Robot kills worker at Volkswagen plant

The Guardian has reported that a robot has killed a contractor at one of Volkswagen’s production plants in Germany.

The man died on Monday at the plant in Baunatal, about 100km (62 miles) north of Frankfurt, a VW spokesman said on Wednesday, with the technician in question dying of the injuries sustained after the robot crushed him against a metal plate.

“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,” he added, explaining that his identity was as yet being protected.

He said initial conclusions indicate that human error was to blame, rather than a problem with the robot, which is programmed to perform various tasks in the assembly process. He added that 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, he added. He declined to give any more details about the case, citing an ongoing investigation.

Time reports that although the company uses some lightweight robots to work on the production line next to humans, a spokesperson told the Financial Times that this was not one of those robots. The type of robot that crushed the employee is usually kept in a cage. The man was working on the robot inside the cage when he was grabbed.

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