Kenji Urada
Encyclopedia
Kenji Urada was one of the first persons reported to have been killed by a robot. On July 4, 1981
, Urada was employed as a 37-year old maintenance engineer at a Kawasaki Heavy Industries
plant. While working on a broken robot, he failed to turn it off completely, resulting in the robot pushing him into a grinding machine with its hydraulic arm
. He died as a result. The circumstances of his death were not made public until December 8, after an investigation by the labor standards bureau was completed.
Urada is often said to be the first person killed by a robot. However, Robert Williams was killed by a robot two years earlier, on January 25, 1979.
July 1981
January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - DecemberThe following events occurred in July 1981.-July 1, 1981 :...
, Urada was employed as a 37-year old maintenance engineer at a Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
plant. While working on a broken robot, he failed to turn it off completely, resulting in the robot pushing him into a grinding machine with its hydraulic arm
Hydraulic machinery
Hydraulic machines are machinery and tools that use liquid fluid power to do simple work. Heavy equipment is a common example.In this type of machine, hydraulic fluid is transmitted throughout the machine to various hydraulic motors and hydraulic cylinders and which becomes pressurised according to...
. He died as a result. The circumstances of his death were not made public until December 8, after an investigation by the labor standards bureau was completed.
Urada is often said to be the first person killed by a robot. However, Robert Williams was killed by a robot two years earlier, on January 25, 1979.