A recent social media clip showed a robot violently malfunctioning and nearly striking its lab technicians.
Footage of the incident began circulating as early as Thursday.
In the clip, China’s humanoid robot — the Unitree H1 — was being held upright with a crane as two technicians worked nearby.
Moments later, something went terribly wrong.
VIDEO: Robot Goes Postal In China
A Unitree Robotics H1 humanoid robot, developed and produced in Hangzhou, China, was seen exhibiting “erratic behavior” in a video circulating on X. pic.twitter.com/u7uwFf4Dpl
— CDM (@CDM_PRESS) May 3, 2025
The malfunctioning robot, as though it were having a tantrum, began furiously flailing its arms with the brute strength of a machine.
At certain moments, the robot seemed to direct its violence toward one of the technicians, who initially shrunk away with fear.
After several seconds avoiding the robot’s devastating strikes, the same technician disabled it by adjusting the crane device, which was restraining it.
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The AI Page, an Instagram account focused on artificial intelligence news, offered one explanation of the incident: Apparently, the robot didn’t like the crane device.
“China’s Unitree H1 robot recently caused a stir on stage—but it wasn’t actually broken,” the Friday post read.
“The robot was trying to keep its balance while being held by the head, which confused its system. As it tried to adjust, its stabilizing code made the movements more extreme, creating what looked like a dramatic robot meltdown,” the page added.
“It was a tech glitch, not a full-on malfunction,” the post read.
The Unitree H1 was introduced in January at the Spring Festival Gala in the city of Tianjin.
The robot danced alongside human performers, even wearing some of the same apparel and using the same props.
Unitree H1: Humanoid Robot Makes Its Debut at the Spring Festival Gala 🥰
Hello everyone, let me introduce myself again. I am Unitree H1 “Fuxi”.
I am now a comedian at the Spring Festival Gala, hoping to bring joy to everyone.
Let’s push boundaries every day and shape the future… pic.twitter.com/MsFuIo6BL0— Unitree (@UnitreeRobotics) January 28, 2025
Chinese AI robot goes rogue and attacks a person before getting shut down! 🇨🇳 🤖
Just a little preview of our bright future.. pic.twitter.com/esZRSWOBJP
— Global Dissident (@GlobalDiss) February 20, 2025
But at the same festival in February, the H1 malfunctioned and aggressively charged toward bystanders, according to NDTV World.
Nearby security pulled the robot back without immediate further incident.
The H1 is available for purchase for $90,000, according to the Unitree website.
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