The Pyeongchang Winter Olympics of 2018 not only have human participants but turns out there are robot participants as well but unfortunately they are not that good though.
Korean robotics technology was already being used in the event for cleaning or guiding visitors, but now, they are also competing in ski tournaments called ‘Edge of Robot: Ski Robot Challenge’.
Eight robotics teams from various research universities, institutes and a private company competed against each other for a reward of $10,000. The tournament was to see which robot could ski down the slopes and race to the finish line fastest without avoiding the obstacles.
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According to The Verge, the record-low temperatures affected the robot functionality due to which many of them toppled throughout the course that left the audience laughing. In order to be fit for the tournament, the robots would have to be humanoid robots that can stand on their legs and have joints like knees and elbows, and would also have be to be minimum 50 centimeters tall. The cameras and sensors in them helped navigate the red and blue flag gates.
The tournament was set at an 80-meter alpine skiing course at Welli Hilli Ski Resort, a place located at hour away from the games in Pyeongchang. Digital Trends reported, the competition was won by TaekwonV from the Minirobot Corp, navigating five gates in 18 seconds. The team leader Sam Kim believed that the reaction speed is the key for skiing robots, with each one having to ‘quickly process the vision data it receives and adjust its motor movements accordingly, fast enough to make a turn,’ yet, most of them were unable to do so.