Robots might be poised to take the jobs from thousands of workers, but Michael Jackson impersonators have no need to worry. A viral video has revealed the moment a robot suffered a hilarious mid-performance disaster while dancing to Billie Jean.
The clumsy robot was performing in front of a watching audience and camera crew at an event put on by the Future Era robot store in Shenzhen, China. As the music played, the humanoid dancer began shuffling athletically across the stage before stumbling over a step. After fighting to regain its balance, the bot managed to force through a few more moves before crashing into the exact same spot.
While the audience watched on in stunned silence, a human assistant emerged from the wings to sheepishly drag its lifeless body off stage. On social media, tech fans have piled in to mock the flailing robot, comparing its efforts to a 'drunk uncle having a dance at a wedding reception'.
One commenter on X wrote: 'No crowd reaction, anything. Just Billie Jean. Until its lifeless shell is shamefully dragged off. Purely amazing.' Another said: 'Go home robot, you're drunk.' A third joked: 'Wow, the new Michael Jackson movie looks terrible.'
However, other internet commenters were more concerned by the lack of flair displayed by the assistant sent to retrieve the collapsed performer. 'The guy dragging it off could at least have done so while dancing. Make it look like part of the act,' one commenter complained. Another suggested: 'The engineer could have thrown in a moonwalk as he backed out.'
Although many social media commenters were unimpressed by the performance, some robotics enthusiasts were keen to point out how impressive this should really be. One robot fan wrote: 'Everyone laughing at the robot and failing to appreciate what a technical achievement it is that it stayed upright the first time it trips on the steps.' Another added: 'It's still absurdly impressive. And I can imagine quite a few, even decent skilled dancers have experienced falls like that too.'
In the video, the robot and the human assistant can be seen wearing shirts bearing the slogan 'Future Era'. This is the name of a store in the southern Chinese technology hub of Shenzhen, which is home to tech giants like Tencent, Huawei, and DJI. The Future Era store opened last year as the world's first commercial robotics store, featuring humanoid robots such as the Unitree G1 seen dancing on stage.
To draw in customers, the store also hosts frequent robotics showcases featuring humanoid assistants and robotic dogs. According to the South China Morning Post, the store's bots can be rented by the day from 5,000 RMB (£550) to 20,000 RMB (£2,190). After ordering, customers receive their robots in less than 10 days and can even have custom modifications made to suit their needs.
As prices fall, humanoid robots are becoming a more common sight in China, appearing everywhere from promotional events for new stores and restaurants to school sports days. With an ageing population and sluggish economic growth following decades of expansion, robots are becoming seen as a key pillar of industrial strategy. However, robots' increasing proximity to humans has already led to several disastrous encounters with out-of-control bots.
At a sports day event in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in north-western China, a robot was filmed performing a martial arts routine. But as children ran onto the pitch to join it, the bot collapsed, aiming kung-fu kicks towards baffled performers who worriedly backed away from the bot. Similarly, shocking footage filmed at a show in Shaanxi Province, China, on Saturday, 21 March, shows a Unitree robot slapping a young boy across the face. During a routine, the bot veered towards the crowd with sweeping arm movements, ultimately catching the boy in the head as it performed a pirouette.
