Answer
Robotics incidents by severity
The full incident corpus cut by the severity ladder. As of 2026-09-27, 2125 tracked incidents, including 51 carrying the fatality kind.
catastrophic
36
critical
41
serious
252
moderate
263
minor
1,526
Every catastrophic and critical incident, most recent first
The two most-severe rungs listed in full. Serious/moderate/minor are summarized above; every individual row is reachable via the maker page or the incidents index.
- Pedestrian killed after SUV collision threw him into path of driverless Waymo vehicle in Dallas2026-08-08criticalfatalityNHTSA
by Waymo
- ADS crash report in Dallas, TX involving a JAGUAR I-PACE (NHTSA SGO 30270-16196)2026-08-01catastrophiccollision
by Waymo
- Tesla in Autopilot mode strikes and kills motorcyclist ejected onto TX-130 in Travis County2026-07-28catastrophicfatalityNHTSA
- Tesla driver charged with manslaughter in Katy crash was Googling 'FSD too timid'2026-07-03catastrophicfatalityNHTSA
- Tesla FSD driver charged with manslaughter after fatal crash into Texas home kills 76-year-old resident2026-07-02catastrophicfatalityNHTSA
- 2026-06-30
- Tesla FSD Supervised vehicle crashes into Katy TX home at 70+ mph, killing 76-year-old resident; driver pressed accelerator 100%2026-06-29catastrophicfatality
- 2026-06-28
- NHTSA opens special investigation into fatal Tesla Model 3 crash into Katy, Texas home that killed Martha Avila (June 19 2026)2026-06-22criticalregulatory actionNHTSA
- Tesla driver charged with manslaughter after FSD crash into Texas home kills woman2026-06-19catastrophicfatalityNHTSA
- 2026-06-19
- Tesla Model 3 crashes into Katy, TX home killing 76-year-old Martha Avila; NHTSA opens special crash investigation2026-06-19catastrophicfatalityNHTSA
- Tesla on Autopilot crashed into Texas home at 70 mph, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila2026-06-19criticalfatality
- Tesla Model 3 with FSD active crashed into Katy TX home at 70+ mph, killing Martha Avila, 76; driver overrode FSD by pressing accelerator to 100%2026-06-19criticalfatalityNHTSA
- Capital Factory founder Joshua Baer killed in plane crash near Laredo, Texas2026-06-16catastrophicfatalityNTSB
- FDA Class I recall: Zimmer Biomet ROSA Brain 3.0 robotic surgery system software anomaly2026-06-15catastrophicrecallFDA
- Explosion at Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon rocket propellant plant kills five, injures two2026-06-01criticalfatalityKorean Ministry of Employment and Labor
- Intuitive Surgical recalls 8mm SureForm 30 Gray Reloads after patient death2026-05-28catastrophicrecallFDA
- da Vinci 8mm SureForm 30 Gray stapler reload recall after incomplete staple lines (1 death, 4 serious injuries)2026-03-11criticalrecallFDA
- Intuitive Surgical recalled da Vinci SureForm 30 stapler gray reloads after incomplete staple lines caused 4 serious injuries and 1 death2026-03-11criticalrecallFDA
- Intuitive recalls da Vinci 8mm SureForm 30 Gray Reloads (Class I) over incomplete staple lines2026-03-11criticalrecallFDA
- Patient death linked to da Vinci SureForm 30 Gray stapler reload producing incomplete staple line on blood vessel2025-12-20catastrophicfatality
- Baidu Apollo Go robotaxi caused an accident in a central Chinese city, leaving two people in intensive care (2025)2025-12-06criticalinjuryChinese authorities
Apollo RT6 by Baidu
- Haomo.AI halts all operations, employees told not to report to work2025-11-24criticalmalfunction
- Massive data leak from Knownsec exposes 12,000+ internal documents revealing state-linked cyber espionage tools and global targets2025-11-07criticalother
by Knownsec
- Motorcyclist killed in Tempe crash involving Waymo robotaxi and hit-and-run driver near ASU campus2025-09-14catastrophicfatalityNHTSA
