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Russia's first humanoid robot, made by AIDOL, falls face-down on debut; video goes viral: Watch
Moscow tech event sees AIDOL robot collapse seconds into its unveiling, the company issued a statement saying they were “a bit puzzled” by the reaction.
At a technology event in Moscow on November 11, Russian robotics start-up AIDOL's humanoid robot, which is also named AIDOL, made a high-profile appearance that ended abruptly when it stumbled and fell forward on its face, the New York Times reported.
The robot, standing approximately 6 feet tall and weighing about 209 pounds, was introduced as Russia's first anthropomorphic AI-driven machine capable of walking at 3.7 mph. The robot was set for autonomous operation for six hours and was capable of displaying emotions, the company had said.
Here's the video:
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The robot fell to the soundtrack of the “Rocky” theme
The reporters present at the event account that the robot proceeded across the stage to the soundtrack of the “Rocky” theme.
Before the fall, AIDOL raised its right arm to wave and then lost balance, paused and collapsed forward.
Event organisers later attributed the mishap to calibration and lighting issues, asserting that the fall was part of the developmental process rather than a systemic failure.
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The company is surprised by the global reaction
In a statement following the incident, the company stated, “We find it somewhat surprising that the fact that a robot from a small anthropomorphic robotics startup fell on stage has caused such concerns globally.” When the PEOPLE reached out for a comment, AIDOL, the company, said they were “a bit puzzled” by the reaction.
They stressed that the company is a small-scale, independent venture of just 14 people, self-funded without external investment. However, they believe that they are “the most advanced in Russia in this area and are quite comparable to leading international efforts”
Speaking of the fall, robotics researchers cited in The Independent said that balance, motion control, and environmental sensing remain difficult for machines operating in unstructured real-world environments.
