This is the moment a robotic dog used brute strength to overcome a human's attempts to stop him escaping from a laboratory room.

The bizarre - and slightly terrifying - clip features robotics company Boston Dynamics' SpotMini robot, which has four legs, a long trunk and a peculiar extendable claw for a head. Using this claw, the SpotMini is able to turn door handles to free itself - despite an intervening worker's best efforts to stop it.

At one point the employee hits the computer-controlled canine with a hockey, an example of the controller "adjusting behaviour when progress gets off track", according to Boston Dynamics.

"This testing does not irritate or harm the robot," they added.

After a struggle, the worker makes a last ditch attempt to drag the wayward robot by his lead. But the SpotMini's strength is too much for him and it trots out with ease.