Update: The Znak news website reported Thursday that the robots presented to President Putin appeared to be identical to models built by South Korea's Robotis Biolid company and sold on eBay and Amazon for around $1000. Russian state media reported the robots were Russian-built.
President Vladimir Putin got to witness one of Russia’s newest technological innovations during his visit to St. Petersburg on Tuesday: athletic robots.
Putin’s busy schedule took him to a shipyard where he unveiled the world’s longest nuclear submarine capable of carrying thermonuclear underwater drones; to a geographical society where he examined plans to create a massive park zone; and to the Suvorov Military Academy. The cadets showed off their campus to Putin, which included an exhibition chess game and other extracurricular activities.
Footage from the academy showed cadets instructing two voice-command robots to do push-ups and headstands.
The pair of androids performed three push-ups as directed.
However, one of them appeared to malfunction when it stalled and fell after the cadet told it to do a headstand.
“It’s not the software’s fault, but the robots,” an unnamed IT instructor said of the mishap to St. Petersburg’s fontanka.ru news website. “The command came too late.”
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
