Welding robots work at a Golf V assembly line at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg, northern Germany, in this 2004 file picture. (Photo: FABIAN BIMMER, AP)
A Volkswagen worker was killed by a production robot Wednesday while on the job in Germany, according to the automaker.
The unidentified worker, 22, was installing a robot on the production line of a VW plant in Kassel, Germany, when a machine hit him in the chest, The Associated Press reported.
The robot then pinned him against a metal slab while he was working in a safety cage, says automaker officials. Attempted resuscitation was performed on the worker, who later died at the hospital.
VW spokesman Heiko Hillwing says the incident was likely caused by a human error, and not because of faulty programming in the robot. However, the incident is still currently under investigation.
Another worker was standing outside of the cage at the time of the incident, but he was unharmed.
Automakers use dozens of robots at a typically assembly plant to perform a wide variety of tasks. They can range from welding to installing parts to painting.
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