Man crushed to death by robot that mistook him for a box

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A man has been crushed to death by a robot that mistook him for a box, according to South Korean media.

The worker in his 40s was inspecting the robot's sensor at a warehouse for agricultural products in South Gyeongsand province.

According to the Yonhap news agency, the robot was lifting boxes of bell peppers when it misidentified the man.

Citing police sources, it reported that the mechanical arm pushed the man's upper body onto a conveyor belt and crushed his face and chest.

He died later in hospital.

In a statement, an official from the Donggoseong Export Agricultural Complex, which owns the plant, called for a "precise and safe" system to be established.

In March, a South Korean man in his 50s suffered serious injuries after he was trapped by a robot while working at a vehicle parts manufacturing plant.

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