Elderly woman hospitalised after 'crazy' encounter with humanoid robot

An elderly woman in Macau was hospitalised for observation after a startling encounter with a humanoid robot, marking what local authorities describe as the first incident of its kind.

The event occurred on 5 March in the Patane district when a 70-year-old woman, preoccupied with her mobile phone, suddenly discovered a Unitree G1 model robot standing directly behind her.

Although no physical contact took place, the shock caused the woman to feel unwell, prompting a medical evaluation. She was later discharged and declined to press legal charges against the robot’s operators.

Footage of the encounter captured the woman’s distress as she shouted at the machine in Cantonese. “You’re making my heart race! You’ve got plenty to do, so what’s the point of messing around with this? Are you freaking crazy?” she exclaimed.

The robot is owned by a local education centre and was being used for promotional purposes. Following the incident, police advised the operators to ensure future activities do not cause public alarm.

Towin Mak, a representative for the centre, explained that the robot’s obstacle avoidance system functioned correctly, but environmental factors led to the confrontation.

"Because the walkway was narrow, the robot could not turn left or right" to evade the woman after she abruptly stopped, Mak stated. Consequently, the machine "simply waited behind her" until she noticed its presence.

Education centre head Mak Kin Choi noted that while previous appearances at historical sites were well-received, this specific interaction highlighted the complexities of integrating autonomous machines into crowded urban spaces.