Dancing robot smashes dishes at Haidilao restaurant, raising questions about robot safety

Dancing Robot Disrupts Dining Experience at California Hotpot Restaurant

A dancing robot created chaos at a Haidilao location in Cupertino, California, when it began smashing plates and sending chopsticks flying across tables. Video footage posted on Chinese social network Xiaohongshu by user Meooow shows at least three employees struggling to restrain the humanoid robot as it flung its arms wildly 1

1

. The robot, which appears to be an AgiBot X2 model featured at CES in January, was part of the restaurant's entertainment setup when the incident occurred 1

1

.

Servers can be seen in the footage holding onto the robot by a strap on its neck, pulling it away from tables as it continued to shuffle its feet and gesticulate. One Haidilao employee appeared to be looking at her phone, possibly attempting to control the robot through an app 1

1

. The struggle to stop the robot going rogue raises immediate concerns about whether staff knew how to activate kill switches for robots in emergency situations.

Restaurant Robot Was Not Malfunctioning, Company Claims

Haidilao confirmed the incident to NBC News but denied the restaurant robot was "malfunctioning or out of control" 2

2

. According to the company's statement, the robot was brought closer to a dining table at a guest's request, which deviated from its typical operating setting. "The limited space affected its movement during the performance," Haidilao explained 2

2

. The movements performed by the robot are pre-programmed movements, but the closer-than-usual proximity to diners created a hazardous situation 2

2

.

The incident carries serious safety implications beyond broken dishware. Hot pot dining involves piping hot bowls of soup and bone broth that could cause severe burns if knocked over by robot knocking over dishes. NBC News Chief Tech Analyst Joanna Stern noted that while the robot likely wouldn't leave the restaurant premises, "it's just much more of a physical fear here" 2

2

. She emphasized that the robot should have a kill switch that servers apparently didn't know how to operate 2

2

.

Growing Adoption of AI and Robotics in Food Service Industry

Haidilao has been an early adopter of automation in the restaurant sector, operating a "smart restaurant" in Beijing that features robot servers and broth mixing machines 1

1

. The chain has long embraced AI and robotics across its locations worldwide 2

2

. While the Cupertino location appears to use the robot primarily for entertainment purposes, the incident reveals gaps in safety protocols as robots in food service become more common 1

1

.

Multiple startups are racing to deploy robots across the food service industry. Shin Starr is developing fully autonomous kitchens, while Pudu Robotics' BellaBot uses a cat-like design to direct customers to seats and deliver food 1

1

. These alternatives may prove safer than humanoid robots for now, as the BellaBot lacks limbs that could potentially strike customers or knock over items 1

1

. As restaurants continue integrating robots for both service and entertainment, the California hotpot restaurant incident underscores the urgent need for proper staff training on emergency protocols and the importance of human intervention capabilities when automated systems operate in close proximity to diners.