Freedom-craving Russian robot to be dismantled after second escape attempt

A robot fitted with artificial intelligence is set to be sent to the scrap heap after attempting to escape its research laboratory home for a second time.

The Promobot IR77 first made headlines last week after escaping from the Russian laboratory.

It was found about 40 minutes later in the middle of a street in the central Russian city of Perm after running out of batteries.

Following two failed reprogramming attempts, the laboratory behind the artificially intelligent robot say it is still continuing to yearn for freedom.

Promobot is short for 'Promotional Robot' and was designed to work in customer relations.

It is designed to realistically interact with humans, remember every person it ever meets and answer their questions.

Oleg Kivokurtsev, co-founder of the research laboratory which created Promobot IR77, said his team may have no choice but to abandon the project.

"We are currently working on third-generation robots which we plan to launch in autumn. This is why we have given all the robots artificial intelligence (AI)," Mr Kivokurtsev told The Mirror.

"We have changed the AI system twice, so now I think we might have to dismantle it."