Murata Boy: The Bicycling Robot

Japanese company Murata Manufacturing created a bicycling robot to show off some of their various sensors. The robot tentatively named Murata Boy (although some articles are calling it Murata Seisaku-kun) is equipped with four types of sensors: two gyro sensors used to detect angular velocity and inclination; an ultrasonic sensor to detect obstacles; and a shock sensor to detect rough surfaces. The robot is connected to a PC via wireless LAN connection for forward, stop, and backward type commands and he can follow pre-programmed paths. It's about 2 foot tall and can reach speeds of 30 inches per second and can even balance while at a complete stop. The pictures show the robot driving down a thin balance beam without falling. Murata Boy is being demonstrated at the CEATEC Japan 2005 show that runs from Oct. 4-8 in Makuhari.