Child loses four teeth after being hit by robot in China

Dand according to Yangtse Evening Post, the incident took place on November 12, when the girl, during a visit organized by a kindergarten, attended a show at the Xiangyang Science and Technology Museum in Hubei Province (center).

A robot who participated in the performance “suddenly kicked and hit her in the face”, according to the report.

The Science and Technology Museum told the newspaper that the robot operator “did not correctly evaluate the safety distance” at the time, which caused the accident.

The girl began bleeding immediately and was taken to the hospital, where the doctors found that the upper lip needed stitches.

“ One tooth from the front was pulled out, another was loose and eventually fell later, and the damage to the gums led to the loss of two additional milk teeth during subsequent treatment”, according to the newspaper.

The mother, nicknamed Wang, said that in the last six months, the daughter “has lived mostly on a liquid diet” and “has suffered frequent inflammations in the gums and high fevers”.

Wang added that facial scars have also considerably affected the child's psychological well-being.

After more than nine months since the incident, no agreement has yet been reached on compensation.

Wang said that the robotics company offered 20,000 yuan (about 2,500 euros), in addition to medical expenses, while the family requires a single payment of 150,000 yuan (over 19,000 euros) to cover the continuous costs of recovery and treatment of scars.

The main point of discord focuses on the cost of aesthetic procedures and other treatments not yet performed. The company, Hefei And Exhibition, recommended that parents “go to court to resolve the matter.”.

Wang said that even closely, his daughter’s lip “continues asymmetric” and expressed fear that facial scars may affect the child’s future career options, “such as applying for military academies or joining the police, which require a medical examination.”.

In March, an elderly woman was taken to the hospital in Macao, southern China, due to an altercation with a humanoid robot in the streets of the semi-autonomous region.

In an answer to Lusa's questions, The Public Security Police Corps (PSP) told Lusa that the robot belonged to an explanation center, being used for promotion activities and operated by a downtown employee.

The presence of the robot frightened a septuagenarian, resulting in a discussion that quickly became viral when the video of the discussion was shared on social networks.

The resident “did not have physical contact with the robot and was not injured, but claimed to feel bad and needed to be hospitalized. She was discharged later and no other action was taken in relation to the incident,” the police added.

The robot, similar to those of the Chinese company Unitree Robotics, was taken by police officers in order to prevent any future incident.

In recent years China has accelerated leadership in the production of humanoid robots, with some used in security activities, logistical support, commercial activities and even entertainment.

Analysts estimate that out of about 15,000 humanoid robot installations worldwide in 2025, more than 85% occurred in China, with only 13% in the United States.