Robot attacks visitor during demonstration

An attack by a robot that left a man needing stitches at a technology fair has been blamed on incorrect operation.

The attack on a visitor at China Hi-tech Fair 2016 on Thursday was caused by misoperation, organizing committee of CHTF said on Friday.

A visitor was reportedly injured on Thursday after a robot named "Xiaopang" displayed at the China Hi-tech Fair ran into a window, smashing it into pieces.

The visitor's leg was wounded by broken glass and he was taken to Peking University Shenzhen Hospital by an ambulance. He later went home after receiving a few stitches.

The accident took place at about 2pm when the exhibitor, Spreadview Century, a Shenzhen high-tech enterprise, was demonstrating the robot to visitors.

In a statement, the fair's organising committee said the employee mistakenly hit the "forward" button, instead of the "reverse" one, leading to the accident

An exhibitor surnamed Zhang whose booth is located near the accident site told China Daily that he heard a loud noise when the accident happened and saw many people gathering at the site.

Display of the robot had been withdrawn from the site by Friday afternoon.

The robot was produced by Beijing robot company Evolver. It was developed for children aged between four and 12 years old for educational use, according to media reports. The device made its debut in November 2015 at the World Robot Conference.

CHTF, known as the country's biggest and most influential technology show, is an annual event during which enterprises and organizations from all over the world share and trade their latest technologies and products.

This year's fair, held in Shenzhen from November 16 to 21, has attracted more than 3,000 exhibitors from 37 countries and regions across the world.