As the world prepares to involve robots in everyday lives, a bizarre and viral incident involving a humanoid robot has emerged. The police in Macau briefly “detained” a humanoid robot after it frightened a 70-year-old woman, prompting her to be taken to the hospital as a precaution.
The encounter unfolded last Thursday evening near the Lok Yeung Fa Yuen residential complex in Patane district. The woman was taking her evening walk when she stopped briefly to use her phone around 9 PM, when she suddenly noticed a Unitree G1 humanoid robot standing behind her. The robot, about 4 feet tall and equipped with advanced obstacle avoidance and depth cameras, was waiting for her to clear its path. Reports say that the robot was operated remotely by a 50-year-old man from a local education centre, who was testing it for future promotional use.
70-year-old woman panics after finding a robot standing behind her
The woman suddenly observed the robot and panicked, confronting the machine in Cantonese, exclaiming, “You’re making my heart race. You can do plenty, but you want to cause this mess? You’re crazy.”
A video footage quickly spread across social media, showing the woman angrily scolding the robot as bystanders watched. Two police officers soon arrived at the scene and escorted the robot away from the area. One of the policemen placed a hand on the robot’s shoulder, which led many on social media to phrase the moment as the world’s first humanoid robot arrest. The officers warned the operator to exercise more caution while using the robot in public spaces, and later returned the device to him.
Woman sent to hospital after the incident
Despite witnessing no physical harm, the elderly woman was taken to the hospital for a check-up due to the fright. She was discharged shortly afterward and chose not to pursue any further action against the robot operator.
A representative from the education centre, Towin Mak, told local broadcaster Teledifusao de Macau (TDM) that the robot was simply waiting behind the woman as part of its normal navigation while leaving the testing area, with no malicious intent involved.
Robots in public: Should they be allowed?
The clip went viral on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), with users amused by the absurdity of police arresting a robot. Comments ranged from humorous takes on ‘robot rights’ to serious discussions about safety regulations for humanoid machines sharing public sidewalks with pedestrians. The robot involved was a Unitree G1, a popular commercial model in China often used for demos and social media stunts, which is increasingly spotted in public settings.