A Russian state television channel has been left red-faced after filming a showcase of a pioneering robot which turned out to be a man in a suit.

Russia-24 broadcast footage from a youth forum dedicated to robotics which was supposed to demonstrate the nation’s cutting-edge expertise.

‘Robot Boris has already learned to dance and he’s not that bad,’ a presenter reportedly said.

‘It’s entirely possible one of these [students] could dedicate himself to robotics.


‘Especially as at the forum they have the opportunity to look at the most modern robots.’

The robot looked very advanced

But it turned out to be an actor in costume

Boris the robot then performed a little dance after the words ‘I know mathematics well but I also want to learn to draw’ were heard in the auditorium.



However, eagle-eyed bloggers and social media users were quick to notice that something wasn’t right.

Why did the ‘bot make ‘unnecessary movements’ whilst dancing? And why did it have no sensors fitted to its body?

Photographs of the robot also showed human skin visible in the gap between its body and head.

The answer was later revealed: it was an ‘Alyosha the Robot’ costume made by a firm called Show Robots.

It looks like the mix-up was a mistake, rather than a deliberate attempt to mislead viewers, and the organisers of the robotics conference are not believed to have tried to pass off the suit as a robot.