MOSCOW (Web Desk) Russia’s first domestically developed humanoid robot, AIdol, suffered an embarrassing mishap during its grand unveiling in Moscow after it lost balance and fell on stage.

The incident took place at the Yarovit Hall Congress Centre as the robot, accompanied by handlers, slowly walked onto the stage to music from Rocky. While attempting to wave to the audience, AIdol tipped forward and collapsed, prompting organisers to rush in, cover it with a black cloth, and remove it from view.

Developer Vladimir Vitukhin, CEO of the Coalition for New Technologies, said the fall resulted from a calibration error, possibly due to lighting or a technical glitch. “I hope this mistake becomes a learning experience,” he told attendees.

The robot, reportedly built with 77% Russian-made components, is designed for industrial and service use, with AI-powered communication, flexible limbs, and 19 servomotors enabling 12 basic emotions and hundreds of microexpressions.

Although the presentation was briefly interrupted, AIdol was later brought back on stage and managed to stay upright—a small recovery for a project symbolising Russia’s push for AI self-reliance.