Should IPL 8 have robot cheerleaders?

If this Japanese firm has its way, robot cheerleaders will soon be popping up everywhere. Sounds strange? It’s reality already.

If you thought robots were all work and no play – well, you were wrong. Japanese electronics company Murata Manufacturing has unveiled (or unleashed, as you please) its team of Murata Cheerleaders – small robots that use the latest sensing and communication technologies, as well as advanced group control technology to achieve perfect stability and “flawless synchronised dancing”.

Unlike their predecessors bicycle-riding Murata Boy and unicycle-riding Murata Girl, the Murata Cheerleaders do not get around on wheels but instead on a ball, atop of which they remain balanced as the ball rolls along.

They can move swiftly in any direction and remain upright using three advanced gyro sensors, which incorporate inverted-pendulum control technology, to detect tilt angles. Similar gyro sensors are commonly used in digital cameras, car navigation systems, and more recently, the electronic stability control (ESC) systems that prevent cars from skidding.

The cheerleaders are capable of high-precision routines thanks to real-time position measurement technology. Each robot is equipped with four infrared sensors and five ultrasonic microphones to detect surrounding objects, even in the dark. Based on the differing speeds of sound and light waves, this system is capable of determining the relative positions of the robots within a 16 sq m space.

In collaboration with researchers from Matsuno Lab at Kyoto University, Murata says it has also developed an advanced group control technology that allows 10 robots to perform in synchronisation without colliding. Each robot’s location is communicated via a wireless communication network and controlled through a specially developed program. This same technology may someday be used to realize safer and more efficient vehicle and transportation systems.

“The Murata Cheerleaders showcase the ability of electronics to enrich our lives,” says Yuichi Kojima, Senior Vice President and Deputy Director of Murata’s Technology & Business Development Unit. “We believe that the wireless communication of sensor data could become a core infrastructure for the advanced integration of people and objects in smart societies.”

“We developed the Murata Cheerleaders to demonstrate our electronics technologies,” says Koichi Yoshikawa, Senior Manager of Corporate Communications, who played a key role in developing the cheerleaders. “Our hope is that the Murata Cheerleaders will inspire new discoveries by young innovators and put smiles on the faces of people worldwide.”

The cheerleaders can be seen performing at the upcoming CEATEC 2014 scheduled from October 7 to 11 in Tokyo.

Can’t wait until then? Visit: https://www.murata.co.jp/en/cheerleaders/

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