The police in South Korea stated that an industrial robot at a vegetable packaging plant grabbed and crushed a worker to death. The authorities are investigating whether the machine was defective or improperly designed.

Early evidence suggests that human error was more likely to blame for the incident rather than problems with the machine itself. However, the incident has raised concerns about the safety of industrial robots and the false sense of security they may give to humans working nearby.

The police in the southern county of Goseong reported that the man died of head and chest injuries after being snatched and pressed against a conveyor belt by the machine’s robotic arms.

The victim was an employee of a company that installs industrial robots and was sent to the plant to examine whether the machine was working properly.

South Korea has experienced other accidents involving industrial robots in recent years.

The machine that caused the death was one of two pick-and-place robots used at the facility, which packages bell peppers and other vegetables for export to other Asian countries.

According to Kang Jin-gi, who heads the investigations department at Gosong Police Station, the robot was not an advanced, artificial intelligence-powered robot, but rather a machine that simply picks up boxes and puts them on pallets.

Another police official stated that the robot’s sensors are designed to identify boxes, and it appeared that the man had moved near the robot with a box in his hands which likely triggered the machine’s reaction.

South Korea had the highest density of industrial robots in the world in 2021, with many used in major manufacturing plants such as electronics and auto-making.

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press