Russia’s entry into the humanoid-robot race faltered at the starting line. On Tuesday, engineers wheeled the country’s first anthropomorphic machine with embedded artificial intelligence, AIdol, onto a Moscow technology-forum stage to the Rocky theme, and it immediately lost its footing, scattering parts across the floor, Newsweek reported.
Footage posted by independent Russian channels showed two technicians supporting the 95-kilogram unit until it swayed, fell forward and was whisked behind a screen under a hastily thrown black cloth, Le Parisien noted.
Engineers blamed calibration errors and said the prototype was still early in testing. “I hope that this mistake will turn into an experience,” said chief executive Vladimir Vitukhin, according to Newsweek. “The robot can smile, think, and be surprised—just like a person,” added Vitukhin during the same event.
Produced with the assistance of a news-analysis system.
Critics on Russian tech forums questioned whether the company had rushed an unfinished design, but Vitukhin insisted the demonstration still reflected a drive to put a Russian flag in the humanoid-AI field, Newsweek observed.
Developers under the New Technological Coalition said the 95-kilogram walker is one of two planned formats; a 40-kilogram desktop version is also in development, Vietnam Plus reported. Both rely on a 48-volt battery that runs up to six hours without a power cord. The firm said 77 percent of components are sourced domestically and aims to reach 93 percent in later production, Newsweek noted.
Nineteen servomotors animate a silicone face capable of 12 basic emotions and numerous micro-expressions, and the hands can grip up to 10 kilograms, Le Parisien reported. Target walking speed is 6 km/h, though stability remains elusive, Vietnam Plus acknowledged. Seven microphones build a 3-D sound map for speech, and a full offline mode lets the robot converse without internet access—an option developers pitch as a security benefit for sensitive sites, Verkkouutiset wrote.
Assisted by a news-analysis system.