The machine, called the Servi Lift, was developed by California-based Bear Robotics, and had been employed by the Gumi City Council since August 2023. From 9 am to 6 pm every day, it served the needs of those working in city hall as a delivery unit, transporting a variety of goods around the building.
According to the Daily Mail, the incident took place around 4 pm on June 20. After witnessing Servi Lift acting paranoid, witnesses discovered the machine a tthe bottom of a two-metre tall staircase between the first and second floors. The robot had the ability to operate an elevator and move from one floor to another, which it did on a daily basis. This appeared to be its first, and last, attempt to use the stairs.
"It was officially part of the city hall, one of us," an employee said, noting that it "worked diligently." Servi Lift even had its own civil service officer card. As the Daily Mail reports, many questioned if perhaps the robot had been overworked.
Officials with the city have said that no cause has been determined, however the pieces were sent to Bear Robotics to be analyzed. The company's robots have been quite popular across the world, with partners including United, Microsoft, Four Seasons, Denny's, and a number of governments in Asia.
Bear Robotics noted on its website that, as of the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2024, its devices have "saved" 2,052,640,449 steps that would have had to be taken by humans, and completed nearly 189,000,000 deliveries.
