Bot on the loose! In the city of Perm, Russia, a robot just escaped from a research lab into the city center and began blocking traffic. The good people at the Promobot company say they were doing movement testing on their robot, also called Promobot, when it escaped.
After an engineer forgot to lock the gates of the testing area, Promobot seized its opportunity and managed to make its way out of the lab and began wandering the busy street outside. The engineers only noticed the robot was missing after about 45 minutes; by then the robot had already attracted a crowd of curious onlookers. Promobot's mad dash for freedom was foiled when its battery died and it began blocking traffic. Police were called to help, after which an engineer from the company showed up to wheel it away.
While it appears this was a simple mistake, and the company has said it will move the location of the testing area to prevent this kind of incident from happening again, some in the Russian media are speculating that this is a publicity stunt for the company. Promobot is designed to be used in crowded areas, and is advertised as a guide and helpful assistant. At least one Promobot is already seeing commercial use, in the Coliseum shopping center in Perm.
Source: BBC
