AI-equipped robot shocks fans during the basketball Olympics
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games kicked off in July, showcasing its technological advancement after it got postponed due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
Luckily, the postponement gave creators and innovators the time to utilize the latest technology to offer those who tune in to watch an experience of a lifetime.
One of the many inventions that took audiences by surprise is Toyota’s AI-equipped basketball robot, which hones the ability to shoot hoops that might arguably put professional basketball players to shame.
Under the name CUE, the AI-robot made an appearance during halftime of USA-France men’s basketball Olympics and showed the crowd its ability to shoot with almost a 100 percent accuracy from short distances.
The 6-foot-10-inch-tall Japanese robot shocked audiences when it scored a free throw, a three-pointer, then nonchalantly walked over to the midcourt line and shot a half-court pointer.
CUE uses its built-in sensors in its torso to calculate the distance, angle, and strength in order to perfect its aim.
However, NBA players should not feel replaceable, as CUE can’t dribble or jump and is somewhat slow as seen in the video below where it took quite some time for Toyota’s AI-robot to shoot the three-pointer.
Technology is arguably the star of Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic Games. The state-of-the-art technology witnessed during the sports games is fascinating.
The fact that an AI-equipped robot was able to replicate some of our human abilities, might just be a step into accelerating the drive to replace humans with artificially intelligent machinery.