A robot samurai recently went toe-to-toe with Guinness World Record holder, Japanese swordsman Isao Machii. In the battle of man vs. machine, the super samurai robot used swordsman skills and a katana weapon against the traditional Japanese soldier, in an epic clash.
The machine programmed with the knowledge and skills of a samurai sword master was the Japanese robot Yaskawa Motoman MH-24. Yaskawa Electric Corporation was founded in 1915.
Meanwhile, "Fruit Ninja" Machii was the Japanese samurai in the human vs. robot competition. He holds five Guinness World Records for best swordsmanship.
Machii holds records such as making 1,000 Iaido sword cuts in the fastest time, (36 min. 4 sec.). His swordsman skills were also shown as he sliced in half a speeding 200-mph (322 km) BB pellet.
Yaskawa is the Japanese tech company that designed the Motoman robot arm. The objective of the human vs. robot competition was to show the amazing abilities of the super samurai.
The MH-24 first performed a digital scan of Machii's sword movements by observing his 3D motion detection suit, and then recorded them in its memory storage device, according to Clapway. Next, the learning robot mastered the samurai skills.
The robot samurai could then perform more precise horizontal and diagonal sword cuts. It sliced 1-cm string beans lengthwise, and other objects crosswise such as cutting mats and real flowers, according to ZME Science.
However, it was not a total victory against the master swordsman. In the robot vs. human battle, Machii barely defeated the MH-24 robot soldier during the speed contest.
Due to technological advances in robot learning science, it is likely that machines will continue to defeat humans with extraordinary skills and world records. Recently smart machines have also used robotic arms to fire weapons and cook meals with greater precision than humans.
In terms of industrial applications, robot workers provide many benefits, such as never getting tired or showing emotions. The Motoman robot samurai represents the future potential of factory automation.