On December 4th, the Guinness World Records organization announced that Toyota’s humanoid robot, CUE6, successfully made a basketball shot from a distance of 24.55 meters.
(Video: Guinness World Records).
The performance took place in Nagakute, Aichi, Japan on September 26, marking the second Guinness World Record achieved by Toyota’s AI-equipped humanoid robot, CUE. This is the longest basketball shot ever made by a humanoid robot.
In 2017, during their spare time, nine volunteers from Toyota developed CUE as a basketball-playing robot utilizing AI technology. Over the years, CUE has continuously improved its shooting accuracy and range. In January 2020, CUE showcased its skills during a three-point shooting competition at the All-Star Game of the B.League basketball league. On December 24, 2022, the sixth generation, CUE6, was introduced during a break in the game between Alvark Tokyo and Shiga Lakes.
Not only does CUE have an impressive appearance, but it is also highly intelligent. Thanks to AI, it can recognize patterns, learn from mistakes, and instantly adjust its posture, hand position, and throwing force. In 2019, the third-generation robot, CUE3, set its first Guinness World Record by completing 2,020 consecutive free throws. The engineers concluded the demonstration, although some suggested it could have continued for much longer.
Over time, CUE’s capabilities have expanded significantly. From executing simple free throws, the robot can now catch balls, position itself, and shoot from the three-point line and beyond. Later versions can even retrieve balls, shoot from various positions, move on wheels, and dribble.
The CUE6 robot sets the record for the farthest basketball shot by a humanoid robot.
To set the new record, CUE6 underwent significant upgrades, including modified arms and an added foot camera for better ball movement detection. The first shot slightly missed and bounced off the rim, but the second shot was successful at a distance of 24.55 meters. Meanwhile, the human record for the longest basketball shot stands at 34.6 meters.
In addition to setting the record, the CUE development team at Toyota also aims to demonstrate the skills and creativity of the robot. In the future, they hope to develop a robot capable of executing complex basketball skills, such as slam dunks.
