Qualcomm's humanoid robot demo went hilariously wrong when the machine just dropped dead on stage

A humanoid robot running Qualcomm’s hardware and boasting 700 TOPS of on-device AI processing collapsed during a tech demo at Computex 2026, much to the shock of a nearby executive. The incident, which occurred at the Computex 2026 event, was captured on video and has since surfaced online. The 4NE1 Gen 3.5 robot, manufactured in partnership with Neura Robotics, is powered by Qualcomm’s Dragonwing IQ10 robotics reference design and can operate for 6 to 8 hours on hot-swappable batteries.

Despite its sophisticated features, including a 100 kg (220 pounds) payload and a 5-foot-9-inch frame, the robot suffered a premature demise on stage.

The robot, resembling a collapsed gymnast, appeared to die suddenly while next to the executive showcasing Qualcomm’s Dragonwing IQ10 RRD. Several people rushed to cover the robot’s broken body before attempting to remove it from the scene. The final act of humiliation saw the robot dropped onto the floor before being carried away in a body bag.

Qualcomm’s positive spin on the catastrophe claimed that the robot had successfully executed its safe-collapse sequence, lowering itself to protect the environment. However, the comparison to Russia’s first autonomous robot, AIdol, which also collapsed during a presentation, suggests this is not the first such incident.