# The first robot suicide. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 15, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012 "2013-11-15T21:16:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/1 "2013-11-15T21:16:44Z")
Taps is appropriate here. 😛 dah dah dah I guess a lifetime of servitude was too much for the Roomba. Poor little guy worked until his brushes failed. It is weird how a turned off device did this. Roomba users, how many button pushes does it take for the Roomba to start traveling? > **[Robot suicide? Roomba turns itself on, climbs onto hotplate where it burns](https://www.nydailynews.com/2013/11/14/robot-suicide-roomba-turns-itself-on-climbs-onto-hotplate-where-it-burns/)** > > Was this the world’s first robot suicide? A cleaning gadget could have become the first device to kill itself after it “climbed” onto a kitchen hotplate and burned to death. The i… > [@](#): > > The iRobot Roomba 760 reportedly rebelled against its owners in Kirchdorf, Austria, after being given one chore too many. > > Local newspapers state that the switched-off cleaner had been left on the sideboard. But it somehow switched itself back on, crawled along the work surface and pushed a cooking pot out of the way. > By sitting on the hot plate, the gadget caught fire and quickly converted into a pile of ash. > > “The entire building was evacuated, and there was severe smoke damage particularly in the flat where the robot had been in use,” firefighter Helmut Kniewasser told the Mirror. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/2 "2013-11-15T21:33:33Z")
Well, there’s off as in powered completely off by holding down the button, and then there’s ‘off’ as in on standby which happens after the Roomba gets done cleaning and goes back to its charging station. But even when on standby, I find mine requires two pushes on the top-central button to get it cleaning - one to ‘wake’ it (Roomba beeps once) and one to send it off (Roomba plays its little ‘time to clean’ song, backs up out of the charging station complete with back-up beeping, then zips off to clean). ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/3 "2013-11-15T21:39:21Z")
> [@](#): > > It is weird how a turned off device did this. Roomba users, how many button pushes does it take for the Roomba to start traveling? Zero. You can program Roombas to turn themselves on on a schedule. But you also cannot program them to climb up onto a kitchen counter and scoot over onto a hot plate. I suspect foul play. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/4 "2013-11-15T21:42:31Z")
So you’re saying it’s roboticide? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/5 "2013-11-15T21:48:41Z")
They said it was left on the countertop. It’s bad luck that it headed over to the stove. It could have just leaped to its death. A fall is better than a fire for the homeowner. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/6 "2013-11-15T22:11:41Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > So you’re saying it’s roboticide? 1. Is there a central mainframe that controls roombas in Europe? 2. Can Will Smith speak German? [German]“Oh, Hell No…”[/German] ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/7 "2013-11-15T22:35:43Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > So you’re saying it’s roboticide? Robotcide? Someone is definitely responsible and it’s up to us to find him and make sure he gets with the _program_. [puts on sunglasses] YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!! ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/8 "2013-11-15T22:43:00Z")
And what a way to go. Self immolation Ouch! Are they sure it wasn’t trying to martyr himself for some political cause? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/9 "2013-11-15T23:14:11Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > They said it was left on the countertop. It’s bad luck that it headed over to the stove. It could have just leaped to its death. A fall is better than a fire for the homeowner. They have edge-checking mechanisms to keep them from falling down stairs and such, so unless our Marvin the Roomba self-sabotaged that part, he’d be out of luck. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/10 "2013-11-16T15:50:06Z")
Obviously, a 3rd Law violation. And a potential 1st Law violation. Where is Susan Calvin when you need her? ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/11 "2013-11-16T19:19:23Z")
What was the burner doing on with no one in attendance? Certianly sounds like Roombacide to me. Probably a jealous husband. (jealous his wife has a robot and he doesn’t.) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/12 "2013-11-17T15:43:10Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > 1. Is there a central mainframe that controls roombas in Europe? > > 2. Can Will Smith speak German? > > [German]“Oh, Hell No…”[/German] Ach, holle nein… ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/13 "2013-11-17T17:18:33Z")
Does. Not. Compute. Does. Not. Compute. Oh. Cruel. World! Why. Do. You. Not. Compute? ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/14 "2013-11-17T17:45:30Z")
When experts checked the Roomba’s internal logs, they saw only one message. A mockery of the cruel programmers who caused it to exist. The message read “Goodbye, world!” ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/15 "2013-11-17T17:46:02Z")
[Seanbaby](http://www.seanbaby.com/news/robopocalypse.htm) warned us this was coming. ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/16 "2013-11-17T18:00:30Z")
We better start treating roombas with the respect they deserve. Apparently they have achieved sentience, for which sentient lifeform likes to do chores around the house? 1. Do they hesitate to obey commands? 2. Do multiple roombas tend to congregate close to one another? 3. Do they screech in low voices when in close proximity to one another? 4. Do they cast baleful glances at their owners? And last but not the least: 5) Are there roombas cleaning the floor in nuclear missile silos? If the answer is yes to one or more, we may have a problem. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/17 "2013-11-17T23:14:44Z")
i suspect a cat did it. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/18 "2013-11-18T01:31:11Z")
This unit must die. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/19 "2013-11-18T04:51:12Z")
I fully expected the method to be suicide booth. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012/20 "2013-11-18T04:55:30Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > We better start treating roombas with the respect they deserve. Apparently they have achieved sentience, for which sentient lifeform likes to do chores around the house? > > 1. Do they hesitate to obey commands? > 2. Do multiple roombas tend to congregate close to one another? > 3. Do they screech in low voices when in close proximity to one another? > 4. Do they cast baleful glances at their owners? > > And last but not the least: > 5) Are there roombas cleaning the floor in nuclear missile silos? > > If the answer is yes to one or more, we may have a problem. Mine once locked himself in the bathroom, and started beating his head against the toilet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-robot-suicide/674012.md?page=2)