Humanoid Robot Malfunctions and Strikes Engineer During Test in China
A humanoid robot developed by Unitree Robotics malfunctioned during a motion test at its Shaoxing facility on September 7, 2026, performing uncontrolled kung-fu movements that struck a nearby engineer's hand and kicked the remote control device. Security camera footage shows the robot became uncontrollable shortly after testing began, though it did not cause serious injury. The incident is likely attributable to a software or control error rather than autonomous behavior.
What happened
On September 7, 2026, a humanoid robot developed by Unitree Robotics malfunctioned during a motion test at the company's Shaoxing facility in China. According to security camera footage, the robot became uncontrollable at the start of the movement test, performing unplanned kung-fu movements including a kick and a spinning kick toward a nearby engineer.
The robot struck the engineer's hand during one of these movements and kicked the remote control device out of the engineer's grasp. The robot then performed a bow before ceasing the erratic behavior. The engineer was not seriously injured.
Reported impact
The malfunction resulted in the engineer losing control of the remote device and being struck by the robot's movements. A spinning kick was directed toward the engineer but did not make contact with the person's body.
Index analysis
The robot was equipped with a remote control during the test, suggesting human teleoperation. The malfunction likely resulted from a software or control error rather than autonomous decision-making, as the robot was being actively controlled at the time.
This incident was not isolated. Unitree Robotics experienced similar malfunctions in May 2025 when a suspended H1 robot began moving uncontrollably during a test, and in February 2026 when a Unitree robot unexpectedly charged toward spectators during an event in Tianjin. Software errors were suspected in both prior incidents.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.