The cause of the fall is still under investigation. (Representative)
A robot from Gumi Municipality in South Korea broke down after falling down a flight of stairs. Although some have sensationalized the event as a “robot suicide,” experts think it is more likely a technical glitch or glitch. The robot was part of the City Hall staff and had been working “diligently” since August 2023, one of its colleagues said. It helped with daily tasks such as delivering documents, providing information to residents and city promotion.
Before the fall, eyewitnesses reported unusual behavior, with the robot circling in one spot, seemingly confused “as if something was there.” The incident took place on June 27 around 4 p.m., where the ‘Robot Supervisor’ was found damaged and lying in the stairwell between the first and second floors of the municipal building.
The cause of the fall is still under investigation. Officials believe this could be due to a navigation error, a sensor error or a programming error. A city official said the “pieces of the robot have been collected and will be analyzed by the company.”
The robot was the first of its kind to fulfill such a role in the city. Developed by Bear Robotics, a California-based startup, it is designed to work autonomously and navigate between floors using the elevator. Unlike other robots, which are usually limited to one floor, this robot could move freely, making it a unique asset to the Gumi City Council. The robot worked from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and, just like a human employee, even received its own civil service card.
The manufacturer, Bear Robotics, is working with the municipality to investigate and prevent similar incidents in the future.
South Korea has consistently demonstrated a strong affinity for robotics and is leading the global adoption of automation technology. With a remarkable ratio of one industrial robot for every ten employees, the country has the highest robot density in the world. reports.
However, following the recent robot incident at the Gumi Municipal Council, the municipality has decided to temporarily halt its plans to deploy a second robot officer.
