More trouble for Galgotias University? After Chinese robodog, Korean soccer drone

NEW DELHI: The controversy around Galgotias University’s displays at its booth at the ongoing India

as an in-house innovation, has escalated further, with fresh scrutiny now focusing on another device showcased by the institution.

Barely 24 hours after being asked to vacate its stall at the flagship AI summit in the national capital, it is now facing questions over a “drone soccer arena” that faculty members claimed was developed entirely in-house.

AI Impact Summit: Facing Backlash Over China-made Robo Dog, Galgotias University Told To Leave Event

In a video now going viral on social media, the university’s communications professor is seen speaking about a “drone soccer arena”, calling it another in-house innovation and claiming it to be “India’s first” such system.

“It is a very interesting thing, from its end to end engineering to its application, everything has been done at the university and this is India's first drone soccer arena which you will get to see on campus at Galgotias and here the children play games inside this arena, fly it, enhance their flagging skills and are developing it in a new way, with more strength and enhanced features, what are these things,” she says.

However, several posts on social media have rebutted the assertions, alleging that the drone closely resembles a commercially available product from South Korea.

Users have pointed to Helsel, which says it pioneered drone soccer in 2015 before launching the sport in South Korea in 2017. The sport is recognised by the World Air Sports Federation. Some users have also claimed that the device resembles products such as the Stryker V3 ARF available in the market.

The Youth Congress also weighed in on X, alleging that the drone was a Korean-made product and questioning the university’s claims.

Taking a jibe at PM Modi it said, "First China, now Korea. Galgotias is on a world tour of 'borrowed' innovation. They claimed to have built India’s first Drone Soccer from scratch on campus, but it’s actually just a Striker V3 ARF from Korea. Atmanirbhar’ or just ‘Atmanir-buy’ Modi ji?"

Earlier a robotic dog showcased by the university as “Orion,” was recognised by observers as the Unitree Go2 made by Chinese robotics firm Unitree.

The incident quickly escalated into a wider controversy at the Summit, a flagship AI event inaugurated by PM Modi.

The university has not issued a fresh clarification regarding the drone allegations. Earlier, in a press release regarding the robodog controversy the institute had termed it a ‘propaganda’.

The robotic dog showcased at the university’s stall was identified as the Unitree Go2, a commercially available quadruped robot that is sold in India at an estimated price of Rs 2–3 lakh.

Critics alleged that the robot was projected at the summit as an in-house innovation by the university, prompting questions over the display of imported technology at a national AI platform intended to spotlight indigenous developments.

As scrutiny mounted, electricity supply to the university’s pavilion at the AI Summit was reportedly disconnected after organisers asked the institution to vacate the exhibition space.

Government sources later confirmed that authorities had directed the university to vacate the expo area, stressing compliance and transparency standards at the summit.

During an earlier presentation of the robot, Professor Neha Singh told DD News that the university had made significant investments in artificial intelligence.

She said, “We are the first private university investing more than 350 crore rupees in artificial intelligence and we have a dedicated data science and artificial intelligence block on the campus.

So Orion has been developed by the Center of Excellences and as you can see, it can take all shapes and sizes.”

Describing its functions, she added, “It's quite naughty also. It's quite naughty also and it can perform small tasks of surveillance, monitoring.”

Following the robotic dog controversy, the university had said in a statement, “Let us be clear, Galgotias has not built this robodog, nor have we claimed to do so. What we are building are minds that will soon design, engineer and manufacture such technologies in Bharat."