Shocking footage has emerged showing a dancing robot going rogue during a school sports day in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China. The erratic performance initially featured the robot executing dance moves and martial arts kicks on the sports field, but chaos ensued when students ran onto the pitch to perform a synchronized routine with the bot.
Within seconds, the robot tripped itself and fell to the ground. As it writhed, it began aiming kung-fu kicks toward baffled performers, who nervously backed away. Eventually, the handler rushed onto the pitch and scooped the robot into his arms before any damage could occur. No injuries have been reported, and the clip went viral on the Chinese social network Douyin.
One local commented: "Too many people confused him, he wanted to dance without causing any harm."
China has rapidly expanded the use of humanoid robots in public events, schools, and demonstrations as part of its push into advanced robotics and artificial intelligence. However, a spate of incidents suggests the bots may not be ready for prime time.
In March, a family-friendly dance performance in Shaanxi Province ended disastrously when a Unitree robot spinning on stage slapped a young boy across the face during a pirouette. The boy, who had tried to avoid the robot's flailing limbs, was caught fully in the face.
Additionally, a humanoid robot was detained by police in China after terrifying an elderly woman.
Robotics experts Carl Strathearn and Emilia Sobolewska of Edinburgh Napier University warned in a recent article for The Conversation: "With sales of humanoid robots set to skyrocket over the next decade, the public will increasingly be at risk from these kinds of incidents. In our view, governments have put very little thought into the risks."
To improve robot safety, experts recommend increasing owner requirements (e.g., banning operation under influence), improving design (e.g., reducing cavities for fingers), training operators, and educating the public about robot capabilities.
