Though killer robots are a favorite subject in science fiction, it is a shocking tragedy when humans are killed by robots in the real-world. Today marks the anniversary of what is widely regarded as the frist case of a death of a human caused by a robot. On this day in 1979, Ford Motor Company factory worker Robert williams was crushed, and killed instantly by a robotic arm, while doing his job.
Williams was just 25 years old when he became the first human casualty of the robotic advance into factory production environments. The unfortunate incident occurred at Ford’s casting plant in flat Rock, Michigan.
Reports about the historic incident indicate that Williams was asked by another production team member to climb up to a shelf where castings were stored by robotic arms. The request was precipitated by the robot reporting “what seemed like erroneous information on the number of parts on the shelves,” says a New York times article covering the ensuing lawsuit. Climbing up would likely have been concerning for the young factory worker, as the robot arm serviced shelves five stories high.
Then tragedy struck. The robotic arm of a one-ton cart unit, responsible for putting castings onto shelves and taking them off, swung into action, hitting Williams on the head. Some other reports on the incident note that Williams died instantly from being struck.
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Tom’s Hardware: A Technology News Source
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- Detail: Founded in 1996, Tom’s Hardware initially gained prominence for its detailed motherboard reviews and hardware guides. It has as expanded its coverage to include CPUs, GPUs, storage, networking, and other tech-related topics. The site is now owned by Future US,a division of Future plc.
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* Tom’s Hardware founded: 1996
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* Future plc LSE ticker symbol: FUTR
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