Robot Kills Worker

It does not appear to be a case of malice of aforethought.... yet.

A technician has been killed by a robot at a Volkswagen plant near Kassel, Germany.

A 21 year old external contractor was installing the robot together with a colleague when he was struck in the chest by the robot and pressed against a metal plate. He later died of his injuries, reports Chris Bryant, the FT's Frankfurt correspondent.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation into how the accident occurred.

Robot-related fatalities are rare in western production plants as robots are kept behind safety cages to prevent accidental contact with humans.

In this instance the contractor was standing inside the safety cage when the accident occurred.

www.ft.com...

First Human Killed by Robot:

Robert Williams, a worker at a Ford Motor Company factory
in Michigan, was killed by a robot on January 25, 1979.

One age-old concern is the Luddite argument, a fear that machinery would eventually replace the worker. Another more-evolved concern surrounds the common science-fiction theme of robot intelligence exceeding human intelligence.

Under that theory, the machines could rise up and eliminate their masters, a concept forbidden under Isaac Asimov’s “Three Laws of Robotics.” The first rule spelled out in Asimov’s 1950s I, Robot stories says: “A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.”

www.wired.com...

Inside the safety glass while machines were still in operation. Doesn't really sound like a big deal to me (in the sense of judgement day starting, not that the fellow passed away from his injuries).

If anything, if the robot were more advanced, perhaps it would have had an automatic shutoff system with sensors to detect a person walking into a dangerous zone?

a reply to: wasaka

I ran a bunch of machines at this factory.
I got bit a few times.. The issue was that sometimes the machines had to be on, and you had to mess inside at the same time, defeating the safety measures.. reason being if you do a cold shutdown, the machines would try to move back to zero, but would be jammed from doing so, and would be in an even worse spot to try to fix..

Sometimes it was hard to guess which way the machines were going to move next, when it was already in a red button shut down.. You'd think it wouldn't move.. Hahaha.. Ouch.

I wonder if this is a case like that..
A normal range of motion being executed at a bad time.

a reply to: wasaka

It starts...

1st human casualty in the war against Skynet...

a reply to: Reverbs

Makes sense to me.

They really need to change that safety shutoff situation

a reply to: wasaka

It has begun.

IT HAS BEGUN!

a reply to: Reverbs

Sounds very poorly designed to me.

Sounds like we need to start programming robots with:

robot brings something to mind....maybe it was just a piece of machinery that could move a little, or had moveable parts.....the word "robot" does bring to mind SKYNET, and this was just automated machinery

I could only think of this:

originally posted by: Reverbs
a reply to: wasaka

I ran a bunch of machines at this factory.
I got bit a few times.. The issue was that sometimes the machines had to be on, and you had to mess inside at the same time, defeating the safety measures.. reason being if you do a cold shutdown, the machines would try to move back to zero, but would be jammed from doing so, and would be in an even worse spot to try to fix..

Sometimes it was hard to guess which way the machines were going to move next, when it was already in a red button shut down.. You'd think it wouldn't move.. Hahaha.. Ouch.

I wonder if this is a case like that..
A normal range of motion being executed at a bad time.

All companies in the US have to conform with OSHAs lockout tagout process.

originally posted by: Gothmog


All companies in the US have to conform with OSHAs lockout tagout process.

This was NOT a lock out Tag out... You can either cut the power to the machine, or red button shut down... The entire machine can open from all sides.. It's too much to explain, but when a machine get's jammed, a full shutdown would make it impossible to fix, in certain cases.
With full power off, you cannot get inside certain areas, and the machines can't be down too long. What I am talking about is not a malfunction of the machine itself that would cause someone to lock it...

Not saying they followed all the rules...
Just saying this stuff happens.

I can see where saving 6 hours and $15,000 worth of lost work would cause bent rules.

I imagine the OP story is a similar type scenario.

Uhh ritual sacrifice because the new terminator is out in theaters. Or just an accident. Yeah probably an accident.

When ppl think "Robot" in todays pop-culture mindshare they think of some sort autonomous, or semi-autonomous, command reactionary advanced thing. Usually humanoid in form.

When they see some sort of large press or cutting device on an assembly in a factory that does the same thing over and over, they don't associate "robot" with it, even though they can be called robots. I bet if they showd a picture of the machinery ppl would start questioning the robot monicker, even though it can be called that just fine.

I would put this under machinery, but that would make a less sensational title.

originally posted by: ketsuko
I could only think of this:

at3OiAvUjH4

I didn't even watch the vid and I still gave you a star.

Automation and AI will never be a substitute for being able to use one's own brain properly.

Why anyone would casually let their guard down in an automated facility is ludicrous to me.

SAFETY FREAKIN' FIRST KIDDOS.

What's next?

Blaming inanimate welding equipment for causing blindness because the welder forgot to wear protective goggles?

Jumpin' Jesus on a Pogo-Stick!

originally posted by: Reverbs
I can see where saving 6 hours and $15,000 worth of lost work would cause bent rules.

I imagine the OP story is a similar type scenario.

Sure this kind of rule bending happens. In this case it cost a life, if the rules were bent which an investigation will determine.

If an investigation determines they didn't follow the rules then the penalty needs to be stiff enough to discourage more rule bending and more loss of life. Sometimes machine downtime will cost $15,000. Nobody is happy about it, but it's not worth dying for to try to save that money.

Perhaps a re-design of the machine could reduce the $15,000 downtime cost, but that re-design would also cost money.

a reply to: Arbitrageur

a redesign would be millions, but my main point is that while the op is an interesting look at what can happen in the future with more and more automation, even fused with more and more AI, it's not there yet..

This was a bad mistake.
I've been close to losing a finger over similar issues.

I know from experience this will not be fixed unless there is some crazy story that gains traction over a man losing his life.

I wanted to post and use the word machine, so people don't get confused about the word robot..
The machines I ran were something like 6 armed killers... But they are only machines.. The word Robot has been anthropomorphized to the point of losing it's true meaning.

So for instance a scary AI, would NOT have a "body." It would be a "cloud," having control of data, and many many many bodies... It would control entire factories.. It would take hostages, by taking over nuclear power plants and running them close to meltdown...

Anyway..
This is just a bad accident, that could have been prevented, but in my own experience I bet the guy had to do what he did to get the job done.

originally posted by: Reverbs
a reply to: Arbitrageur

a redesign would be millions, but my main point is that while the op is an interesting look at what can happen in the future with more and more automation, even fused with more and more AI, it's not there yet..

This was a bad mistake.
I've been close to losing a finger over similar issues.

I know from experience this will not be fixed unless there is some crazy story that gains traction over a man losing his life.

I wanted to post and use the word machine, so people don't get confused about the word robot..
The machines I ran were something like 6 armed killers... But they are only machines.. The word Robot has been anthropomorphized to the point of losing it's true meaning.

So for instance a scary AI, would NOT have a "body." It would be a "cloud," having control of data, and many many many bodies... It would control entire factories.. It would take hostages, by taking over nuclear power plants and running them close to meltdown...

Anyway..
This is just a bad accident, that could have been prevented, but in my own experience I bet the guy had to do what he did to get the job done.

What does a life cost?

It's a mistake when you cut off a finger using a circular saw. I've seen it happen.
It's a mistake when you work on a live electrical panel and get a shock.

It's company negligence when you cannot shut down a machine or the parts when in need of repair.
Or look to the cost/loss over safety.
I think you are taking the sensationalized "robot kills" to much to heart and overlooking the obvious disregard to human life that ended in a death.

a reply to: noxxen
It apparently 'begun' 35 years ago. Simple accident. There may well be a negative culmination of technology, but this ain't it.