- ADS crash report in Tempe, AZ involving a JAGUAR I-PACE (NHTSA SGO 30270-11713)2025-09-01catastrophiccollision
- Tesla Model X with driver-assist engaged kills motorcyclist Leonidas Davis at Moraine Ohio intersection2025-07-24criticalfatalityNHTSA
by Tesla
- Three workers killed in formwork collapse at Bechtel's Port Arthur LNG construction site2025-04-29catastrophicfatality
- Person and dog killed when speeding vehicle rear-ends unoccupied Waymo stopped in San Francisco traffic2025-01-19catastrophicfatalityNHTSA
by Waymo
- 27-year-old Mikhael Romanenko killed in SoMa chain-reaction crash involving speeding Tesla and stationary Waymo robotaxi2025-01-18catastrophicfatalityNHTSA
- OSHA: 18-year-old machine operator killed by robotic arm during sensor maintenance (2024)2024-12-02catastrophicfatalityOSHA
- NHTSA investigates Tesla FSD over crashes in reduced visibility, including a fatality2024-10-18criticalregulatory actionNHTSA ODI
- OSHA: Worker crushed to death by robotic arm inside conveyor cage at Markman Peat Corp (2024)2024-02-22catastrophicfatalityOSHA
- Employee electrocuted when forklift contacted overhead power lines at FMC Technologies facility2024-01-24criticalfatalityOSHA
- Tesla Model Y on FSD struck and killed pedestrian Johna Story on Arizona highway, first known FSD pedestrian fatality2023-11-28criticalfatalityNHTSA
- 2023-11-10
- Pick-and-place robot crushed a worker at a South Korean vegetable-packing plant (2023)2023-11-08criticalinjurySouth Korean authorities
- 2023-11-07
- Cruise driverless robotaxi dragged a pedestrian ~20 feet in San Francisco2023-10-02criticalinjuryCalifornia DMV
- Asensus Senhance Class I recall: software malfunction caused uncontrolled arm motion after disengaging teleop2023-09-15criticalrecallFDA
- Asensus recalls Senhance Surgical System (Class I) over uncontrolled robotic-arm motion2023-09-15criticalrecallFDA
- Hirschbach truck driver killed in fall from semi trailer2023-03-31criticalfatality
Hirschbach Autonomous Freight Operations by Hirschbach Motor Lines
- Russian Su-27 collided with a US MQ-9 Reaper over the Black Sea, forcing it down2023-03-14criticalotherDoD / US European Command
- OSHA: Worker fatally crushed by spot-welding robot during maintenance at Unipres Southeast (2022)2022-09-01catastrophicfatalityOSHA
- China's Cyberspace Administration fines Didi 8.026 billion yuan ($1.2B) for cybersecurity violations2022-07-21criticalregulatory action
- NHTSA opens Engineering Analysis EA22-002 into Tesla Autopilot driver engagement and foreseeable misuse2022-06-08criticalregulatory actionNHTSA ODI
- 2022-02-17
- Zimmer Biomet ROSA ONE Brain 3.1 Class I recall: software could drive instruments to a wrong trajectory2021-09-22criticalrecallFDA
- OSHA: Worker crushed and killed by Okura robotic palletizer arm at Ambrose Sales (2021)2021-01-14catastrophicfatalityOSHA
- UAE-operated Wing Loong II drone strike on Tripoli military academy kills 26 cadets2020-01-04criticalfatalityUN
- Zimmer Biomet recalls ROSA Brain 3.0 (Class I) over instrument holder following an incorrect trajectory2019-09-10criticalrecallFDA
- ChemChina subsidiary Hebei Shenghua chemical plant explosion kills 24 in Hebei, China2018-11-28catastrophicfatalityChinese government investigators
- Fatal loss of control accident with Pipistrel Alpha Electro near Stadskanaal airfield, Netherlands2018-10-13criticalfatalityother
- Uber ATG self-driving test vehicle struck and killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona - the first pedestrian death caused by an autonomous vehicle (2018)2018-03-18catastrophicfatality
- Schneider National driver fatal crash on I-285, Georgia, resulting in $47M verdict2017-08-17criticalfatalityNHTSA
