Dancing Robot Slaps Child In Face At Public Show In China, Video Goes Viral

A humanoid robot accidentally struck a young boy in the face during a public dance demonstration in China's Shaanxi province on 21 March, in an incident that has since spread widely across social media. The footage shows the robot performing twirls and kicks inside a cordoned-off area before its outstretched arms swung into a child standing nearby. Handlers immediately moved in to pull the machine away, though it continued its programmed routine in the centre of the ring.

The robot is believed to be the G1 humanoid model made by Chinese technology firm Unitree Robotics. The machine, which weighs approximately 35 kilogrammes and is priced from around $13,500, is designed for research, education, and commercial use, and features 23 degrees of freedom in its joints.

Watch the video here: 

Robot uprising also start small, maybe a slap here, a kick there. All to desensitize humans.

pic.twitter.com/qpa8yfkIcF

— The Great Translation Movement 大翻译运动 (@TGTM_Official) March 22, 2026

The video drew swift reaction online. "What a dangerous performance," wrote one user. Another noted that the child had seen it coming but could not move out of the way in time. A third remarked that being struck by metal is genuinely painful.

Some users raised broader concerns about public safety. One observer on X wrote that a humanoid robot striking a child was evidence that such machines are far from ready for unsupervised public use.

This is not the first safety-related incident involving Unitree robots. Earlier this year, one of the firm's robots accidentally kicked its human handler. Earlier this month, another Unitree robot was detained by police in Macau after it frightened an elderly woman so severely that she required hospitalisation. The incidents have prompted fresh questions about what safety measures should be in place before humanoid robots are deployed in public spaces.