Robot Breaks Seven-Year-Old’s Finger During a Chess Match

Can you fully trust a robot?

Robot Breaks a Child's Finger

During a tournament in Russia, a seven-year-old boy's finger was crushed by a chess robot, according to a report by The Guardian.

Robots were used as competitors during the Moscow Chess Open on July 19. The machine is a typical industrial robot arm that has been modified to move pieces on three chessboards simultaneously, as seen in the video of the incident that was shared on the Baza Telegram channel.

The boy's finger is then seen being pinched by the robotic arm for a number of seconds in the video before a woman and three men rush in to rescue him and escort him away.

The youngster was identified by Baza as Christopher, who was said to be among the top 30 under-nine players in the Russian capital.

What Went Wrong During the Incident?

"The robot broke the child's finger," the President of the Moscow Chess Federation Sergey Lazarev told the TASS news agency. Meanwhile, he noted that the machine in question had performed many prior exhibitions without mishap. However, h e acknowledged that the incident was not a good thing, nevertheless.

The robot seemed to pounce after taking one of the boy's pieces, according to Sergey Smagin, vice-president of the Russian Chess Federation, who spoke to Baza. He claimed that the child chose a quick riposte rather than waiting for the machine to finish its maneuver.

"There are certain safety rules and the child, apparently, violated them. When he made his move, he did not realize he first had to wait," Smagin said.

The Child Even Finished the Tournament

Christopher, whose finger was cast in plaster, didn't appear to be particularly upset by the incident, as per Lazarev. He said that the youngster played the very next day, and that volunteers assisted to record the moves.

Even if the incident might not have traumatized the child, there's a possibility parents intend to file a lawsuit over their son's accident. According to reports, his parents had a discussion with the public defender's office.

Can You Fully Trust Robots?

Although it's unclear what explanation the robot's developers have provided for this mishap, similar events are not uncommon when robot developers fail to adequately consider safety protocols near humans, as per The Verge.

Robots typically operate in industrial settings without seeing anything. They follow predetermined routes at certain intervals and frequently lack sensors to detect or react to surrounding people. In other words, they won't notice you if you step into their path.

While robots are becoming more and more sophisticated, with the most recent models being able to actively work cooperatively with humans in addition to merely interacting with them, the majority still repeat the same simple actions - grab, move, and put down - with no regard for whether or not people are in the way.