A devastating incident occurred at a pepper sorting plant in Gyeongsang province, South Korea, where a man lost his life after being mistakenly identified as a box of peppers by a robotic arm.
The victim, a robotics company employee in his 40s, was inspecting the robot responsible for lifting and transferring boxes of peppers onto pallets. According to Yonhap South Korean News Agency, the tragic event unfolded on Wednesday night when the robot failed to distinguish between the man and the vegetable boxes it was handling.
The man, who worked for the company manufacturing the robotic arm, was conducting late-night checks on the robot’s sensor operations ahead of its scheduled test run on November 8. Sadly, the robotic arm, confusing the man for a box of vegetables, grabbed him and forcefully pushed his body against the conveyor belt.
As a result of the incident, the man suffered severe injuries to his face and chest. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
Originally planned for November 6, the robot’s test run was delayed by two days due to issues with its sensor. Following the tragic event, an official from the Donggoseong Export Agricultural Complex, which owns the plant, emphasized the need for establishing a “precise and safe” system.
This unfortunate incident underscores the importance of thorough safety measures and constant vigilance when working with advanced robotic systems, urging the industry to prioritize the development of precise and fail-safe technologies.
