Humanoid robot “arrested” after frightening elderly woman in Macau

A humanoid robot was briefly detained by police in Macau after it startled a 70-year-old woman during a late-evening walk. The unusual incident took place last week in the Patane area and quickly spread online after videos of the encounter surfaced on social media. Also Read: OpenAI may bring Sora AI video generator directly to ChatGPT

What happened on the street

According to reports from Macau Post, the woman was walking along the street around 9 PM while looking at her phone. When she stopped walking, she realised something was right behind her. When she turned around, she saw a humanoid robot standing close by. Also Read: Adobe brings AI assistant to Photoshop and new Firefly editing tools

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One night in Macau, a citizen was taking a walk with his humanoid robot (Unitree G1).

A passing woman yelled at him (perhaps frightening her), essentially saying, "Why bother with this when there are so many other things to do?… pic.twitter.com/moCBhsDeRW

— CyberRobo (@CyberRobooo) March 7, 2026

The robot was identified as a Unitree G1, a commercial humanoid robot that stands around 4 feet tall. Video clips shared online show the woman shouting at the robot in Cantonese after noticing it nearby. In the footage, the robot can be seen raising its arms while she scolds it.

“You’re making my heart race,” the woman reportedly shouted, as quoted by the Macau Post.

Police step in

After the situation drew attention from people nearby, police officers arrived at the scene. In the viral video, officers can be seen escorting the robot away from the street.

Police later said there was no physical contact between the robot and the woman. However, she said she was feeling unwell after the incident and was taken to a hospital for a medical check-up. She was later discharged.

Who was operating the robot

The robot reportedly belonged to a local education centre and was being used for promotional activity in the area. Police said it was being remotely operated by a 50-year-old man who was testing the robot outdoors.

According to local broadcaster Teledifusão de Macau, the operator told authorities the robot had stopped behind the woman when she paused to check her phone. Because it could not move past her, it remained in place until she turned around and noticed it.

The operator was later warned by police to be more careful when using robots in public spaces to avoid frightening pedestrians.

Video sparks online reactions

Clips of the encounter quickly spread online, with many users joking that the robot had been “arrested.” Others raised questions about how humanoid robots should be used in crowded public areas.

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The incident has also revived discussion about how people react when robots appear in everyday spaces, especially as such machines become more common in cities.