What happened
The Robot's Sensor Took the Technician for a Box
- Task: the arm moved boxes of peppers from a conveyor to pallets.
- Trigger: police said CCTV suggests the technician moved near the robot carrying a box.
- Failure: the gripper lifted him and pressed him against the conveyor.
- Police view: police said it was not a sophisticated machine and not AI-powered.
Timeline
Reported the Next Day, Investigated by Police
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| November 7, 2023 | The palletizing robot crushes a technician checking its sensor | Wikitree |
| November 8, 2023 | Korean media report the death | Wikitree |
| November 9, 2023 | Police say early evidence points to human error over machine fault | AP |
Controls that failed
The Robot Could Move With a Person in Reach
| Control | Company | What failed | 137AI page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Person and object recognition | Robot installer | The sensor apparently took a person for a box | Behavioral Envelopes |
| Isolation during maintenance | Plant and installer | The robot could move while a technician was within reach before a test run | Human Oversight |
Reporting
Workplace Safety Law Coverage Is Unconfirmed
| Rule | Status | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Korea serious accidents law | Not applicable | The law covered only workplaces with 50 or more workers until January 2024, and the plant's size was not found |
| Police investigation | Applied | Goseong police investigated the death |
Every rule tracked is on Incident Reporting Rules and Registries.
Response
Police Investigated
- Regulators and courts: Goseong police investigated, including questioning the on-site safety manager. No ministry action was found.
- Remediation: The complex called for safer systems for testing and running robots; no specific change was found.
Record
Incident Record
- Incident ID
- 2023-11-GOSEONG-ROBOT
- AI Incident Database
- Incident 599
- Sources
- Wikitree (November 2023); AP via KSAT (November 2023); The Register (November 2023)
- Last verified
- October 2026