The Tokyo Olympics continue to give away technological moments. At the opening ceremony, for example, more than 1,800 drones lit up the sky. And now a basketball robot has captivated everyone with his skills.
It is about CUE, a robot created by Toyota whose mastery in basketball is acquired thanks to an artificial intelligence system. This allows you to take perfect shots and score from anywhere on the field of play.
This is precisely what he demonstrated last weekend in the match in which France beat the United States at the Tokyo Olympics. In addition to the historic defeat, the main protagonist was Toyota's basketball robot.
The imposing android, standing 2.04 meters tall and looking intimidating , took the ball and took a shot from the free line and another from the middle of the field. Amazingly, he achieved 100% perfection on both attempts.
There is no doubt that the few present in the stadium – this edition of the Tokyo Olympic Games is without an audience due to COVID – were surprised by the skill of Toyota's basketball robot. However, this was not his first game.
The third generation of Toyota's basketball robot
Credit: International Basketball Federation Toyota has been working on its basketball droids for two years. Long ago, an earlier version of the basketball robot made 2,020 consecutive free throws . As expected, it broke the world record for its category.
The Japanese company's team started work on the basketball robot in 2017. The first version required someone to put it in position, but now it can be moved anywhere on the field with built-in wheels.
To execute the perfect shots, the basketball robot has sensors to measure distance, a camera and an artificial intelligence system . In this way he is able to perform the necessary calculations and adjust his arms to send the ball through the air.
The creators of this project were inspired by Sakuragi Hanamichi, the protagonist of the manga Slam Dunk, who had no previous experience in sports, but who after practicing thousands of shots manages to perfect his technique becomes a star.
