Police Escort A Humanoid Robot Away After It Scared An Elderly Woman And Sent Her To The Hospital

People have mixed feelings about the progression of technology. While most people utilize the internet and are consumed by their cellphones, AI, robots, and advancing technology have some people concerned. One such individual is this woman from China, who was startled when a humanoid robot approached her too closely. The incident frightened her to the point where she was taken to the hospital. Afterward, the police escorted the robot away.

Humanoid Robot Scared An Elderly Woman And Sent Her To The Hospital

Many people have mixed feelings about humanoid robots and their roles in society. Some love the assistance they can provide, while others find them creepy. One woman in China definitely did not seem to be a fan after she was startled by a humanoid robot during her trip in the Patane district.

People Magazine shared the details of the encounter. Apparently, the 70-year-old woman was “near a residential complex in the Patane district in Macau” when the humanoid robot suddenly appeared behind her and startled her. The woman was unaware of the robot’s presence at first because she had stopped to use her cellphone.

The outlet shared that the woman was not only frightened but clearly flustered by the experience. She turned and yelled at the robot, “You’re making my heart race! You’ve got plenty to do, so what’s the point of messing around with this? Are you freaknig crazy?” She was later taken to the hospital for a check-up, which showed she was fine. Additionally, she decided not to press charges.

Although some clips shared online showed officers walking with the robot, police said they “did not seize” it and told the robot’s operator to “avoid causing danger or alarm” in the future, the news agency reported.

Robot Creators Claim No Harm No Foul

Despite the humanoid robot startling the woman, the company behind the robot’s creation argues that there was no harm done. Authorities confirmed that there was no physical contact between the robot and the woman. Therefore, despite her claims of feeling unwell, the robot did not cause any physical harm to the woman.

Additionally, the company had an explanation for why the humanoid robot acted the way that it did. Towin Mak, a representative from the center, shared that the robot has “obstacle avoidance functions,” but this interaction with the woman proved difficult for it. It was difficult because “the walkway was narrow, the robot could not turn left or right to evade the woman after she abruptly stopped to check her cellphone.”

Therefore, with nowhere else to go, the humanoid robot opted to “simply wait behind her.” The woman was startled because she was unaware of its presence and presumably of its obstacle-avoidance settings.

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