Russia’s first AI-powered robot walked on stage to triumphant music, took a few steps, and then immediately faceplanted
Russia’s first domestically produced artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robot was placed face-to-face during its production. first public demonstration This week highlights the challenges Russia faces competing with established leaders such as the United States and China in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics.
The robot, called AIdol, was unveiled at a technology fair at the Yarovit Hall Convention Center in Moscow on Monday. The machine, accompanied by two administrators, takes the stage to “I’ll Fly Now”, the theme of the 1976 movie RockyHe waved to the audience before taking a few steps, losing his balance and falling over. Event staff rushed to cover the fallen robot with black cloth and carried it off stage, cutting the presentation short. You should see this with your own eyes.
Vladimir Vitukhin, CEO of Moscow-based startup Idol, attributed this decline to calibration problems that may arise from the robot’s stereo cameras being overly sensitive to the lighting conditions in the hall. “This is real-time learning, where a good mistake turns into knowledge, and a bad mistake turns into experience,” Vitukhin told participants after the event. accordingly news week. “I hope this mistake turns into experience.”
The robot was then brought back to the stage and managed to stay upright with the help of staff. Vitukhin claimed that AIdol did not suffer any damage from the fall.
AIdol is designed to perform three main functions: walking, object manipulation, and communication with people. The humanoid robot can perform autonomous operations for up to six hours, according to the company, and its face can express at least 12 basic emotions and “hundreds” of micro-expressions thanks to its flexible silicone skin. All systems of the robot work offline. The video below gives a pretty good idea of what AIdol looks like up close, including his face.
According to the company, 77% of AIdol’s ingredients are Russian-made and plans to increase this number This rate will increase to 93% when the robot enters mass production. Russia, of course, faces sanctions from Western nations over the country’s invasion of Ukraine. restricted the country’s access to advanced electronics, semiconductor components and other critical technologies required for robotics development.
Russia’s robotics industry fought hard Since it invaded Ukraine as major international manufacturers exited the Russian market in response to sanctions. The country faced ongoing challenges due to component shortages and loss of engineering talent.
In particular, AIdol’s less-than-ideal launch really highlights how far behind it is compared to some of its international rivals. Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robotFor example, it can park and manipulate objects on its own, thanks to machine learning-supported vision systems. Chinese manufacturers have also made significant advances in humanoid robots; Just last week the richest man in the world Elon Musk said “Tesla’s and Chinese companies will dominate [robotics] Sunday.”
Developers at Idol envision AIdol being used in manufacturing, logistics, and public service areas such as banks and airports. However, the company did not disclose what specific artificial intelligence system powers the robot or when we can expect mass production to begin.
This story first appeared on: Fortune.com
