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Russia’s AIdol Humanoid Topples at Moscow Debut, Prompting Pullback for Fixes

Developers blamed calibration and lighting issues and have paused public demonstrations to inspect the prototype’s balance and control systems.

Overview

  • AIdol, presented at the Yarovit Hall in Moscow, lost balance within seconds of its stage entrance to the Rocky theme, after which staff covered it and removed it from view.
  • Idol CEO Vladimir Vitukhin said the fall occurred during testing and attributed it to calibration problems, citing sensitivity in the robot’s stereo cameras to the venue’s lighting.
  • Engineers have withdrawn the unit from public view to recalibrate balance and motion-control software, with the company framing the incident as part of an iterative test phase.
  • Footage of the mishap went viral, triggering mockery and comparisons to more advanced humanoids from Tesla, Boston Dynamics and Chinese manufacturers.
  • Developers highlight domestic-content goals and specs, saying AIdol runs up to six hours on a 48‑volt battery, uses 19 servomotors, and currently includes 77% Russian-made components with a target of 93%.