The Tokyo Motor Show is the show that keeps on giving with Yamaha unveiling a robotic biker called the Motobot, capable of easily handling some of the fastest motorcycles on the planet.
There has been speculation regarding what the Motobot could be used for in the future, with perhaps the most intriguing idea being some type of highway patrol humanoid.
An army of Motobots could track down someone speeding without having to put law enforcement officers in danger.
The only problem is, even if they catch someone, how would they stop them long enough for human help to arrive?
Unfortunately, Yamaha’s plans aren’t quite as grand, as the company envisions the Motobot eventually handling an unmodified motorcycle to speeds of more than 120 miles per hour.
I propose an entire robot racing league where you can eventually play them on FanDuel and DraftKings. Now that’s an idea…
From Yamaha:
This is an autonomous motorcycle-riding humanoid robot built around a fusion of Yamaha’s motorcycle and robotics technology. R&D is currently underway with the goal of developing the robot to ride an unmodified motorcycle on a racetrack at more than 200 km/h. The task of controlling the complex motions of a motorcycle at high speeds requires a variety of control systems that must function with a high degree of accuracy. We want to apply the fundamental technology and know-how gained in the process of this challenge to the creation of advanced rider safety and rider-support systems and put them to use in our current businesses, as well as using them to pioneer new lines of business.
