Russia’s first humanoid robot fell flat on its face during its demo debut on stage. The robot, named AIdol, came on stage staggering, hinting at an imminent fall. The demo was held at the Yarovit Hall Congress Center in Moscow and the company behind the robot Idol, blame it on stage lightning and voltage fluctuations.
The viral clip of the robot falling down has been circulating widely on social media. While the humour behind is evident, the incident also highlights the challenges that Russia has been facing in robotics advancements. Russia has been struggling to access advanced technology due to imposed international sanctions.
The jokes around the robot mishap are too many. One user suggested that the robot ‘learned how to walk from alcoholics’, while another quipped, “Apparently, it couldn’t handle Russian reality.” The internet was filled with expressions like 'I can't stop laughing' and 'this is embarassing', talking about the goof up.
Aidol’s demo was much hyped as it was touted to be Russia’s first humanoid robot debut. The robot was being led on stage to the soundtrack from the film 'Rocky', before it suddenly lost its balance and fell. Assistants could then be seen scrambling to cover it with a cloth - which ended up tangling in the process. While the entire world is racing to build a human robot, Russia’s attempt to gloat failed miserably. The company says that the robot uses AI to integrate movement, object manipulation, and human-like interact
Vladimir Vitukhin, CEO of the Russian robotics firm Idol, told Newsweek, “I hope that this mistake will turn into an experience.” The company says that AIdol is powered by a 48-volt battery that provides six hours of operation. The battery is said to be made by 77 percent Russian-made components—a figure the company aims to increase to 93 percent in future production. The robot is also said to come with 19 servomotors, allowing it to display more than a dozen basic emotions and hundreds of micro-expressions.
