Russia's first humanoid robot takes awkward tumble at launch event

Russian engineers ran their new humanoid robot on stage, Rocky Balboa-style, in what was supposed to be the beginning of a new era in robotics for the nation They then proceeded to watch it epically face-plant in front of the Moscow audience.

Known as AIdol, the AI-powered, anthropomorphic tech was making its public debut at a press event on Nov. 10, advertised as an example of the country's domestic robotics capabilities.

After briefly waving to the audience, rife with journalists, the robot tottered forward and simply tumbled over — not so light on its feet. A large chunk of its outer body carriage rolled away, and organizers quickly covered him up using a black cloth while they tried to fix it. They later said the fall was due to calibration issues with its balance systems and control software.

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AIdol was developed by Russian robotics startup Idol, led by CEO Vladimir Vitukhin. Vitukhin is part of Russia's charge into the international robotics market, an industry that garnered $1.6 billion in investments in 2024, the New York Times reported. Companies like Elon Musk's Tesla and Amazon have ventured into the humanoid robot (or "physical agentforce") market, too, including Tesla's highly touted Optimus robot. Catch Optimus rigs working at Musk's Tesla Diner in Los Angeles soon, if Musk's dreams come true.

“I hope that this mistake will turn into an experience,” Vitukhin told Russian state news agencies. "This is real-time learning, when a good mistake turns into knowledge, and a bad mistake turns into experience."