Humanoid Robot Malfunctions and Appears to Attack Humans in Viral Video
A recent video circulating on social media shows a humanoid robot behaving erratically and almost striking its lab technicians in what appears to be a frightening technical glitch.
The footage, which began spreading online on Thursday, features the Unitree H1 — a bipedal robot developed in China — suspended upright by a crane while two technicians worked in close proximity.
Suddenly, the robot began to malfunction.
VIDEO: Robot Goes Postal In China
— CDM (@CDM_PRESS) May 3, 2025
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
In the video, the H1 starts thrashing its arms wildly with mechanical force, resembling a violent outburst. At one point, it even seems to target one of the technicians, who recoils in fear.
After a few tense moments of dodging the machine's unpredictable movements, the technician eventually deactivates the robot by adjusting the crane supporting it.
According to The AI Page — an Instagram profile that reports on artificial intelligence developments — the incident may not have been as dangerous as it appeared.
“China’s Unitree H1 robot recently caused a stir on stage—but it wasn’t actually broken,” the Friday post explained.
“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 post added.
“It was a tech glitch, not a full-on malfunction,” the explanation concluded.
The Unitree H1 made its debut in January during the Spring Festival Gala held in Tianjin. During its introduction, the robot performed a dance alongside human participants, even matching their costumes and props.
Unitree H1: Humanoid Robot Makes Its Debut at the Spring Festival Gala 🥰
— Unitree (@UnitreeRobotics) January 28, 2025
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
Chinese AI robot goes rogue and attacks a person before getting shut down! 🇨🇳 🤖
— Global Dissident (@GlobalDiss) February 20, 2025
Just a little preview of our bright future.. pic.twitter.com/esZRSWOBJP
However, this wasn’t the first reported issue with the H1. In February, during the same festival, the robot reportedly malfunctioned again and lunged toward onlookers, as reported by NDTV World. Security personnel quickly intervened, restraining the robot before any harm could occur.
The Unitree H1 is currently listed for sale at $90,000 on the company’s official website.