Skip to main content

Yamaha shows off the improved Motobot at Tokyo Motor Show 2017

Self-driving cars are still in the works, but Yamaha is taking things a step farther with its new autonomous motorcycle, the Motobot 2. Unveiled at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, the new Motobot is a combination of the latest in robotics and motorcycle technology. Yamaha is hopeful that this new robot will help “pioneer previously unexplored realms of research and development.”

When the project was first announced in 2015, Yamaha partnered with SRI International to develop the Motobot. The goal was to create a machine that would be capable of “visualizing data about human motorcycle operation, further quantifying the relationship between rider input and machine behavior, and then using the resulting know-how to build even better vehicles.”

Recommended Videos

Yamaha had two design goals for 2017: the first was for the Motobot to reach speeds over 200 kilometers on a track, and second to defeat seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi in a timed lap around a track. The company achieved the first goal, but failed to meet the second — Rossi beat the Motobot’s time by about 30 seconds. However, the machine is improving and that’s one of Yamaha’s biggest accomplishments.

The company is hoping that advanced machine learning, of the kind which allowed a Google computer to defeat a Go world champion, will also allow the Motobot to learn the best way to navigate tracks as it makes it way across the course. The company’s ultimate goal is to design a machine which can defeat the best human opponents. The Motobot hasn’t gotten there yet, but AI and machine learning are advancing at a rapid pace, so it will likely only be a matter of time.

Beyond the design goals of improving vehicle safety and advancing the fields of robotics, Yamaha is hoping that the lessons learned during the Motobot project can eventually be applied to other vehicles such as snowmobiles and boats.

Whether or not this means we’ll eventually see the self-driving motorcycles remains to be seen. Cars make a lot of sense as self-driving machines, since there are plenty of people who find driving a necessary evil, but the people who buy motorcycles are generally more about the ride itself, so there might not be much of a market for a self-driving motorcycle.

Eric Brackett
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Waymo recalled 1,200 robotaxis following collisions with road barriers
Waymo Jaguar I-Pace

Waymo’s autonomous-car technology has made great advances over the years to the point where it’s now allowed to offer paid robotaxi rides in select locations in the U.S.

But the development of the technology is ongoing, and the robotaxi rides continue to gather valuable data for Waymo engineers to pore over as they further refine the driverless system to make it as reliable and efficient as possible. Which is why glitches will sometimes occur.

Read more
Apple CarPlay Ultra looks stunning in Aston Martin supercar debut
Apple CarPlay Ultra

Apple CarPlay Ultra is the next generation of the Cupertino, California-based firm's smartphone projection system for your car, and it's available in new vehicles in the US and Canada.

When we say "new cars", your options are very much limited to one brand... Aston Martin. So you'll need deep pockets if you want to experience CarPlay Ultra for yourself.

Read more
Archer’s flying taxis head to LA for the 2028 Olympics
archer air taxi la28 inglewood aerial a final

Remember the buzz about flying taxis zipping through Paris for the 2024 Olympics? That sci-fi fantasy never got off the ground —Germany’s Volocopter dream was denied certification, leaving fans staring at the same old ground traffic. But now, the skies are opening again for a second shot at glory—this time over Los Angeles.
Archer Aviation, the California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company, has been named the exclusive air taxi provider for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft, a piloted electric air taxi designed to carry four passengers, will be whisking around VIPs, fans, and stakeholders between venues and key locations like LAX, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and even Orange County. Think 10-20 minute flights that skip the infamous LA gridlock and land you right where the action is—on the roof, basically.
“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America. There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer Aviation.
And Midnight isn’t just a pretty rotor. It’s a whisper-quiet, emission-light aircraft with 12 rotors and a redundant, airline-level safety design.
What’s more, Archer and LA28 are working together to electrify vertiport hubs around the city—think futuristic sky stations—to serve not only Games-time needs but also to plant seeds for a post-Olympic air mobility network.
The air mobility market has been fast developing over the past few years, featuring the likes of Hyundai partnership with China’s XPeng HT Aero and Toyota's backing of Joby Aviation, a U.S. venture. Joby bought Uber Elevate in 2020, hoping to someday pair its air taxis with Uber’s ride-hailing app.
Archer, for its part, has been busy building a strategic partnership with United Airlines, which has already placed orders for the aircraft and is helping with logistics to integrate air taxis into airport-to-downtown travel. More than a demo for the cameras, the LA28 partnership will showcase urban air travel for real-world daily use, starting with one of the most high-profile events on Earth.
After raising false hopes in Paris, the air taxi dream is aiming for liftoff in LA—and this time, it might just stick the landing.

Read more