Skip to Content
Uncategorized

Yahama’s Robo-motorcyclist Tears Around a Racetrack at 124 MPH

October 27, 2017

And it’s totally mesmerizing to watch in action. The video above shows the company’s Motobot—literally, a robotic motorcyclist that sits atop a standard Yamaha and controls and balances the bike—as it charges around a racetrack and tries to beat a time set by world champion Valentino Rossi.

As IEEE Spectrum notes, Motobot doesn’t deal with new environments the way an Uber or Waymo autonomous car can. But it uses GPS and inertial measurements to place itself on a high-res map of a track to within an inch, and then uses that information to control the bike so that it can follow a course. And it does so at speeds of up to 124 miles per hour in a straight line.

Sadly, it can’t keep up with Rossi, though: it took 117.50 seconds to perform a lap, compared with the pro’s 85.74 seconds. Maybe next time, Motobot.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.

“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.

What to know about this autumn’s covid vaccines

New variants will pose a challenge, but early signs suggest the shots will still boost antibody responses.

Human-plus-AI solutions mitigate security threats

With the right human oversight, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can help keep business and customer data secure

Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation

From million-dollar slide shows to Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPhone, a bit of show business never hurt plain old business.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.