Robot kills employee at Volkswagen factory in Germany
Technician crushed to death while installing the machine, but company insists human error was to blame
A technician has been killed by robot at Volkswagen factory in Germany, the car company has confirmed.
The external contractor died after the robot he was installing grabbed and crushed him against a metal plate.
The 22-year was resuscitated at the factory but died later in hospital, reports Deutche Welle. Another contractor was nearby, but was unharmed.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The accident occurred at a manufacturing plant in Baunatal, about 100km (62 miles) north of Frankfurt.
"Our thoughts are with his family," a VW spokesperson told The Independent. "We are of course carrying out a thorough investigation into the incident and cannot comment further at this time."
The robots are programmed to carry out various tasks in the assembly process and they typically have no contact with humans as they are kept behind metal cages. In this case, the employee was inside the cage when the accident occurred.
The company insists the robot did not suffer a technical defect and said the accident was down to human error. But German prosecutors are deciding whether to bring charges and if so, to whom, according to local news agencies.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - April 20, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - papal ideas, high-powered debates, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 sleeper hit cartoons about Trump's struggles to stay awake in court
Cartoons Artists take on courtroom tranquility, war on wokeness, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The true story of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans
In depth The writer's fall from grace with his high-flying socialite friends in 1960s Manhattan is captured in a new Disney+ series
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
How technology helps and harms endangered languages
Under the radar Languages are disappearing at fastest rate in history, accelerated by digital dominance of English
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Spain spends €258m on trains too big for tunnels
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Animal shelter will name cat litter tray after your ex
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
‘Unsettling’ bid to bring dodo back to life
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By The Week Staff Published
-
Your LinkedIn contact could be a deepfake
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By The Week Staff Published
-
AI beats humans at bridge
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By The Week Staff Published
-
Who masterminded largest-ever cyberattack on Israel?
Under the Radar Defence officials point finger at Iran after government websites knocked offline
By The Week Staff Published
-
‘It is the internet’: Rohingya launch $150bn Facebook lawsuit over genocide hate speech
In Depth Victims in UK and US legal action claim social media giant failed to prevent incitement of violence
By The Week Staff Published