Freelance: RUR Robot goes haywire, owner files suit against company

[Editor: IRRK]

RUR Robot goes haywire, owner files suit against company
January 29, 29480 - Noticiero Rivera (IRRK Freelance)

IRRK Freelance - A week ago a DLK-2000 Vacuum Cleaner Robot from the well-known robotics company 'RUR' being used by Mr. Nemoli went out of control in his home, practically destroying his apartment and breaking his left arm.

He managed to run out of his home in Newland and call on the Militia guards to put an end to the robot before it came out into the streets to potentially harm others.

The official report states that as soon as they entered the apartment the malfunctioning robot dashed toward them, forcing the guards to open fire in self-defense. They then removed the remains of the robot and sealed it into a secure bank as evidence. Mr. Nemoli was rushed to the Newland medical facility nearby and doctors managed to repair his left arm and heal his bruises. He was released three hours after being admitted.

Upon returning to what remained of his apartment, Mr. Nemoli took images of the damage; then got a copy of the guards and doctors reports, taking it all to the ICC Headquarters in Andromeda to file suit against RUR.

Yesterday afternoon, RUR received a subpoena to appear in court February 15th to face the plaintiff. RUR has declined to comment on the lawsuit at the time of this report.

This is Reporter 'Noticiero' Rivera, and this has been 'A Rubi-Ka Exclusive'!

[Nobody]

This is why I use brooms.

[Amosco]

The robots are uprising! We may have to take more drastic measures to see that the robot rebellion doesn't get out of hand!

[Noticiero]

I will be keeping my eyes on the situation as it develops.

[Windguaerd]

Dammit I bought one of those things!...I knew I should have hired that sexy opifex maid...now I'm stuck with something that can kill me in my sleep?

Got to call a crat, gonna sue too!

[Twistshot]

This is one robot out of how many? Thousands? Tens of thousands? More?

Even in this day and age it is possable to produce a line of product where one peice simply goes wrong.

[Tyma]

*grins* Good thing I just built my own cleanerbot for my shop...never can trust those new models. If anyone is interested, Im sure I can build a few more. Just gotta find the right parts.

[Jujuwalker]

you know, maybe we should investigate is the trash king and his greasy bunch are involved.

[Saetos]

you know, maybe we should investigate is the trash king and his greasy bunch are involved.

Considering their communication tools are plundered every four seconds, perhaps looking elsewhere is more sufficient :P

[Dabblez]

Rubi-Ka Universal Robots (RUR) would like to assure all our customers and IRRK readers that we take very seriously any customer complaints, especially when they sue us. However with the robot in question destroyed it will be very difficult to prove that said robot was had not been tampered with in ways that would invalidate the warranty.

It is an established fact that most cases of domestic robots violence can be attributed to hacking, chipping, tampering or simply subjecting the robot to abusive behaviour. My I cite precident with the Hubble vs. RUR ( http://forums.anarchy-online.com/sho...ghlight=Hubble ) case from three years ago which also featured a robot allegedly turning on its owner. In that instance we were able to prove that the owner had abused the robot, the original Milly bot, forcing it among other things to dress up in women’s lingerie.

There are exceptions of course. When RUR introduced the Pfft!, a range of personal fitness trainer robot, our engineers we did not realize until it was too late that it suffered from a fundamental design flaw. These robots were to prove unexpectedly overzealousness in their quest to improve the health and fitness of their owners with tragic consequences. The robot was withdrawn, all former Pfft! owners have been compensated for any medical or insurance bills incurred. The full story is documented here (http://forums.anarchy-online.com/sho...d.php?t=368882 ).

But that really is just the exception that proves the rule. The DLK-2000 range of vacuum cleaner has now been on sale for over three years and has proven to be, for the most part, perfectly safe, though elementary precautions are advised with regards to pets, small children, loud sudden noises, clowns, discarded underwear, power tools, vitamin C supplements, grand pianos and Stephen King novels.

As such we are sceptical of Mr Nemoli claims and suspect he will find it singularly difficult to convince any right-minded judge that the robot is to be considered at fault in this incident.

Dabblez
Director of Rubi-Ka Universal Robots (RUR)

[Xhairs]

Having had the oportunity to take a look at the working innards of a broken bot of the same model (The poor thing got sat on by a very large Atrox) i feel confident that this case of a Bot going Frankenstein is either the fault of post production warranty voiding alteration to the higher brainfunctions of the bot, or a one in a million+ manufacture error.

Most likely the thing got it´s programming messed up to mistake all organic substances for dirt to be removed.


Itsabargain

Trader Extarorinaire

Ask me about my low low prices!

[Tsun]

Maybe someone sabotaged the robot in order to dispose of the owner, in an "accident".

Just a thought, i err, wouldnt know anything about it.