‘Tech needs manners’: elderly woman hospitalised after humanoid robot scares her on Macau street
A viral video shows the angry woman confronting the robot before two police officers arrive at the scene.
An elderly woman in Macau was taken to hospital after being startled by a humanoid robot that unexpectedly appeared behind her near a residential complex. According to the South China Morning Post, the woman was looking at her phone when she suddenly noticed the robot standing behind her near the Lok Yeung Fa Yuen residential complex in Patane last Thursday.
A viral video shows the angry woman confronting the robot before two police officers arrive at the scene. In the video, one of the officers can be seen placing a hand on the robot’s shoulder as they escort it away.
Although the woman was not physically injured, she was taken to the hospital as a precaution. She was later discharged and chose not to pursue the matter further, the SCMP reported.
Watch the video here:
WATCH: Humanoid robot arrested after it reportedly harass an elderly woman on a public street in Macau pic.twitter.com/sWInqNO1eR
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) March 16, 2026
The video has since gone viral across all social media platforms, amassing a range of reactions. “Robots barely learned to walk and they’re already chimping out,” an X user wrote. “Funny story today. Scary story tomorrow. Robots are already in malls, hospitals, and streets worldwide. And nobody has clear rules on what happens when they go wrong near people. This won’t be the last grandma in the ER. It’s just the first one we heard about,” another user commented.
“Glitch or not, that’s a scary moment for her. Tech still needs better real-world manners,” a third user reacted.
The report revealed that the robot belonged to a local education centre that had been using it for promotional events across the city. The police said the robot was returned to its operator, a man in his 50s who was nearby. Authorities also reminded him to exercise caution when operating such devices in public spaces.
The robot is reportedly a compact bipedal humanoid developed by the Chinese company Unitree Robotics. Released in May 2024, the model is equipped with flexible motion that can exceed the range of human joints. It also features advanced obstacle-avoidance technology and depth-sensing cameras, the newspaper report added.
The person in charge of the education centre explained that the robot was operating through a combination of programmed instructions and remote supervision at the time of the incident.
According to the report, he said the incident occurred on a narrow pavement when the woman paused to check her phone. According to him, the robot simply waited behind her, but when she suddenly turned around, she may have been startled by its lights.
An elderly woman in Macau was taken to hospital after being startled by a humanoid robot that unexpectedly appeared behind her near a residential complex. According to the South China Morning Post, the woman was looking at her phone when she suddenly noticed the robot standing behind her near the Lok Yeung Fa Yuen residential complex in Patane last Thursday.
A viral video shows the angry woman confronting the robot before two police officers arrive at the scene. In the video, one of the officers can be seen placing a hand on the robot’s shoulder as they escort it away.
Although the woman was not physically injured, she was taken to the hospital as a precaution. She was later discharged and chose not to pursue the matter further, the SCMP reported.
Watch the video here:
WATCH: Humanoid robot arrested after it reportedly harass an elderly woman on a public street in Macau pic.twitter.com/sWInqNO1eR
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) March 16, 2026
The video has since gone viral across all social media platforms, amassing a range of reactions. “Robots barely learned to walk and they’re already chimping out,” an X user wrote. “Funny story today. Scary story tomorrow. Robots are already in malls, hospitals, and streets worldwide. And nobody has clear rules on what happens when they go wrong near people. This won’t be the last grandma in the ER. It’s just the first one we heard about,” another user commented.
“Glitch or not, that’s a scary moment for her. Tech still needs better real-world manners,” a third user reacted.
The report revealed that the robot belonged to a local education centre that had been using it for promotional events across the city. The police said the robot was returned to its operator, a man in his 50s who was nearby. Authorities also reminded him to exercise caution when operating such devices in public spaces.
The robot is reportedly a compact bipedal humanoid developed by the Chinese company Unitree Robotics. Released in May 2024, the model is equipped with flexible motion that can exceed the range of human joints. It also features advanced obstacle-avoidance technology and depth-sensing cameras, the newspaper report added.
The person in charge of the education centre explained that the robot was operating through a combination of programmed instructions and remote supervision at the time of the incident.
According to the report, he said the incident occurred on a narrow pavement when the woman paused to check her phone. According to him, the robot simply waited behind her, but when she suddenly turned around, she may have been startled by its lights.
