Noida: Galgotias University has issued a clarification following an online backlash over allegations that it presented a Chinese-made robotic dog as an in-house innovation at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. The university said it never claimed to have developed the device and had only procured it for academic purposes.
The Greater Noida-based institution explained that the robotic dog displayed at the summit was purchased from Unitree Robotics and was intended to serve as a hands-on learning platform for students rather than a product built by the university.
The controversy erupted after a viral video showed a faculty member presenting the Unitree Go2 robot — an AI-enabled quadruped reportedly priced at about $2,800 — under the name “Orion,” prompting social media users to accuse the university of passing off imported technology as an indigenous development.
Government sources indicated that the university was asked to leave the summit following the row, though the institution said it had received no such directive.
In a statement shared online, the university said the robodog was “a classroom in motion,” enabling students to experiment with advanced robotics and expand their technical understanding. It reiterated that the institution neither built the robot nor claimed ownership of its design.
However, the clarification itself drew scrutiny when a community note on social media contested the university’s version, alleging that the robot had indeed been presented as a product developed by its team.
The university maintained that innovation should transcend geographical boundaries and that it would continue sourcing cutting-edge technologies from global hubs, including the United States, China and Singapore, to expose students to real-world tools and ideas.
According to the institution, its objective is not merely to import technology but to use such tools to inspire students to question, learn and eventually create world-class solutions of their own.
