Humanoid robot appears to strike back after customer pushes it in Russian electronics store
CCTV footage from an electronics shop in Saratov shows a humanoid robot moving towards a customer and making a leg movement resembling a kick after the machine was pushed.
- A customer appeared to push a humanoid robot at an electronics shop in Saratov.
- The robot then moved towards the customer and made a movement resembling an attempted kick.
- The footage does not establish whether the robot acted autonomously, was remotely controlled or was deliberately staged.
A humanoid robot at the Volga Store electronics shop in the Russian city of Saratov has gone viral after CCTV footage appeared to show it moving towards a customer and making movements resembling an attempt to kick him after he pushed the machine.
The footage, which has been circulated across social media, shows a man in a black T-shirt approaching the robot, identified in reports as “Syoma”, after apparently attempting to shake its hand without receiving a response.
Customer pushes robot after approaching it
The man then appears to push the robot's body. Seconds later, the machine moves towards him and shifts one of its legs in a motion that appears to resemble a kick or an attempt to strike him.
The movement caught people nearby off guard as the situation appeared to escalate. The robot continued moving before it was reportedly powered down.
Reports said the robot was being used at the Volga Store as an attraction and technology consultant.
Footage does not show whether robot acted independently
The CCTV recording does not establish that the robot became “angry” or independently decided to attack the customer.
Its movements could have resulted from pre-programmed behaviour, its balance or sensor systems, or human control. Some reports have also questioned whether the scene was spontaneous or deliberately staged.
There is therefore no evidence in the footage alone that the robot recognised the customer's push as an attack or independently chose to retaliate.
Viral footage prompts jokes and questions
The unusual interaction has spread across multiple social media platforms, prompting users to joke that the robot was taking revenge after being pushed.
Some users have also questioned whether the robot may have been operated remotely rather than responding autonomously.
The incident has drawn attention to how humanoid robots respond when interactions with people do not proceed according to the scenarios for which they have been programmed.
