A humanoid robot performing at a university dance event in China startled the crowd when it suddenly moved closer to a female student and hugged her, prompting the staff to quickly pull it away.
The incident has prompted experts to work out enhanced safety measures as robots' participation in public events became "new normal" in China with the government's push to showcase the country's growing might in the field of Artificial Intelligence.
Experts say the incident likely resulted from motion control anomalies, execution deviations or insufficient on-site safety redundancy, and should not be interpreted as the robot having developed independent awareness.
They stressed that robots in stage performances typically operate based on pre-programmed motion scripts, and unintended contact between robots and people may result if human performers deviate from pre-set trajectories.
Organisers, operators and equipment providers should conduct prior risk assessments, including motion script testing, on-site rehearsals, and setting safety distances, equipping emergency stop mechanisms, assigning human supervision and establishing contingency plans to handle unexpected situations.
