Russian robot Boris impressed a lot of people with its dance moves… but it turns out that it isn’t a robot at all.
Boris was part of the show at a tech conference for students in Russia. Then Russian state TV showed footage of the robot’s antics, claiming major technical breakthroughs.
The video went viral.
Then questions arose. Where were the robot’s sensors? Why did its limbs look so much like human arms and legs in a robot suit? How come a human neck was visible in photos of the robot?
Eventually, it occurred to viewers that Boris might actually be a guy in a robot suit. And that’s exactly what Boris was.
The tech show pointed out that they had never actually said Boris was a real robot. But the state-sponsored TV program did. In fact, they were excited that the students at the even had the chance to see one of the “most modern” robots in the world.
Lessons from Boris
One lesson might be not to spread the word until you know the facts. In this age of social media, that’s probably not the lesson people will take away.
Another lesson could be that automation actually continues to be a good way to increase safety and productivity in industrial settings. It’s not on the verge of producing dancing partners for people.
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