Yamaha has just put a humanoid robot on one of its motorcycles and pitted it against Valentino Rossi, a professional rider. The robot didn’t win, but it’s amazing that it could ride at all.
Feast your eyes:
What’s striking is that the bike is unmodified: the robot is a hunched-over form on top. It senses the environment, calculates what to do, keeps the bike stable, manages acceleration and deceleration—all while factoring in road conditions, air resistance, and engine braking.