A robot employed by the Gumi City Council in South Korea was discovered motionless at the base of a two-meter staircase, sparking rumors that it was the country’s first robot “suicide.”
The incident took place on June 20 at approximately 4 pm, as reported by The Daily Mail. Witnesses observed the robot, exhibiting peculiar behavior moments before it allegedly “ended its own life,” noting that it was circling in place as if reacting to a presence.
Manufactured by Bear Robotics, a company based in California, city council authorities swiftly gathered the robot’s shattered components for examination and dispatched them to the company. Nevertheless, the cause behind its erratic actions remains shrouded in mystery.
The robot was equipped with an employee identification card and adhered to a 9 am to 4 pm work schedule, akin to other staff members. It also could effortlessly traverse between floors and even summon the elevator independently.
A Gumi city representative disclosed that the robot was instrumental in daily document distribution, city promotions, and dispensing information to residents, officially integrated into the city hall’s operations. Local media outlets seized upon the narrative, pondering whether the robot’s workload contributed to its malfunction.
Installed in August of the previous year, Robot Supervisor was among the pioneering robots deployed in the city. The International Federation of Robotics notes that South Korea boasts one of the highest robot densities globally, with one industrial robot for every ten human workers. When questioned about the possibility of acquiring a replacement robot, the council stated that there are presently no intentions to substitute the “deceased” Robot Supervisor.
This incident is not the sole instance of a robot meeting an abrupt demise. In 2017, a security robot named Steve in Washington, DC was purportedly found to have “committed suicide” by drowning in a fountain. However, subsequent investigations revealed that the robot had plunged into the water feature after slipping on a loose brick.
