Industrial robots are widely used in various sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, logistics and healthcare. They are designed to perform tasks that are repetitive, dangerous or require high precision and speed. However, industrial robots also pose significant risks to human workers, especially if they malfunction or are not properly programmed.
One such tragic case occurred in South Korea on November 8, 2023, when a man was crushed to death by a robot at a vegetable packaging plant. The man, who worked for the company that manufactured the robotic arm, was inspecting the robot’s sensor operations ahead of its test run at the pepper sorting plant in South Gyeongsang province.
The robot was responsible for lifting boxes of peppers and transferring them onto pallets. The man had been checking the robot’s sensor operations late into the night on Wednesday when it malfunctioned. The robotic arm, confusing the man for a box of vegetables, grabbed him and pushed his body against the conveyor belt, crushing his face and chest. He was sent to hospital but later died.
This incident raises serious questions about the safety and reliability of industrial robots, especially in environments where they interact with human workers. How can we prevent such accidents from happening again? What are the ethical and legal implications of using robots that can potentially harm or kill humans? What are the possible disadvantages of relying too much on robots in the future?
Some of the challenges and drawbacks of industrial robots include:
Technical issues: Industrial robots are complex machines that require regular maintenance and updates. They can malfunction due to hardware or software errors, power failures, environmental factors or human errors. For example, in 2015, a robot at a Volkswagen factory in Germany killed a worker by grabbing him and crushing him against a metal plate. The robot was reportedly programmed to perform a different task than it was assigned.
Human-robot interaction: Industrial robots need to be able to communicate and cooperate with human workers effectively. They need to have sensors and algorithms that can detect and avoid human presence, as well as respond to human commands and feedback. However, human-robot interaction is still an emerging field that faces many challenges such as trust, transparency, accountability and social norms. For example, in 2016, a security robot at a shopping mall in California knocked down a toddler and ran over his foot.
Job displacement: Industrial robots can replace human workers in many tasks that are low-skilled, labor-intensive or hazardous. This can increase productivity, efficiency and quality, but also reduce employment opportunities, wages and social benefits for workers. According to a 2017 report by McKinsey Global Institute, up to 800 million workers worldwide could lose their jobs to automation by 2030. The impact of automation will vary by sector, region and skill level, but it will require significant changes in education, training and social policies.
Ethical and legal issues: Industrial robots raise many ethical and legal issues that need to be addressed by policymakers, regulators and stakeholders. Some of these issues include: who is responsible for the actions and outcomes of industrial robots? How can we ensure that industrial robots respect human dignity, rights and values? How can we protect the privacy and security of data collected by industrial robots? How can we prevent the misuse or abuse of industrial robots for malicious purposes? For example, in 2016, a police robot was used to kill a suspect in Dallas using an explosive device.
These are some of the questions that we need to consider as we increasingly rely on industrial robots in our society. Industrial robots have many benefits and potential, but they also pose many risks and challenges. We need to ensure that industrial robots are designed, developed and deployed in a safe, reliable and ethical manner that respects human interests and values.
References:
: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67354709
: https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/industrial-robot-crushed-worker-death-vegetable-packing-plant-104749839
: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/robotic-arm-crushes-man-to-death-in-south-korean-vegetable-packing-factory/ar-AA1jFxkV
: https://www.insider.com/robot-crushed-man-death-mistook-him-box-vegetables-south-korea-2023-11
: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/02/robot-kills-worker-at-volkswagen-plant-in-germany
: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-019-0113-5
