Shocking: Robot kills worker at Volkswagen plant

It reads like the beginning of a robo-acocalypse sci-fi movie, but in this case the damage and the tragedy is all too real. A 22-year-old contractor who was part of a team setting up the robot at one of Volkswagen's production plants in Germany was reportedly struck in the chest by the mean machine and crushed against a metal plate.

The man whose name hasn’t been revealed by the German carmaker succumbed to his injuries later. Investigations as to how the accident occurred are underway, though initial findings indicate that human error was to be blamed as a robot is programmed to perform various tasks in the assembly process.

According to reports, robots are kept behind safety cages to prevent accidental contact with humans.The man who died was inside the safety cage when the accident happened. A second worker was outside the cage, and was not harmed.

Volkswagen has also revealed that the robot was not a new-generation collaborative robot that works side-by-side with workers on a production line, adding that this robot which grabs auto parts and manipulates them had no known technical defect.

The reports added that German prosecutors were considering whether to bring charges, and if so, against whom.