A 5-year-old girl in Xiangyang, Hubei Province, was injured last year during a robot performance at a local science and technology museum. The incident resulted in the girl losing four teeth and receiving three stitches on her face. It has been over 9 months since the accident, but the family and the involved parties have not yet reached an agreement on the compensation amount.
According to a report from “Ziniu News” on August 23, the incident occurred on November 12 last year when the 5-year-old girl was on a field trip with her kindergarten to the Xiangyang Science and Technology Museum to watch a robot performance. During the performance, the robot unexpectedly kicked the girl in the face while spinning its leg, causing her to bleed profusely.
Surveillance footage from the venue showed that the children were standing around the robot while it was being controlled by staff. The robot took two steps forward and kicked its leg while spinning, hitting the girl directly on her upper lip left side, causing her to fall to the ground, as described by the girl’s mother, Ms. Wang.
Ms. Wang stated that the robot performed high-risk martial arts movements such as spinning kick in close proximity to the children without any hard isolation barriers, warning lines, or dedicated supervision. This resulted in the girl losing one tooth immediately, another loosening and falling out, and two more teeth falling out during treatment. Additionally, she had to receive three stitches on her face.
“Our child has mainly been on a liquid diet for over half a year, and her gums often get inflamed, leading to high fever. She has suffered a lot. And the scarring on her face has also taken a toll on her psychologically,” said Ms. Wang.
Currently, the girl has undergone 5 scar laser treatments and recently sought medical attention again due to oral inflammation. Doctors mentioned that regular follow-ups are needed, and whether to continue laser treatment or undergo surgery in the future will depend on the recovery of the scars. However, “no matter the treatment, the scars can only be lightened as much as possible, and it’s hard for them to completely disappear.”
Ms. Wang disclosed that they have already spent around 13,000 RMB on medical expenses, with Andachuangzhan reimbursing about 5,000 RMB, and there are still pending expenses awaiting reimbursement. It’s been over 9 months since the incident, but the family and the involved parties have not yet reached an agreement on the compensation amount.
The family has repeatedly requested the qualifications of the robot’s operator, training records, operation logs, and investigation reports, but so far, none of the involved parties have provided any documentation.
In response, the person in charge of the Xiangyang Science and Technology Museum stated that the robot was still in the training and rehearsal stage at the time and was not part of the public performance according to the visit procedure. The robot was operated by a full-time employee from Andachuangzhan deployed at the museum, who failed to anticipate the safety distance and accidentally operated the robot.
While Andachuangzhan Technology Co., Ltd. has agreed to cover the medical expenses and offered an additional 20,000 RMB for mediation, the family believes that the future expenses for scar removal for the child would be high, and a second surgery might be required in a few years. They are seeking a one-time compensation of 150,000 RMB. Andachuangzhan Company responded by suggesting that they seek legal recourse to resolve the matter.