The Troy robot, once more, demonstrated its Brazilian identity by participating in a samba parade at the Sambodromo da Sapucaí in Rio de Janeiro on January 4th.
The samba school amazed the audience with an unexpected start, showcasing technological progress through the use of five LED screens forming a large high-tech wall. An impressive robot symbolizing human mastery over machines was also featured. A standout moment occurred when the Troy robot and two robotic dogs appeared, symbolizing machines’ autonomy from humans.
Douglas Arraes, director of Futuremedia, confirmed that following the viral video of Troy in Niterói, the samba school reached out to include the robot in their opening performance. Arraes mentioned that they provided the robot for rehearsals and kept his participation in the parade a secret until the event.
Márcio Melo, CEO of Futuremedia and the person behind Troy’s appearance at Sapucaí, originally planned for the robot to emerge from a structure. However, due to technical issues, they decided for safety reasons to have Troy walk the avenue concealed under a black cloth until the right moment when he surprised everyone by appearing from behind the panels.
A post posted by iG (@portal_ig)
Márcio informed us that the secrecy was maintained until the final moment. Neither the members nor a portion of the board were aware of the details. The meetings were held behind closed doors, and since his arrival in Brazil in January this year, he has consistently brought an element of surprise to the events where he is involved.
Márcio likened participating in the Sapucaí parade for the first time to the sensation of attending Maracanã for the first time.
Father Miguel’s Independent Samba School was the recipient of the Golden Banner Award for Best Front Commission at the 2025 Rio Carnival.
The iG report was in touch with the Samba School but has not been returned until the issue is resolved. The situation can be updated at any moment.