- iRonCub MK3 is the world’s first jet-powered humanoid robot, unveiled by the Italian Institute of Technology.
- Designed for disaster response and hazardous missions, it can fly, walk, and manipulate objects.
- Social media users are unnerved by its child-like appearance, triggering a wave of online trolling.
Italy has taken a leap into futuristic robotics with the launch of iRonCub MK3, a compact, three-foot-tall flying humanoid robot powered by jet thrusters.
However, the robot’s baby-faced design has become the center of internet mockery. While the technology has been praised, many users on platforms like Reddit find its child-like appearance disturbing.
Creepy or Cutting-Edge? Italy’s Jet-Powered Humanoid Robot Sparks Online Frenzy
The iRonCub MK3 is a compact marvel that blends flight engineering with robotics. Equipped with four miniature jet engines, it can hover, move in all directions, and operate in tight spaces. It’s remotely piloted and has been tested in both open-air environments and controlled wind tunnels to validate its aerodynamic stability.
Its creators envision it being deployed in emergency response scenarios—from earthquake rubble to collapsed buildings—where its hybrid locomotion allows it to access spaces unreachable by conventional drones or wheeled robots. The robot’s limbs could help move debris or operate equipment, making it more than just an eye in the sky.
What’s drawn the most attention, however, is its uncanny, baby-like face. Online users described it as “soulless,” “unsettling,” and “monster baby-like.” This visceral reaction points to a deeper societal unease with humanoid AI, especially when their appearances border on the uncanny valley—too human to be cute, but too robotic to be comforting.
Designers have not ruled out updates in future models. Feedback may guide changes in facial design, making the robot less controversial while preserving its function. As human-robot interaction becomes more common, emotional design elements will likely become as crucial as technical specs.
The iRonCub MK3 may be a technological breakthrough, but its polarizing appearance reveals how emotional reactions can overshadow engineering marvels in public discourse.
“We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.” — Marshall McLuhan.
