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Russia’s first AI-powered humanoid robot has made headlines for all the wrong reasons after it collapsed face-first on stage during its much-anticipated debut at a major technology forum in Moscow. The fall, which was caught on camera and quickly went viral, showed the robot, named AIdol, walking unsteadily across the stage to Rocky’s iconic theme song “Gonna Fly Now” on Monday, November 10. But just moments into its first performance, AIdol suddenly malfunctioned and toppled forward. It then hit the stage floor headfirst and triggered an avalanche of online reactions concerning its stability and design. Developed as a symbol of Russia’s expanding ambitions in AI and automation, the humanoid robot was designed to demonstrate the nation’s advances in robotics through its sophisticated movement and gesture control. Setback for Russia’s AI push A clip shared on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) by user ‘@BohuslavskaKate’ depicted the robot taking a few tentative steps as it made its way across the stage at the Yarovit Hall Congress Center. But a couple of moments later, AIdol suddenly lost balance, plunged forward, and landed flat on its face. The incident drew gasps and laughter from the audience members, who initially weren’t sure if the mishap was part of the performance or a real malfunction. At the end of the video, startled presenters can be seen rushing to the robot’s aid as it lay motionless under the bright stage lights. Made by Russian robotics company Idol, AIdol was described as the nation’s first AI-driven humanoid robot. Designed to mimic human motion and gestures, its launch was set to show off its lifelike motion and coordination. Idol revealed that AIdol was developed to walk on its own, interpret visual data, and carry out simple interactions with people. But according to experts, its fall just confirmed just how fragile balance systems remain in early humanoid models. As per Newsweek, Vladimir Vitukhin, Idol’s CEO, later stated that the incident was caused by a calibration error in the humanoid robot’s balance and motion control algorithms. “This is real-time learning,” Vitukhin said. “A good mistake turns into knowledge, and a bad mistake turns into experience.” Fueling a digital future After the fall, the robot was immediately removed from the stage so engineers could inspect its sensors and internal stabilizers. Idol’s team revealed that it plans to fine-tune AIdol’s control systems before its next public demonstration. The robot is designed using 77 percent domestically produced components. This, according to the CEO, represents a notable achievement given the Western sanctions that have restricted Russia’s access to advanced imports. The firm aims to increase that figure to 93 percent in future production runs. The humanoid features a silicone face powered by 19 servomotors. These allow it to display over a dozen basic emotions and hundreds of subtle micro-expressions. Additionally, its synthetic skin is engineered to mimic the firmness and fluidity of real human facial movement. This distinctive design gives the robot a strikingly lifelike appearance. “The robot can smile, think, and be surprised – just like a person,” Vitukhin stated. He emphasized that despite the mishap, the company remains committed to pushing Russian robotics into international competition. The incident happened just days after Elon Musk appeared on stage with Tesla’s Optimus robot during the firm’s annual meeting in Austin, Texas. The humanoid mirrored Musk’s dance moves to demonstrate its agility and coordination.
