According to local authorities, a humanoid robot was removed from the scene by police after an incident with an elderly woman in Macau, China. A 70-year-old woman was startled by the robot when she suddenly noticed it standing behind her. The incident occurred at 21:00 local time outside a residential complex in Macau, China.
The woman was frightened to discover that the robot was silently following her down the road. She was taken to hospital for a check-up and treatment after feeling unwell. Doctors confirmed there was no physical altercation between the woman and the robot.
The woman said she would not be filing a complaint against the robot's operator. The robot was not officially arrested, but police removed it from the scene and returned it to its operator, a man in his 50s who was reminded to exercise caution. The robot belonged to a nearby education centre, which was using it as part of a promotion.
Towin Mak, a spokesperson for the education centre, stated that the robot was leaving the area when it encountered the elderly woman and was being guided by a mix of autonomous programming and remote supervision at the time. The robot's operator has apologised for causing distress. On social media, commenters joked that this is the 'first robot arrest in history'.
Police forces are already making robots part of their approach to fighting crime, but the legal framework for such incidents in Macau remains unclear.