- OSHA: Temporary worker Regina Elsea crushed to death by assembly-line robot at Ajin USA auto-parts plant (2016)2016-06-18catastrophicfatalityOSHA
- Two workers killed in transformer accident at SPX Transformer Solutions plant in Goldsboro, NC2015-11-30criticalfatalityOSHA
- Two stonemasons drowned in Limerick when PALFINGER crane's overload protection system failed2015-08-29criticalfatalityHSA Ireland
- Maintenance tech Wanda Holbrook killed when assembly-line robotics activated during service, Ionia MI (2015)2015-07-07criticalinjuryOSHA
- Contractor crushed by a stationary assembly robot at Volkswagen's Baunatal plant, Germany (2015)2015-07-01criticalinjury
- da Vinci Hot Shears (monopolar curved scissors) Class I recall: insulation micro-cracks caused tissue burns2013-05-08criticalrecallFDA
- OSHA: Maintenance worker struck and killed by robotic drilling/tapping machine at Martinrea Hopkinsville (2013)2013-03-07catastrophicfatalityOSHA
- OSHA: Worker struck from behind and killed by transfer robot inside work cell at Sodecia Sterling Heights (2012)2012-12-15catastrophicfatalityOSHA
- Gulfstream G650 test aircraft crashes during takeoff at Roswell, killing all four crew members2011-04-02catastrophicfatalityNTSB
- Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster: three reactor meltdowns trigger 40-year robotic decommissioning program2011-03-11catastrophicotherNRA (Japan Nuclear Regulation Authority)
by TEPCO
- OSHA: Worker crushed by robotic palletizer arms after entering active cell at Golden State Foods (2009)2009-07-21catastrophicfatalityOSHA
- Two workers killed in SembCorp Marine shipyard accident2007-09-14criticalfatalitySingapore Ministry of Manpower
- OSHA: Worker struck by robotic arm while troubleshooting injection-molding machine, later dies, at Lenco (2007)2007-05-13catastrophicfatalityOSHA
- OSHA: Worker crushed between robotic arm and workstation frame at Alliance Tech Systems (2006)2006-07-24catastrophicfatalityOSHA
- OSHA: Worker killed by industrial robot after entering barricaded work cell at Getrag (2004)2004-03-30catastrophicfatalityOSHA
- OSHA: Heat-treat operator caught and killed by robotic lifting arm between oven and quench tank at Keihin IPT (2003)2003-12-13catastrophicfatalityOSHA
- OSHA: Worker asphyxiated after robot started up in un-locked-out cell at JR Wheel (2001)2001-12-29catastrophicfatalityOSHA
- Kenji Urada killed by industrial robot at Kawasaki Heavy Industries Akashi plant — first robot fatality in Japan (1981)1981-07-04catastrophicfatalityother
- Kenji Urada killed by a Kawasaki robot arm after entering the work envelope, Akashi, Japan (1981)1981-01-01criticalinjury
- Robert Williams, first known person killed by a robot, struck by a parts-retrieval arm at Ford (1979)1979-01-25criticalinjury
- Robert Williams killed by industrial robot at Ford Michigan Casting Center — first known human fatality caused by a robot (1979)1979-01-25catastrophicfatalityother
Related answers
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Every verified deployment first seen in 2026, grouped by form factor.
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Data-center leaderboard by critical IT megawatts.
- Which robotics companies are burning cash fastest?
Physical-AI companies ranked by shortest disclosed cash runway.
- Which foreign-made robots have been involved in US-regulator incidents?
Incidents involving foreign-manufactured robots filed with US regulators.
Rebuilt every 15 minutes from incidents. Severity ladder: catastrophic, critical, serious, moderate, minor. Kind is orthogonal to severity (collision, recall, malfunction, injury, fatality, and others).