In a devastating incident at a pepper sorting plant in Gyeongsang province, South Korea, a robotics company employee lost his life after a robot mistakenly identified him as a box of peppers. The tragic event unfolded during a late-night inspection on Wednesday, as the worker, in his 40s, was assessing the sensor operations of the robotic arm responsible for lifting and transferring pepper boxes onto pallets.
Scheduled for a test run on November 8, the robot encountered a malfunction with its sensor, leading to a two-day delay from the original plan of November 6. During the inspection, the robotic arm, unable to differentiate between the worker and the vegetable boxes, grabbed the man and forcefully pressed him against the conveyor belt.
Suffering injuries to his face and chest, the worker was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries. The Donggoseong Export Agricultural Complex, owner of the plant, expressed deep condolences and called for the establishment of a “precise and safe” system to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.
