The robot, named AIdol, was unveiled during a tech showcase at the Yarovit Hall Congress Center in Moscow on Monday. As the machine walked onto the stage accompanied by two handlers to “Gonna Fly Now,” the theme from the 1976 film Rocky, it waved to the audience before taking a few steps, losing its balance, and toppling over. Event staff rushed to cover the fallen robot with a black cloth and carried it from the stage, cutting the presentation short. You have to see it for yourself.
AIdol is designed to perform three main functions: walking, object manipulation, and communication with people. The humanoid can perform up to six hours of autonomous operation, according to the company, and its face is capable of expressing at least 12 basic emotions and “hundreds” of microexpressions through its flexible silicone skin. All of the robot’s systems function offline. The video below offers a pretty good idea of what AIdol looks like up close, including its face.
