Yamaha has invented a motorcycle riding robot called “Motobot”. The below video shows Motobot taking turns, tapping the clutch, and twisting the throttle while remaining upright cruising around with a pair of training wheels at an abandoned airfield. Yamaha has given Motobot a childlike robotic voice that calls out MotoGP world champion, Valentino Rossi, by creepily saying, “I was created to surpass you. I am improving my skills every day.” We don’t know if the two riders will ever race each other, but it sounds like Yamaha wants that race to happen.
Yamaha’s goal is to eventually have Motobot be able to ride an unmodified motorcycle on a racetrack. The company wants to take the lessons learned over the life of this high-concept project and apply them to their current business in regards to rider support systems as well as safety. Yamaha also hopes to use the technology for Motobot to “pioneer new lines of business.” We’re looking forward to finding out what that means after viewing the Motobot video!
