Alshar: Ohrid-Built Humanoid DJ Showcases a New Face of Macedonian Robotics

In the summer of 2024, a robotics project developed in Ohrid under the Sefidanis name moved from laboratory testing into a real social environment: a nightclub audience. The humanoid robot “Alshar” was presented as a DJ—an intentionally public, high-pressure scenario where communication, timing, and atmosphere matter as much as technical performance.

As described by its creator, Prof. Dr. Anis Sefidanis, the project was conceived as a humanoid specifically because the goal was not only task execution, but interaction: operating in a social context, adapting to people, and collaborating with them through multimodal communication. In interviews, Sefidanis emphasized that a human-like form is not always necessary for robotics—but in nightlife and entertainment, the relationship between performer and audience is part of the experience, making the DJ scenario a meaningful testbed for human–robot interaction.

Technically, Alshar was reported as an advanced AI- and sensor-enabled humanoid intended to “see,” “hear,” and respond to commands in real time, with development requiring cross-disciplinary input beyond engineering. Media coverage describes collaboration not only with engineers, but also with professionals whose expertise supports realism and safety in movement and appearance—such as biomechanics and anatomy knowledge—so the robot’s physical behavior better matches human expectations in close proximity.

Multiple sources outlined a hybrid build approach combining open- and closed-code technologies, and a production workflow aligned with modern rapid prototyping and mechatronics. Bloomberg Adria reported that the robot was produced from metal and plastic using 3D printing and CNC machining, and that its control stack included open hardware platforms (Raspberry Pi and Arduino), with software developed by the team in Python and C. ResPublica similarly described a modular concept designed for upgrades and evolution, positioning the humanoid as a long-term research and innovation platform rather than a one-off demonstration.

What captured public attention first, however, was the application: Alshar as a DJ capable of selecting music and generating new compositions using AI-based methods, an idea repeatedly highlighted across interviews. Inovativnost went as far as to describe the system as the “first robot DJ in the world,” reflecting how the project was framed in local innovation media at the time. Meanwhile, an English-language republication credited to the BBC (via KOHA.net) described Alshar as the first robot DJ of its kind in the Balkans, featuring its nightclub performance in Ohrid and emphasizing its ability to adapt to audience mood through AI-enabled interpretation of human reactions.

That same coverage reported that Alshar can analyze the crowd in ways a traditional DJ cannot—such as estimating audience composition and reacting to atmosphere—while still keeping the core purpose simple: sustaining a dynamic, human-facing performance. In parallel, Voice of America’s Macedonian service reported broader hospitality-oriented scenarios discussed by Sefidanis, including roles such as bartender, waiter, or hotel reception—framing the robot as an early prototype for tourism-facing automation in Ohrid.

Behind the scenes, safety and situational awareness were presented as central design principles. A CRNOBELO MEDIA post highlighted that the robot uses a “cluster of sensors,” including thermal sensors for detecting living organisms, explicitly described as a measure to prevent self-injury by the robot or injury to people or animals nearby.

The level of ambition also came with a significant investment narrative. CRNOBELO’s interview headline about the project states that the cost exceeded €100,000, while other interviews discussed major infrastructure and tooling costs—such as high-performance computing resources and the reality that such R&D projects continue evolving rather than “finishing.”

Taken together, the 2024 reporting around Alshar documents more than a single performance: it marks an attempt to position humanoid robotics not only within factories or labs, but inside culture, tourism, and public life—where acceptance depends on trust, safety, and meaningful interaction as much as it depends on engineering.

Sources and original publication dates (chronological)

ResPublica — “Anis Sefidanis: The first humanoid robot in Macedonia lives in Ohrid” — 08.08.2024.
Voice of America (Macedonian) — “Innovator from Ohrid created a humanoid robot: a DJ in a club will be its first ‘work’ place” — 25.07.2024.
Bloomberg Adria (MK) — “A humanoid robot was made in Ohrid, ready to be a DJ” — 28.07.2024 (10:30).
Inovativnost.mk — “Professor Anis Sefidanis from Ohrid created the first robot-DJ in the world” — 24.08.2024.
KOHA.net (English; credited “By: BBC”) — “Alshari, the first robot DJ in the Balkans” — 26.09.2024 (15:00).
CRNOBELO.com — “Prof. Dr. Sefidanis from Ohrid: ‘We made the first humanoid robot in our country – the project costs over 100,000 euros’” — publication date not accessible via the current page rendering, referenced here as a primary interview link.
CRNOBELO MEDIA (LinkedIn post excerpt on sensors/thermal safety) — posted “1y” (relative timestamp shown on LinkedIn).