POLICE authorities are leading an unusual investigation after a robot killed a contractor at a Volkswagen production plant in western Germany on Monday. According to Inquirer.net , VW spokesman Heiko Hillwig said that the 22-year-old worker was part of a team that was setting up the stationary robot when it grabbed and crushed him against a metal plate, at the VW plant in Baunatal, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Frankfurt. He said initial conclusions indicate that human error was to blame, rather than a problem with the robot, which can be programmed to perform various tasks in the assembly process. He said it normally operates within a confined area at the plant, grabbing auto parts and manipulating them. Another contractor was present when the incident occurred, but wasn’t harmed, Hillwig said. He declined to give any more details about the case, citing an ongoing investigation. First of its kind According to prosecutors, the accident is the first of its kin...