Yamaha's autonomous Motobot racing toward the future
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
“I am Motobot. I was created to surpass you.”
That quote is even creepier when you hear it spoken with a bad Italian accent by the robotic motorcycle rider designed by Yamaha.
The declaration is directed at 9-time world champion motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi, who has spent most of his career with the Japanese brand.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Yamaha says that the autonomous humanoid machine is being developed to be able to ride an unmodified motorcycle over 125 mph on a track.
The video released to introduce Motobot to an unsuspecting world shows it riding Yamaha’s top sport bike, the 1000cc YZF-R1M, around an empty lot. It takes turns and hits at least 60 mph as its metallic hands and feet operate the throttle, brakes, clutch and gearshift just like a person would.
Motobot isn’t ready to take on the champ just yet. It says it’s not even sure it could beat a five-year-old Rossi, but is improving its skills every day. Don’t believe it at your own peril.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
And while there aren’t a lot of practical applications for a robot that can ride a motorcycle, Yamaha is using it as a test bed for technologies that can be integrated into the bikes themselves, making them easier and safer to ride.
Whether or not that includes a camera that looks over your shoulder for fast-approaching robots has yet to be revealed.
----------
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Test ride: 2015 Ducati Scrambler