Viral Russian Store Robot Video: Humanoid ‘attacks’ customer after being pushed | Today’s news
A bizarre incident at a Russian electronics store has gone viral after a humanoid robot appeared to attack a customer who pushed it.
Footage shared by electronics retailer Volga Store (Volga Store 64) on Instagram on August 31 shows a customer approaching the humanoid after entering the store. What begins as an attempt at a handshake quickly turns into an unusual confrontation.
Customer pushes the robot after a failed handshake
In the video, the customer first shakes hands with a store employee before approaching the humanoid robot.
The man extends his hand toward the machine, seemingly expecting it to respond. When the robot can’t extend the limb, the customer looks disappointed and gives it a slight push.
That’s when the situation changes dramatically.
The humanoid appears to be ‘fighting back’
Almost immediately after the push, the robot moves towards the customer and appears to take a defensive stance.
He starts waving his arms and kicking towards the man who is backing away as the humanoid continues to move towards him.
A sudden reaction causes employees to scramble to intervene.
Employees try to restrain the robot
A store employee first tries to stop the robot while another worker comes from the back of the store.
The humanoid continues to be aggressive and appears to turn towards the staff as they try to restrain him.
The footage finally ends with one of the workers grabbing the machine from behind and bringing the situation under control.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
Was it a malfunction or a staged trick?
The bizarre footage sparked an online debate, with viewers joking that a “robot riot” had started in a Russian electronics store.
However, it remains unclear what exactly caused the robot’s movements.
Possible explanations include a mechanical self-balancing response, a malfunction of the gyroscope or orientation system, remotely controlled behavior, or even a staged promotional video.
Thus, the apparent forward motion and kicking may have been the result of the machine attempting to regain its balance after being pushed, rather than a deliberate “attack” on the customer.
The robot was said to be called Semyon
The store allegedly presented a humanoid as a consultant named Semyon.
While the clip was widely shared as an example of a robot seemingly fighting a human, the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.
Still, the bizarre encounter has rekindled a familiar question as humanoid robots become more commonplace: what happens when humans interact with machines that are designed to move and react like humans?
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