What Caused this Humanoid Robot to Malfunction and Almost Harm its Handlers?

A disturbing video making waves on social media seems to show a chilling scenario straight out of science fiction: a humanoid robot going rogue. The brief clip captures the robot malfunctioning, thrashing its limbs erratically, and coming dangerously close to two people working nearby.

The robot in question is thought to be the Unitree H1—a versatile humanoid model priced at around US$90,000. Previously seen performing coordinated dances, climbing stairs, and even executing backflips, the H1 stands 5.9 feet tall (180 cm) and weighs 104 pounds (47 kg).

Human-Sized Powerhouse

That makes the robot roughly the size of an adult human—but what’s truly concerning is its ability to generate an impressive 365 lb.ft (360 Nm) of joint torque, enough to lift heavy loads. With its limbs whipping around at high speeds, it poses a real risk of injuring anyone nearby.

But is this really a real-life scene out of Terminator? Probably not. While there’s some context and a technical explanation circulating, Unitree hasn’t officially confirmed anything yet. Still, it’s a scenario worth considering—so here’s a breakdown of what might actually be happening in the clip, which reportedly first surfaced on Reddit last week.

A YouTube channel called Chris Wabs suggested that the clip may have been filmed during a public event where Unitree intended to showcase the H1 robot’s abilities. Notably, the robot appears to have been tethered to a stand by its head when powered on—something that could have interfered with its balance or spatial orientation.

Misfire or Misstep? Robot’s Erratic Movements May Have Stemmed from Balance Confusion or a Glitched Program

Given that, the robot might have mistakenly sensed it was falling and reacted with exaggerated stabilization movements, which may explain the seemingly erratic flailing. Another possibility is that a nearby technician launched a program that didn’t execute correctly, leading to unexpected behavior.

The footage is undeniably unsettling, but that effect is likely amplified by the absence of context. And perhaps there’s a silver lining: if simply feeling off-balance can throw a robot into chaos, we might not be facing a robot uprising anytime soon.

An earlier, unverified clip from February also appeared to show a Unitree humanoid at a festival behaving aggressively toward attendees before being subdued by security—another unnerving incident that raises an important question: how should we handle potentially dangerous situations involving robots?

We’ve contacted Unitree for clarification on what may have caused the incident and will provide an update once we receive a response.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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