Humanoid robot collapsed on stage

The incident occurred at the Computex 2026 technology exhibition, held in Taipei in June, but the new video was shared on social networks and attracted great attention over the weekend. In the video, 4NE-1 carries a tray onto the stage for a Qualcomm executive who is giving a speech. The robot moves a few steps, seemingly a bit slow and jerky, then stops to let the leader get the items.

4NE-1 then turned to face the audience and stood waiting, still holding the tray with both hands. But a few seconds later, it suddenly collapsed backwards, one hand raised, seemingly unable to stand up on its own. The staff quickly stepped forward, covered it with a black cloth, and carried it off the stage.

“They worked really fast, even prepared many sheets of cloth. It feels like they had anticipated this,” an account commented on the social network Reddit.

Qualcomm representatives later said that live demonstrations are always risky, and at Computex Taipei, a minor communication problem caused an error with the humanoid robot prototype, triggering a controlled shutdown. The incident provides valuable real-world data for experts to increase robot reliability, while also helping to accelerate the process of developing safer, more durable robots.

“The robot performed a ‘safe collapse’ procedure by design, lowering its body to its knees to protect its surroundings. The safety system worked as intended,” the representative explained to Tom’s Hardware.

The 4NE-1 humanoid robot prototype was built by German company Neura Robotics, Qualcomm’s hardware partner. Theo Gadget Review, the robot is 180 cm tall, has a maximum load of 100 kg, and can operate for 6-8 hours before needing to change the battery.

The robot is equipped with Qualcomm’s Dragonwing IQ10 artificial intelligence platform, designed to help developers quickly go from prototyping to commercial deployment. The platform acts as the central “brain”, allowing the robot to move and respond accurately thanks to fast, stable connections between sensors, motors and other components. Built for harsh environments, the system can operate in temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Celsius to 70 degrees Celsius.

Many social network users commented that the incident of 4NE-1 at Computex 2026 was reminiscent of the fall of Aidol, Russia’s first AI humanoid robot. Last November, when making his debut at an event in Moscow, Aidol took a few steps on stage then lost his balance and fell, some parts falling apart.