From robodog to soccer drone- Galgotias University’s showcase at AI Impact Summit sparks debate

India AI Impact Summit 2026 started with the full glory of tech innovations, international participation, massive attention of the crowd. However, it turned out to be a little heated by day 3rd. This is because Galgotias University recently found itself under scrutiny after claims that the showcased robot dog at the Summit is actually from China. Soon after that, another video about the soccer drone grabbed the attention, which is also said to have been bought instead of developed at the University.  Also Read: India AI Impact Summit 2026: Infosys teams up with Anthropic for enterprise AI agents

What’s Galgotias University’s claim? It is a jumble of words from “development” to “developed.” What had happened? Read on.   Also Read: Inside India AI Impact Summit 2026: PM Modi to global CEOs - what happened on day 1

Robot dog controversy explained

The debate began with a first video from AI Summit 2026, showcasing a four-legged robot which was displayed at the summit under the name “Orion.” Videos from the event suggested that the device was introduced as a product developed at the university’s Centre of Excellence. Here is what the university’s communications professor, Neha, said first while presenting:

JUST IN 🇮🇳:

Prof. Neha Singh from the same university says that “Orion” was developed at the university’s Centre of Excellence, backed by ₹350 Cr (about $39M USD) invested in AI.https://t.co/6LAFOM3sJr pic.twitter.com/LDKblrjUuU

— China pulse 🇨🇳 (@Eng_china5) February 17, 2026

However, social media users soon identified the machine as the Unitree Go2, a robotic dog made by the Chinese company Unitree Robotics and already available commercially in India at a price ranging between roughly Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh. 

Just as the robot dog debate was settling, another claim surfaced online with another video where the representative of the university at the AI Summit said that students and staff had engineered a soccer-playing drone end-to-end, supported by a simulation lab and what it described as India’s first on-campus soccer arena.

Galgotia University strikes again

After Chinese robot, they claimed that they built soccer drone from scratch in their campus

Reality : It is commercially available in market at just ₹40000 as Striker V3 ARF 😭😭

What kind of frauds are they?

pic.twitter.com/3BBu4NE2xH

— Amock_ (@Amockx2022) February 18, 2026

But here too, internet users were quick to point out similarities with the Striker V3 ARF, a drone developed by South Korea-based Helsel Group and sold in the Indian market for around Rs 40,000.

Galgotias and their take

Following the backlash, the university clarified that the robot was purchased and brought in as a learning tool for students, not something built on campus. Officials added that the intention was to expose students to advanced technologies so they can develop similar innovations in the future. A faculty member also mentioned that the controversy may have erupted from miscommunication rather than misrepresentation.

pic.twitter.com/cgBbhld876

— Galgotias University (@GalgotiasGU) February 17, 2026

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Asked to vacate the expo area?

Several reports claim that government sources later indicated that university representatives were asked to vacate the expo space following the robot dog dispute. However, faculty members said they were not aware of any such directive and maintained that the institution was still present at the summit. We are also unable to confirm at the moment whether Galgotias University is asked to vacate the expo space.