor.

The plant is located in the South Gyeongsand province and is owned by Donggoseong Export Agricultural Complex.

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