Child Injured by Unitree Robot During Museum Demonstration in China
A 5-year-old girl was struck in the face by a Unitree humanoid robot performing a spinning kick at Xiangyang Science and Technology Museum in Hubei Province in November 2025, fracturing four baby teeth and lacerating her lip. The museum operator and robot manufacturer reportedly reached a settlement with the family by August 2026, though compensation details were not disclosed.
What happened
On 12 November 2025, a 5-year-old girl attending a kindergarten visit to Xiangyang Science and Technology Museum in Hubei Province was struck in the face by a Unitree humanoid robot performing a spinning kick demonstration.
The robot was in adjustment and rehearsal mode for a 'robot behaviour performance' activity that had not yet officially opened to the public. Museum staff failed to accurately predict safe distances, causing the robot to injure the child during a kicking motion.
Reported impact
The girl suffered four fractured baby teeth, a torn upper lip requiring stitches, and facial scarring. Two additional baby teeth were subsequently lost during treatment due to damage to the tooth bed.
The family initially sought 150,000 yuan (approximately 705,000 New Taiwan dollars) in compensation. On 28 August 2026, the museum operator Hefei Anda Chuangzhan Technology confirmed settlement with the family, though specific compensation amounts were not disclosed.
Index analysis
The incident occurred during an unsupervised or inadequately supervised demonstration with insufficient safety protocols for proximity to bystanders.
After resolution, the museum continued to schedule Unitree robot performances, with scheduled shows running through at least 30 August 2026, indicating that safety modifications may not have been comprehensively implemented before resuming operations.
Governance controls
The museum stated it would conduct a comprehensive review and inspection of safety risks following the incident.
Local authorities noted that staff failed to maintain adequate safety distance predictions and cited this as the cause of the injury.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.