Though killer robots are a favorite subject in science fiction, it is a shocking tragedy when humans are killed by robots in the real-world. Today marks the anniversary of what is widely regarded as the first case of a death of a human caused by a robot. On this day in 1979, Ford Motor Company factory worker Robert Williams was crushed, and killed instantly by a robotic arm, while doing his job.
Williams was just 25 years old when he became the first human casualty of the robotic advance into factory production environments. The unfortunate incident occurred at Ford’s casting plant in Flat Rock, Michigan.
