Valentino Rossi Smokes Motobot at Thunderhill
Rennie Scaysbrook | October 30, 2017
The GOAT decimates a robot on track… for now.
The first battle of humans versus the robot overlords has been quietly won, with Valentino Rossi thoroughly decimating Yamaha’s humanoid robot, Motobot, in a head to head battle at Thunderhill in Northern California.
The Doctor crossed the finishing line at the two-mile Thunderhill West venue in 1:25.740, 32 seconds faster than what Motobot could manage with a 1:57.504.
But although the result is clearly demoralizing with the world’s robot population, if we look a little closer at just what was achieved by the Yamaha technicians, Motobot’s performance is quite remarkable.
Motobot went from being nothing more than an idea in the collective Yamaha brain to doing a time around a racetrack—unassisted—that would give beginner to-medium level track riders a run for their money in just three years. That’s an incredibly short time frame, but there is one thing that’s glaringly obvious between Motobot and Rossi, and that’s the fact Rossi moves around on the motorcycle, whereas Motobot is bolted into position.
The sheer dynamics of riding a Yamaha YZF-R1 at speed is something Motobot and his engineers have yet to figure out. Rossi, even at a cruising (for him) track day pace, climbs all over the machine in an effort to turn tighter, brake later and accelerate harder, using not just the handling traits of the R1 but also the Bridgestone tires to their full advantage. Motobot looks plainly awkward by comparison in his/her/its riding, exactly like the remote-controlled motorbike and rider you had as a child.
Therefore, the battle between Rossi and Motobot was really a non-event, but to use an overly quoted saying, “this is just the beginning.” Give it some time, and the inevitable increase in technology that will follow in the coming years, and it’s highly likely Motobot will prove at least a match for some of the best riders in the world (maybe not Rossi). When that happens, though, is anyone’s guess.
For a full look at how Motobot came to be, check out this excellent video from Yamaha.
