A humanoid robot being escorted away by police in Macau has gone viral online, prompting jokes about what some called the world’s first “robot arrest.”
Updated
March 12, 2026 5:11 PM
Macau police officer accompanying the humanoid robot. PHOTO: THREADS
Police in Macau recently detained a humanoid robot after it frightened an elderly woman on a public street. The unusual encounter quickly spread online, prompting jokes about what some called the world’s first “robot arrest”.
On the evening of March 5, the robot was taken away by officers after the encounter triggered alarm among bystanders. Videos circulating on social media show an elderly woman confronting the robot on a sidewalk, visibly distressed and shouting that her “heart is pounding” while demanding to know why such “nonsense” was happening on the street. In the clip, the robot raises both hands toward the woman after she lashes out in fear — a gesture many viewers interpreted as a sign of apology.
Shortly afterwards, two officers from the Macau Public Security Police Force were seen escorting the robot and a man believed to be its operator away from the area. An officer is seen placing his right hand on the robot’s shoulder — the same posture police often use when presenting arrested suspects in official photographs.
That scene quickly spread online, fuelling jokes about what some called the world’s first “robot arrest”.
Photos shared online show a humanoid robot with long limbs and exposed mechanical joints, built from a black metallic frame without an outer shell. In dim lighting, several commenters said it resembled a “moving skeleton” — a striking sight for pedestrians encountering it unexpectedly on the street.
Witnesses said the woman appeared severely shaken and an ambulance was eventually called to take her to the hospital.
The incident also sparked discussion online about robots operating in public spaces. Some commenters argued that experimental technologies should be tested in controlled environments, while others said machines moving through public areas should have clearer designs or safety measures to avoid alarming pedestrians.
It remains unclear who deployed the robot or what purpose it was serving in the area at the time of the incident. Authorities have not released further details about the device or whether any action was taken following the encounter.
Keep Reading
A wearable ring, conversational AI and US$23M in funding. Sandbar wants to rethink how we interact with technology
Updated
March 12, 2026 5:59 PM
Sandbar's Stream ring. PHOTO: SANDBAR
Sandbar, a New York–based interface startup, has raised US$23 million in Series A funding to develop a wearable device that lets people interact with artificial intelligence via voice rather than screens.
Adjacent and Kindred Ventures led the round; both venture firms focused on early-stage technology startups. The investment brings Sandbar’s total funding to us$36 million. Earlier backing included a US$10 million seed round led by True Ventures, a venture capital firm, as well as a US$3 million pre-seed round supported by Upfront Ventures, a venture firm and Betaworks, a startup studio and investment firm.
Sandbar was founded by Mina Fahmi and Kirak Hong, who previously worked together at CTRL-labs, a neural interface startup acquired by Meta in 2019. Their earlier work explored how computers could respond more directly to human intent — an idea that continues to shape Sandbar’s approach to AI interfaces.
The new funding will help the company expand its team across machine learning, interaction design and software engineering as it prepares to launch its first product. That product, called Stream, combines a wearable ring with a conversational AI interface. The system allows users to speak to an AI assistant without unlocking a phone or opening an app.
The concept is simple. Instead of typing into a screen, users press a button on the ring and talk. The system can capture notes, organize ideas, retrieve information from the web or trigger actions through connected applications.
The ring includes a microphone, a touchpad and subtle haptic feedback. These elements allow the device to respond through gentle vibrations rather than visual alerts. According to the company, the ring only listens when the user presses the button — a design meant to address common concerns around always-on microphones.
That design reflects a larger shift Sandbar believes is underway. As AI assistants become more capable, many startups are experimenting with new ways to interact with them. The focus is moving away from screens and keyboards toward interfaces that feel more natural and immediate.
Stream uses multiple AI models working together to process requests, search the web and structure information in real time. The company says users remain in control of their data and can choose whether to share information with other apps.
Sandbar is also developing a feature called Inner Voice, which responds using a voice customized to the user. The feature will debut during a closed beta planned for this spring, giving the company time to refine how the software behaves in everyday use.
The startup currently employs a team of 15 people. Many have worked on well-known consumer devices including the iPhone, Fitbit, Kindle and Vision Pro. Recent hires include Sam Bowen, formerly of Amazon and Fitbit, who joined as vice president of hardware and Brooke Travis, previously at Equinox, Dior and Gap, who now leads marketing.
Sandbar plans to begin shipping Stream in summer 2026 after completing early testing. As artificial intelligence tools become more integrated into daily life, the company is betting that the next shift in computing will not come from another app — but from new ways for people to interact with AI itself.