Yevgeny Biyatov / RIA Novosti / Sputnik / Profimedia Russia’s highly anticipated debut into AI robotics got off to a rocky start this week after the country’s first humanoid robot, Aldol (or Aidol), collapsed on stage moments after appearing at a Moscow technology event. The incident occurred at a showcase of Russia’s emerging robotics sector, organized by the New Technology Coalition. Video of the event captured the robot staggering onto the stage to the triumphant sounds of “Gonna Fly Now,” the theme music from the film Rocky. However, as the humanoid lifted its hand to wave at the crowd, it lost balance, toppled over, and shattered into pieces. The presentation was immediately cut short. Developers were seen hastily trying to pick the machine back up before giving up and trying to cover the erratically moving robot with a black cloth, which only ended up tangled around the shattered machine. Later clips shared by state news agency TASS showed the robot making a second attempt, held upright by a string attached around its neck for support. The exhibit was intended to demonstrate Russia’s progress in artificial intelligence and robotics as the country seeks to position itself in the global race for advanced humanoid machines. Developers had hailed the robot’s ability to fulfil three core human functions, including moving on its legs, manipulating objects and communicating with people. However, the collapse underscored the nation’s struggle to boost its domestic robotics sector following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The industry previously relied heavily on foreign manufacturers, who withdrew when the war began. In 2023, only 2,100 robotic complexes were installed in Russia, compared to 25,000 in Germany and 300,000 in China, with sanctions and a “brain drain” of top developers compounding structural problems. Vladimir Vitukhin, the CEO of the machine’s parent company, Idol, insisted the incident was due to poor lighting and calibration issues, adding that the humanoid is still undergoing testing. He framed the failure as part of the development process: “This is precisely the kind of real-time learning where a successful mistake turns into knowledge, and an unsuccessful one turns into experience. I hope that this mistake turns into experience.” The developers have since removed the robot from public display to assess its balance systems. For latest tech stories go to TechDigest.tv Share this: