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Toyota I don’t care so much now. For the third quarter of 2024, the automaker’s consolidated global revenue increased by 5.9 percent. What else to do if the products are kept stable? Start a side quest to build record-breaking humanoid basketball-playing robots.
In 2017, nine Toyota engineers volunteered to participate in the CUE project A learning AI robot basketball player From its beginnings as computerized components tested using Lego bricks, CUE is now in its sixth iteration, dubbed CUE6.
CUE now looks less like a bunch of blocks and more like a decent-sized forward or center who stands at six-foot-10. Despite not yet being able to break ankles, the AI ballerina has broken several Guinness World Records during her dream hoop journey.
In 2017, CUE3 earned its due the first Guinness World Records achievement for “most consecutive basketball free throws made by a humanoid robot (assisted)”. The title drags on, but the feat is impressive. After six hours and 35 minutes, CUE3 made 2,020 free throws in a row.
The attempt ended at this number, not because CUE3 missed, but because it coincided with the year of the Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics. But, also, I guess after nearly seven hours of watching a whistle-blowing robot, the sound of good old Shaq hitting the rim would have been nice at that point.
After that, a team of Toyota volunteers sought to make CUE more exciting: free movement. During its fourth iteration, CUE could handle the ball on its own and move around on its own version of Heelys. By the time CUE5 came around, the robobalist was dribbling. no professional baller smoothly, but the CUE led and rolled on its own. However, CUE’s strength remained its shooting accuracy.
“We tried to make CUE throw like we humans do, but it didn’t work,” CUE project manager Tomohiro Nomi told the Guinness Book of World Records. “Instead, CUE has invented its own efficient throwing style, using artificial intelligence based on the structure of the robot. That’s why CUE throws the shape you see now.”
And this form of self-learning led the CUE team to set their sights on another world record: farthest basketball shot (by a humanoid robot). The record for the farthest in history belongs to a man. Joshua Walkerbasketball coach from Louisiana, along with four others broke this record in one day in July 2022. The maximum hitter hit the stone into the net from a distance of 34.6 meters (113 ft 6 in).
CUE6 had no plans to take anything away from Walker, as he had a unique category that Walker could never claim for reasons such as having organs and a cardiovascular system. The CUE6 shot will be taken from 24.55m (80ft 6in) from the arc. Could it be a show-off and take the shot in one attempt when Walker apparently needs several?
Doink.
CUE6 missed on the first try. But, yes, there was no further drama because on shot number two, the basketball bounced gently off the back of the rim and fell over the net. Play the clock buzzer because it’s game over. It’s a hell of a distance for everyone and everything. Steph Curry could probably do it, but why compete with a robot that can’t touch your subtle passes or dribbles? Not today, anyway.
What’s next for CUE? Nomi wants to be soaked.
“I want to create something fun and with the power of craftsmanship, I want to show that Japan still has a lot to offer,” he said. “The next step is for the robot to be able to run. And in the end, I want to see a robot that pees Michael Jordan. If something like that exists, I’d like to see it.”
His Airness, but built by artificial intelligence? What time can a robot basketball player have? Considering Art future technological progress the Toyota CUE team achieved during its free timewe may witness a basketball shooting robot before we do GTA VI.