Russia’s first robot is a dud (video)
In this DML Report…
Russia's humanoid AI robot, named AIDOL, collapsed during its debut presentation in Moscow on Tuesday, attended by approximately 50 journalists. The robot, described as the country's first powered by artificial intelligence, entered the stage to the Rocky theme song, shuffled to the left, and waved to the audience before wobbling, losing balance, and falling face-first to the floor. The impact caused pieces of the machine to detach and scatter across the stage. Organizers responded by lifting the robot, shielding it with a black sheet, and dragging it off-stage. Developers had invested significantly in the robot's facial features and technology to better mimic human expressions and movements, equipping it to walk, handle objects, and communicate for potential use in homes and businesses.
The incident was attributed to complications with lighting and calibration, according to reports from attending journalists. Dmitry Filonov, editor-in-chief of Edinorog Media, noted a moment of silence followed by applause from the audience in a show of support, emphasizing that the robot was a basic model expected to have mobility issues and would improve over time. He described the event as simply unlucky. AIDOL's chief executive, Vladimir Vitukhin, told the Russian state news agency Tass that the mistake would serve as valuable experience, as the robot remains in the learning stages.
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In related developments, Elon Musk unveiled Tesla's Optimus robots last year, priced at $30,000 each, designed for household tasks such as serving drinks, walking dogs, mowing lawns, and providing companionship. Musk envisions these bots replacing humans in repetitive, boring, or dangerous jobs, predicting up to 10 billion humanoid robots on Earth by 2040, with a planned launch in 2026 at $20,000 to $30,000 per unit. During a Tesla earnings call in April, Musk highlighted challenges from former President Trump's tariffs on China, which led to China's suspension of exports of heavy rare earth metals and magnets in May—materials essential for Optimus's compact motors. Musk clarified that these components are not for military purposes but solely for humanoid robots, while experts estimate production costs could rise 50 percent without Chinese supply chains.