A “surveillance robot” that works at Gumi City Hall in Gyeongsang Province, South Korea reportedly jumped down the stairs of its office. The facility operated from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and was in charge of various tasks including interdepartmental mail deliveryadministrative documents and dissemination of municipal news on its integrated screen.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the robot fell down a two-meter staircase while doing its job on the second floor of the City Hall building. It was later found decommissioned with parts scattered on the ground. Although the exact cause of the accident has not yet been determined, It is speculated that the robot may have suddenly lost its balance.
A supervisory robot performed various administrative and service tasks at the city hall of Gumi, South Korea. Among its main functions was the delivery of interdepartmental mail and administrative documents on the various floors of the municipality building.
This robot, made by Bear Robotics, It featured the ability to use elevators and move autonomously on all floors.thereby optimizing the efficiency of information and resource distribution within the City Council.
When the robot was unveiled in August 2023, Gumi Mayor Kim Jang-ho said, “We will actively support the robot industry, which is the growth engine of the new generation, so that Gumi can be at the center of its interest.
However, after the accident suffered by the ‘surveillance robot, the city council said there were no plans to find a replacement for it.
The surveillance robot incident in South Korea raises questions about replacing humans with robots. While robots can perform repetitive tasks and improve efficiency, such as administrative management at Gumi City Hall, People remain indispensable for monitoring and solving unforeseen problems.
Robotic technology is developing rapidly, but it cannot yet fully replicate human intuition and judgment. This case highlights the importance of finding a balance between automation and human employment to ensure that both can co-exist effectively in the future.
Companies like Tesla, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are adopting humanoid robots to optimize vehicle production. Each of them developed specific models: Tesla with Optimus, BMW with Figure 01 and Mercedes-Benz with Apollo. These robots not only automate repetitive and dangerous tasks, but also improve accuracy and efficiency on production lines.
Tesla, a pioneer in artificial intelligence and robotics, introduced Optimus to reduce cost and time by replicating human functions. Elon Musk has hinted that the technology could lead to a reallocation of the workforce into more strategic roles. from his side BMW works with Figurerobotics startup, at its factory in Spartanburg, USA, where humanoids improve the execution of critical tasks.
In parallel, Mercedes-Benz has entered into a partnership with Apptronik integrate Apollo, a bipedal robot capable of performing physically demanding jobs such as handling loads weighing up to 25 kilograms.
This advance enables Mercedes-Benz to explore new frontiers in industrial automation, improving safety and efficiency in vehicle production.
The implementation of humanoid robots in these factories highlights the shift towards technological modernization and resource optimization in the global automotive industry. While these advances promise better efficiency and safety, they also raise questions about the future of human employment and the need to adapt to an increasingly automated and technologically advanced work environment.
