A robot employed by the Gumi City Council in South Korea became inoperable after falling down stairs. While some have sensationalised the incident as a ‘robot suicide’, experts believe it is more likely a technical fault 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 document distribution, providing information to residents and city promotion.
Before the collapse, witnesses reported unusual behaviour, including the robot circling in one spot, appearing to be confused “as if there was something there.” The incident occurred at around 4pm on June 27, with the ‘robot supervisor’ found lying in a damaged state on the staircase between the first and second floors of the council building.
The cause of the fall is still under investigation. Officials believe it may have been caused by a navigational error, sensor failure or programming bug. A city council official said the robot’s “pieces have been collected and will be analyzed by the company.”
This robot was the first of its kind to serve such a role in the city. Developed by California-based startup Bare Robotics, it was designed to work autonomously, navigating between floors using elevators. Unlike other robots, which are typically confined to one floor, this robot had the ability to move around freely, making it a unique asset to the Gumi City Council. The robot worked from 9am to 6pm and was also given its own civil service officer card, just like a human employee.
The manufacturer, Bayer Robotics, is working with the council to investigate and prevent such incidents in the future.
South Korea has consistently shown a strong affinity for robotics, and has been a leader in the global adoption of automation technology. According to the report, the country boasts the highest robot density in the world, with a remarkable ratio of one industrial robot per 10 employees.
However, in light of the recent robot incident at the Gumi City Council, the municipality has decided to temporarily halt its plan to hire a second robot officer.
