AIDOL’s awkward debut: Russia’s first humanoid AI robot trips in front of the world

Russia’s first semi-autonomous humanoid robot, AIDOL, stumbled and fell within seconds of being presented to the public at a technology event in Moscow, raising eyebrows about the country’s ambitions in artificial intelligence and robotics.

The robot, developed by the Artificial Intelligence Dynamic Organism Lab, was led on stage by two staff members to the soundtrack of the film Rocky when it lost balance and toppled. Footage shared by Russian media shows staff quickly covering the machine and removing it from the stage as pieces scattered behind it.

Despite the awkward debut, AIDOL is billed as an advanced robot capable of carrying up to ten kilograms, operating autonomously for six hours, and moving at speeds of six kilometres per hour. Its AI is designed to reproduce 12 basic emotions and hundreds of micro-expressions, allowing it to interact with humans in a lifelike manner.

“This is real-time learning,” said Vladimir Vitukhin, CEO of Idol, the robotics company behind AIDOL. “A good mistake turns into knowledge, and a bad mistake turns into experience.” He stressed that the fall occurred during testing and attributed it to calibration issues, noting that engineers were immediately working to adjust its balance and control systems.

According to the company, 77 percent of the robot’s components are locally manufactured, a figure they aim to raise to 93 percent. AIDOL also comes in a desktop version that can be placed in public spaces for human interaction.

Social media reactions have been mixed. While some praised the team’s ambition, others mocked the robot’s instability and questioned whether Russia is ready to compete with international leaders in AI and robotics.

The developers remain optimistic, framing the incident as part of the experimental process. With 19 servomotors enabling a wide range of facial expressions and human-like gestures, AIDOL is designed to mimic emotions from joy to surprise. Vitukhin said the company sees the debut as a learning opportunity that will improve the robot’s performance in future demonstrations.

As Russia seeks to carve a place in the global robotics race, the AIDOL episode highlights the challenges of introducing cutting-edge AI in public settings, where technical glitches can overshadow the innovation itself.