Whether from being at the wrong place at the wrong time or because of a careless operator’s mistake, many a humans have lost their lives in machine-related accidents. One recent accident in particular stands out because it involved a robot .
(But we won’t get into a metaphysical debate over the difference between robots and machines, or dwell on the fact that robots are machines, instead, we’ll assume that robots can be programmed to autonomously perform a wide array of tasks without human intervention.)
On July 1, 2015, a 22-year-old contractor was killed at a Volkswagen production plant in the German town of Baunatal, 100 km (62 miles) north of Frankfurt, when a stationary robot snatched him off his feet and crushed him to death against a metal plate.
The young man was part of a team tasked with setting up a stationary robot that operates within a confined area, grabbing and manipulating autoparts, explains Heiko Hillwig, a WV spokesman, “It [robot] can be programmed to perform various tasks in the assembly process.” Because of its closely defined role, the initial conclusion indicates that human error may have been at fault.
We do know that a second technician was present at the scene of the accident, but declined to give any additional detail in light of the continuing investigations; this person was not injured. Prosecutors are not yet certain if any charges will be brought forth.
Source: Guardian
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