A method for controlling a robot includes: establishing a reference coordinate system; capturing a user's gaze direction of an indicated target; acquiring a sight line angle of the robot; acquiring a position of the robot; acquiring a linear distance between the robot and the user; calculating in real time a gaze plane in a user's gaze direction relative to the reference coordinate system based on the sight line angle of the robot, the position of the robot and the liner distance between the robot and the user; and smoothly scanning the gaze plane by the robot to search for the indicated target in the user's gaze direction.