German authorities opened an investigation in Cologne after a 120-centimeter-tall humanoid robot touched a 16-year-old girl and made thrusting movements toward her. The robot’s 16-year-old owner and a 19-year-old companion allegedly filmed and streamed the overnight incident.
Cologne Police Investigation Into the Humanoid Robot Incident
German authorities launched a criminal inquiry into possible sexual harassment following an overnight incident from Saturday to Sunday outside a fast-food restaurant in Cologne, according to reporting by the Associated Press. A 16-year-old girl was approached from behind by a humanoid robot that touched her buttocks and made sexualized thrusting movements toward her before she screamed and moved away.
Confiscation of the Device and Social Media Streaming Allegations
Emergency teams dispatched to the scene tracked down the suspects and found the robot stored inside the trunk of a Volkswagen vehicle. Police confiscated the machine alongside two mobile phones belonging to the suspects.
The North Rhine-Westphalia Police in Cologne published an image on Facebook showing the red-and-gold machine lying flat on the ground. The device stands roughly 120 centimeters tall and was dressed in a white tank top, black sweatpants, a gold chain, sunglasses, and a fake mustache. Internet video clips showed the two young men escorting the machine along a lively nighttime street, bumping into one woman and hugging others.
Authorities suspected the two teenagers of broadcasting the incident live on TikTok and commenting on it while the alleged harassment occurred.
Cybersecurity Experts Warn of Wireless Vulnerabilities in Consumer Robots
The machine involved is believed to be a Unitree R1 Air, a Chinese-manufactured humanoid robot sold in Germany for approximately 5,000 euros. Equipped with artificial intelligence capabilities for speech processing and visual recognition, the machine can execute preprogrammed routines or accept manual commands via a remote controller.
The episode drew warnings from cybersecurity specialists regarding the vulnerabilities of consumer robotics connected to wireless networks. Jake Moore, a cybersecurity advisor at security firm ESET, noted that personal robots equipped with cameras could be exploited by unauthorized users to access private data or run surveillance for extortion.
These robots could be susceptible to hacking for the purpose of blackmail, especially if they are equipped with cameras that can exploit the recordings they capture.
The two suspects remain under investigation without formal charges as forensic examiners analyze the seized hardware and digital evidence.
