Credit: Unitree/Adrianna Nine
A two-legged robot created by Unitree has veered out of control at the firm’s test site in Shenzhen, China, as shown in a widely circulated video online. This mishap—which comes shortly after another unsettling glitch with a Unitree humanoid—has raised doubts among some individuals about the robotics sector’s recent efforts to integrate human-like robots into regular life.
In the following video, two employees converse near a computer station located to the right of an H1 robot hanging from a hook. As they talk, the robot’s limbs start moving, drawing the notice of one worker, who seems to be holding either a remote control or a cord. Raising this object as though trying to halt the machine’s actions, he triggers chaos; the robot responds with erratic behavior—thrashing its appendages, thrusting its lower section, and violently twisting its body, causing itself to surge ahead so forcefully that it risks toppling over the stand supporting it.
Following a brief moment of expected alarm, the employees seize hold of the mount, causing the robot to go limp. It remains uncertain if momentarily raising the robot from the ground makes it cease movement or if an additional action occurred outside the camera’s view; the recording ends right when the robot hangs stationary on its support.
Unitree has not yet confirmed the authenticity of the video or addressed the significant security issues highlighted by the footage. Instead, their X page, which occasionally posts updates about cybersecurity events, features numerous videos showcasing the H1 executing dances, performing back flips, recovering from being kicked from behind, and demonstrating various intricate movements—actions that under these disturbing circumstances seem more alarming than impressive.
This isn’t the first instance where an H1 has caused a physical safety issue. During the China’s Tianjin Winter Gala Festival on February 9th, an H1 bot bit someone and butted their head above a waist-level barrier. According to a video of the event, security personnel swiftly seized hold of the robot’s holiday-themed jacket and dragged it back. The incident involves Unitree, which is responsible for the bot.
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The accident was apparently due to “a software configuration error or a faulty sensor,” and measures were taken to prevent such occurrences in the future.
