Worker Killed by Robot

Harry Palmr

Humans on the TV, Terminator back at the cinema and now this!

from PA

A robot has killed a contractor at one of Volkswagen’s production plants in Germany, the automaker has said.

The man died on Monday at the plant in Baunatal, about 100km (62 miles) north of Frankfurt, VW spokesman Heiko Hillwig said.

The 22-year-old was part of a team that was setting up the stationary robot when it grabbed and crushed him against a metal plate, Hillwig said.

He said initial conclusions indicate that human error was to blame, rather than a problem with the robot, which can be programmed to perform various tasks in the assembly process. He said it normally operates within a confined area at the plant, grabbing auto parts and manipulating them.

Another contractor was present when the incident occurred, but was not harmed, Hillwig said. He declined to give any more details about the case, citing an ongoing investigation.

German news agency DPA reported that prosecutors were considering whether to bring charges, and if so, against whom.

myshirt

Skynet /Google has initiated!

On a serious note, a guy died here!

circadian

That's a harsh way to go.

Timberrrrrrrr

Obviously someone forgot to upload Asimov's laws

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Laws_of_Robotics

1.A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2.A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3.A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law

The Adversary

Skynet is real.

http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/576417/Skynet-Terminator-NSA-Edward-Snowden

Akrasia

This was not an artificial intelligence, this was no different to someone standing under an industrial press and getting crushed

Very unfortunate for the poor fella involved.

In real skynet news, the U.S. military already have autonomous drones and are seriously considering allowing them to select their own targets and kill them without any human intervention

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/science/weapons-directed-by-robots-not-humans-raise-ethical-questions.html?_r=0

SpaceTime

Horrible way to go, RIP.

However, it's absolutely nothing like Skynet. It's just an industrial machine that does a repetitive process without any real intelligence at all other than maybe an ability to find the edges of things / position itself properly.

It's about as intelligent as your average dishwasher.

fryup

machines don't have feelings

saw a fella lose all his fingers in an industrial accident, it was horrific

Buzz Meeks

I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.

PizzamanIRL

What are they gonna do, arrest the robot?

diomed

Was it Bender?

suicide_circus

I can't do that, Dave....

pmasterson95

Ultron

Digital Society

I work in a Plant that uses the same machines. This is ****ed up and ill tell you why.

I dont see how its different to dangerous driving in a vehicle. Its a machine that is under the full control of a human.

If you have a self driving car and program it to go somewhere and it runs someone over who's at fault? Do you charge the owner?

Kev W

Digital Society wrote: »

I work in a Plant that uses the same machines. This is ****ed up and ill tell you why.

I dont see how its different to dangerous driving in a vehicle. Its a machine that is under the full control of a human.

If you have a self driving car and program it to go somewhere and it runs someone over who's at fault? Do you charge the owner?

That would be down to whether it was a software or hardware issue.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Factory worker killed in industrial accident.

Unfortunately and sadly happens regularly.

jimgoose

It's a dumb machine that was out of control for a reason, a very human reason I should say. RIP to that misfortunate youngfella.