A wild robot hurled precise kicks and strikes at its handlers in a bizarre outburst on its first day at work. Shocked workers rushed to restrain the robot while it seemingly caused chaos
A rogue robot appeared to go berserk on its first day at work as it launched a series of kung fu kicks at its startled handlers.
CCTV footage showed the silver robot, named Joko Prabuwesi, flailing wildly before unleashing a spinning kick which sent one colleague stumbling backwards. Shocked workers scrambled to restrain the machine as it struck kung fu poses and lashed out with precision kicks.
The chaotic office rampage took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, earlier this month. The clip racked up over 129 million views online after it was posted on 5 July. Some social media users hailed it as hilarious genius, others claimed it had suffered a software glitch and turned violent.
Either way, Joko’s first day made him an overnight star. But the drama was all staged. Every move was pre-programmed to showcase the robot’s agility, balance and speed. No one was hurt, and colleagues were left laughing once the demo ended.
Joko, a Unitree G1 model made in China with Polish software, is run by Indonesian handlers using Mera Robotics’ platform. The firm creates social media stars out of robots for viral marketing. Mera Robotics confirmed the sequence was deliberate entertainment, not a malfunction.
On his official site, Joko later made light of the ‘kung fu incident’, saying the whole room burst out laughing and it inspired thousands of memes. He even apologised on Indonesian TV before dancing and performing more moves.
Joko’s team uses these stunts to highlight what the £25,000 machines can do. The robot, nicknamed ‘Indonesia’s bro’, now tours the country’s capital Jakarta, meeting fans and appearing on TV. Similar machines from the same family have gone viral in Poland and Dubai.
The development comes after a remote-controlled “clown” bot appeared to kick a young boy in the stomach during a Children’s Day show at a packed botanical garden in China.
A remote-controlled Unitree G1 humanoid robot dressed as a clown kicked the child during a Children’s Day performance due to a lack of safety barriers. The boy sustained no serious injuries, but the incident prompted a police complaint and intensified calls for stricter safety regulations for public robotics displays.
Footage appears to show the Unitree G1 humanoid robot carrying out martial arts-style moves in front of children and their parents. Wearing a bright blue clown wig, the droid jabs at the air before launching into a dramatic 360-degree spin. Then comes the moment that set keyboards on fire.
As the 70-pound machine completes the turn, it suddenly shoots out a leg and seems to land a roundhouse kick straight into a young boy’s stomach, the New York Post reported. The child doubles over in pain, clutching his abdomen, before collapsing to the ground.
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