Before you jump to any conclusions regarding Skynet’s newest victim and impending judgement day, hear me out. It may seem to you that a robot attacking a man is something out of a comic book, but in reality it’s not. There have always been concerns regarding the safety of workers around a robot as it is a big machine with autonomous moving parts. The force with which the automotive ones operate on the assembly lines and workshops is considerable.
If a person gets hit by the robot, there is little chance of survival. In light of this, companies have developed substantial personal safety codes to avoid such a mishap. But the question arises, how did the man got killed if it is considered a safe working environment?
The deceased worker was a young technician installing a stationary robot on the assembly lines. The main job of the automated arm in question was to grab car parts and manipulate them. As he finished installing the machine, it grabbed hold of him and banged him against a metal sheet, severely injuring him. He died on his way to the hospital. Many claim that the robot acted on his own and crushed him to death.
The reality is simpler. It was a plain human error on behalf of the poor worker. Normally, these beasts are on their own in confined spaces, but the worker in question was caught in a cage with it. It was programmed to become active as soon as it went live, and that should have been avoided. More investigations are being carried out by the auto giant and government representatives to ascertain the facts and take precautionary measures for the future. This workplace tragedy won’t have much effect on the future of robots, so far as I believe. But this kind of accidents shouldn’t be happening as they endanger workplace safety.
What are your thoughts on the rise of the robots? Let us know in the comments section.