Russian police arrest robot at political rally

A robot has reportedly been detained by Russian police at a political rally in Moscow.

A video showing authorities surrounding the machine, known as Promobot, was posted to YouTube and Facebook by the robotics company.

According to the ABC, the rally was for Russian Parliamentary candidate Valery Kalachev, who was using the robot as part of his campaign.

Local media reports claim police arrested the robot because it was recording voters’ opinions "for further processing and analysis by the candidate’s team."

A company spokesman told Inverse magazine police had "even tried to handcuff him".

It’s not the first time Promobot has made headlines.

Earlier this year, another Promobot model escaped a testing lab before running out of batteries in the middle of a nearby road, the Washington Post reported.

The machine has been designed to take the place of retail promoters, administrators and tour guides, according to the company website.