Olympic robots offer ‘virtual’ attendance, help out on field

A cart-like robot scuttles across field to bring back javelins and discuses. A towering screen-on-wheels is designed for “virtual” attendance. cute ones are, naturally, likeness of Olympic and Paralympic mascots.

Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp., a major Olympic sponsor, is reying various robots for next year’s Tokyo Olympics. robots were shown to reporters for release Monday.

mascot robots have moving limbs and its eyes change to im of stars and hearts. It cant speak at all or walk very well. But engineer in charge, Tomohisa Moridaira, suggested various possibilities, such as getting robot to hold Olympic torch using magnets.

T-TR1, developed by Toyota’s robotics institute in U.S., highlights “virtual mobility,” taking automaker’s usual business of transportation to ar dimension. It’s a moving human-size display designed to represent people who can’t be re.

Think a faraway grandma at a child’s birthday party or a legendary athlete t able to attend but “virtually” taking part in Olympic festivities.

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Like all world’s major automakers, Toyota uses robotics in production plants. But it has also designed human-like robots, including those that play musical instruments.

Cue 3, which computes a three-dimensional im with sensors and justs motors for right angle and propulsion to accurately throw basketballs, recently got listed in Guinness World Records for making 2020 free throws without missing, a record for a robot and an hom to Tokyo Olympics.

An earlier Toyota robot that glides around like R2-D2 is devoted to picking things up, to help sick and elderly.

latest “field support robot,” which looks like a cart, will also be picking things up: javelin, discus or hammer on Olympic field.

Its intelligence helps it avoid obstacles as well as repetitive routes to minimize wear and tear on grass.

catch is: It can’t go find objects or pick m up on its own. A person has to run in front of it. Once object is loed, by human, robot will return to its original position.

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