Science to the rescue: Researchers create swimming robot in hope of building the perfect life-guard
If Japan suddenly sweeps the board with Gold swimming medals at the next Olympics, may we advise spot-checks to ensure the competitors are human?
For a team at the Tokyo University of Technology has created a robot which has perfected the back-stroke – except for the few occasions it goes a bit buggy and tries some freestyle swimming.
The team, led by associate professor Motomu Nakashima, hopes that eventually robots like the ‘Swumanoid’ can act as robot lifeguards, patrolling our shores and helping swimmers in distress.
Apart from life-saving ambitions, Swumanoid is useful in helping research into swimming.
It is difficult to secure motion-sensing pads to swimmers in the water, and it is also difficult for swimmers to perfectly repeat repetitive actions over and over.