Toyota CUE7: New basketball robot makes shots from 25 meters

Only recently, a humanoid robot reached a top speed of 10.1 m/s in a 100-meter sprint. Even basketball-playing humanoid robots are no longer enough to surprise many observers. With the recent unveiling of the latest version of its basketball robot, CUE7, however, Toyota shows that there is still room for further progress. WELT has published footage of the presentation on YouTube (in German).

Even earlier models delivered remarkable basketball performances. CUE3 made 2,020 free throws in a row, while CUE5 set the Guinness World Record for the longest basketball shot by a humanoid robot at 24.55 meters (80.5 feet). CUE7 is now expected to go one step further and score from up to 25 meters (82 feet) away. Its movements also appear smoother. Unlike the Unitree G1, which is likewise a capable basketball player, CUE7 uses rollers on its feet. Its hands are also specially designed to hold a basketball. At 2.19 meters (7.2 feet) tall, the significantly larger CUE7 could have an advantage in a match.

There is more to the project than just an entertaining demonstration. The CUE series has been running since 2017 and originally began as a voluntary side project by Toyota employees. The robot now serves as a test platform for AI, sensor technology and motion control, all of which could later be used in fields such as medical care, logistics and assistance systems. As WELT reports, Toyota plans to further expand its robotics efforts and could increasingly position itself as a competitor to companies such as Tesla and Unitree.