Last Thursday night, a 70-year-old woman in Macau was taken to a hospital after being startled by a humanoid robot walking on the street in the Patane district. Police later said the robot was being used for promotional purposes by a local tutorial centre.
According to the Public Security Police, the incident happened around 9 p.m. on the pavement along Rua Sul do Patane. The woman had stopped walking and was using her smartphone when she suddenly noticed something very close behind her. When she realized it was a humanoid robot, she became frightened.
Police confirmed there was no physical contact between the woman and the robot, and she did not suffer any injuries. However, she reported feeling unwell after the scare and asked officers to take her to the hospital for examination and treatment. After medical checks, she was discharged and decided not to file a complaint.
Authorities later confirmed that the humanoid robot belonged to a tutorial centre in the area. It was being operated by a local man in his fifties, who told police he was testing the robot to improve its performance for future promotional events organized by the centre.
Video clips of the incident spread quickly on social media. The footage appears to show the woman arguing with the robot while several police officers stand nearby and later escort the machine away from the area.
In the video, the woman can be heard shouting in Cantonese that the robot was making her heart race and questioning why anyone would operate such a machine in public.
Police said they reminded the operator to be more careful when using a humanoid robot in public spaces so that pedestrians are not frightened or placed at risk.
Mak Kin Choi, head of the Study Hard Education Centre, told reporters that the centre had scheduled three robot-based promotional activities last week, including the one in Patane. He said the centre has been using robots for promotions over the past six months in busy areas such as the Ruins of St. Paul’s and the Cotai Strip, where they usually received positive feedback.
Mak also said he personally accompanied the woman to the hospital after the incident and later escorted her home once she was discharged.
The robot involved appears to be similar to the Unitree G1 model. According to the company’s Taobao store, the robot sells for about 85,000 yuan ($12,324 U.S. Dollars).