A bizarre yet hilarious video from China has taken social media by storm. The viral clip shows a humanoid robot ‘begging’ for money on a street to pay its electricity bills.
The robot appeared to be requesting passersby for help. An LED sign and a loudspeaker placed nearby reportedly displayed and repeated messages such as ‘No money to recharge’ and ‘Please help with electricity bills.’ And as if these weren’t enough, a QR code for digital payments was also placed beside the robot.
According to reports, the machine was identified as the Unitree G1, a humanoid robot developed by Chinese robotics company Unitree. The company previously made headlines when one of its robots, named Pemba, reportedly reached the summit of Ecuador’s Chimborazo volcano, according to Interesting Engineering.
The video quickly went viral online, drawing a flood of reactions. While many social media users joked about the “battery-starved” robot and its unusual fundraising efforts, others suggested the stunt was a clever marketing campaign designed to attract attention.
A humanoid robot was spotted “begging” for electricity in China, claiming it hadn’t been recharged for days.
The unusual stunt quickly went viral on social media, with amused passersby stopping to interact with the battery-starved bot. pic.twitter.com/Mr1MS5OhjT
— The Eagle Eye (@Theeye_eagle) June 16, 2026
Sharing the clip on X, the account Theeye_eagle wrote: “A humanoid robot was spotted ‘begging’ for electricity in China, claiming it hadn’t been recharged for days. The unusual stunt quickly went viral on social media, with amused passersby stopping to interact with the battery-starved bot.”
A user wrote, “Omg who gets these ideas… I couldn’t stop laughing, you are a genius.” Another reacted, “Only in China it makes sense to spot a robot begging on the street. What is even happening?” A third commented, “This happens only in China.”
