Lawmakers seek tighter safety rules after humanoid robot startles pedestrian

A promotional humanoid robot for an education center startled a female pedestrian on Macau streets early this month, prompting local legislators to call for stricter safety rules at a Legislative Assembly session yesterday.

The episode took place on March 5 outside a residential building on Rua Sul do Patane. Police said the robot – being used to engage residents and tourists – stopped behind an elderly woman who had paused in the narrow pedestrian lane to check her phone.

When she suddenly turned, the robot’s lights alarmed her; she felt unwell and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

The Public Security Police Force (PSP) confirmed the device was being tested and operated by a local man in his 50s, and said there was no physical contact, no injuries, and no charges filed. A video that circulated online showed onlookers and a passerby angrily confronting the robot, while another clip appeared to show police removing the device.

The education center’s person-in-charge told reporters the robot has obstacleavoidance functions, was operating in a hybrid mode of programmed movement and remote control, and was supervised by staff during the trial. “This was a demonstration intended to promote technology and had previously met with positive responses,” the person-in-charge reportedly said.

The incident prompted legislators Chao Ka Chon and Kou Ngon Seng to demand tighter safety standards. In a joint preagenda statement, they called current regulations “inadequate,” warning that system failures, algorithmic anomalies, or operational errors in humanoid robots could endanger public safety and trigger personal injury, property damage, and complex liability issues.

The two lawmakers acknowledged the benefits of embodied intelligence – from humanoid robots to robotic dogs and autonomous vehicles – in science education, cultural and tourism services, urban management, and community care. But they stressed that innovation must not come at the expense of safety.

“Comprehensive legislation will take time,” the statement said, urging an interim, multipronged approach that includes institutional guidance, registration, risk prevention, and public education.

“To guide the sector’s development, the statement proposed a series of measures, including classification-based regulatory guidelines, clear boundaries between public safety and individual privacy, mandatory registration and liability insurance, stronger accountability and risk management, stricter rules for commercial promotions and public events, and improved prior notification and on-site supervision.”