Gumi City, South Korea – A bizarre incident in Gumi City, South Korea, has sparked an investigation after a municipal robot tasked with assisting residents was found at the bottom of a flight of stairs, no longer functioning.
The robot, which had served the community for roughly a year, reportedly malfunctioned last week. According to a municipal team official, eyewitnesses reported seeing the robot spinning in place as if encountering an issue before its fall.
“We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the official stated. “The robot’s parts have been collected and will be shipped to its designer, Bear Robotics, for a thorough analysis.”
Another official expressed sadness over the incident, referring to the robot as “one of us” and an official member of the city’s workforce. The robot, designed by California-based Bear Robotics, reportedly worked standard business hours (9 am to 6 pm) and even possessed its own public service card.
Unlike other, more stationary robots in Gumi City, this particular model boasted the ability to call the elevator and navigate between floors independently.
Local media has extensively covered the story, with headlines questioning the cause of the robot’s behavior. Some reports pose the question, “Why did this diligent public servant behave this way?” while others speculate on the possibility of workload exceeding the robot’s capacity.
South Korea, a nation renowned for its embrace of robotics, holds the distinction of having the highest robot density globally – one robot for every ten human employees according to the International Federation of Robotics.