Tragic accident: Robot kills man after mistaking him for a box of vegetable

Tragedy struck at an agricultural produce distribution center in South Gyeongsang province, South Korea, when a man was reportedly crushed to death by an industrial robot. The incident occurred as the robot, tasked with lifting and placing boxes of bell peppers onto a pallet, malfunctioned and identified the worker as a vegetable box.

The victim, a robotics company employee in his 40s, was inspecting the robot's sensors ahead of its test run when the incident occurred. The robot arm, mistaking the man for a box, grabbed him and pushed his upper body against the conveyor belt, causing fatal injuries.

This is the second such incident reported in South Korea this year. In March, a man in his 50s suffered severe injuries after being trapped by a robot at an automobile parts manufacturing plant.

The Donggoseong Export Agricultural Complex, which owns the distribution center, has called for a thorough investigation into the incident and has emphasised the need for implementing a ‘precise and safe’ system to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.

This incident highlights the importance of safety measures when working with industrial robots. It is crucial to ensure that these machines are properly programmed and maintained to prevent misidentification and accidents.