The robot was developed by California startup Bear Robotics and is known to be used to distribute documents in the high-rise city council building in the central South Korean city of Gumi. Techno 24Eyewitnesses reported that the robot fell down the stairs from a height of approximately 2 meters, which led to its untimely “death.”

Gumi City Council first hired a robot in August 2023, a common practice in the country. South Korea has one robot for every ten workers, according to AFP. The Bear Robotics robot stood out for its ability to use elevators, making it particularly useful in the high-rise city hall.

Bear Robotics manufactures a variety of robot models, including adjustable trays for long items and packages, as well as LED panels to display customizable messages.

Each robot was equipped with a camera and a LiDAR sensor to map the environment, but this technology was not enough to prevent the robot from taking a fatal fall.

Where did the news of the suicide come from?

Local media almost immediately began mourning the robot’s untimely death, with some suggesting he committed suicide.

Robot crash site / Photo: Tom Valentino

The exact circumstances surrounding the robot’s fall remain unclear. Witnesses reported seeing the robot “circling in one place as if it were circling something” before falling down the stairs. A representative for the company said the robot’s debris was being collected by the company for analysis.

At the same time, there is no reason to claim that the robot committed suicide. The fact is that there is no evidence to support this, most likely the main reason lies in a banal technical malfunction. It can be assumed that someone from the mass media decided to make a joke about this, manipulating the situation with a robot in public service.