Russia’s first domestically developed artificial intelligence-powered robot suffered an embarrassing fall during its debut show in Moscow.
The humanoid robot, named AIdol, was unveiled during a technology event at the Yarovit Hall Congress Centre.
Footage of the event, which went viral this week, showed the robot taking its first, rather slow, steps on the stage. As it moved forward, the robot raised its hand to wave at the crowd before taking a few steps and falling face-first.
Event staff quickly rushed to cover the robot with a black cloth and carried it off the stage, abruptly ending the presentation. It ends with two others desperately trying to cover the mishap with a sheet, which also fails miserably.
"A bit embarrassing, I reckon. But how about those dudes with the sheet!,” one user wrote. Another user wrote, “What’s worse is the sheet guy… total fail.” Yet another user commented, “Is this real? Why would they present this?”
Vladimir Vitukhin, CEO of the Moscow-based robotics firm Idol, blamed the mishap on calibration issues, explaining that the robot’s stereo cameras were overly sensitive to the venue’s lighting.
“This is real-time learning,” Vitukhin said, adding that the mistake would serve as valuable experience for the development team.
According to Idol, AIdol can walk, manipulate objects, and interact with humans, expressing up to 12 emotions through its flexible silicone face.
Despite the stumble, developers aim to deploy the humanoid in manufacturing, logistics, and public-service roles such as banks and airports — though mass production details remain undisclosed.