HONG KONG: A woman on an evening walk in Macau was briefly hospitalised after a humanoid robot startled her and left her feeling unwell, police said on Wednesday.

Police said they had received a call for assistance for the woman, who “was startled when she suddenly noticed a robot behind her while using her mobile phone”.

Video widely shared online showed a woman angrily confronting a robot as it waved its metallic arms at her, while a crowd of curious onlookers gathered around.

“With so many other things to do, why bother me? Are you crazy?” the woman yelled at the unperturbed bot in Cantonese, as she gestured agitatedly towards it.

The woman did not suffer injuries and there had been no physical contact with the robot, but she required hospital treatment, police said in a statement.

“She has since been discharged and has not pressed charges regarding the incident,” which took place earlier this month, the statement said.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2026