Flossie, the Castrol robotic motorcycle rider...
Flossie, the Castrol robotic motorcycle 'rider'...: Photo courtesy of and copyright by Castrol
The uber-techs at Castrol have been hard at work perfecting a bad-ass robotic test "rider". Well, it doesn't really ride, but it can sit atop the motorcycle and do all the throttle, clutch, and shift actions that a human rider does.
Among the many stated benefits:
- Flossie can be fitted onto any bike or scooter for testing on a chassis dynamometer.
- Flossie can act like a new rider, learning how to operate all the controls, gaining proficiency over time.
- Flossie will perform the same gear change or the same acceleration time after time.
- Flossie doesn't get tired or saddle sore
- Flossie doesn’t mind the excruciating noise of the bike in the chamber as its engine screams away
- Flossie doesn't worry about riding in extremes of temperature
- And, most importantly, Flossie is a safe rider
(Source: Castrol)
Of course, I think this is complete bull. Castrol engineers built Flossie because it was just a wickedly-cool looking 'bot!
Here's a short YouTube video showing Flossie in action and one of the techs giving background details...
About the author
Author Name
Michael Curry
Author Bio
Michael has been riding street motorcycles since 1975. He's owned and ridden everything from Hondas to Harleys with a preference for spirited sport-touring riding.
Michael is a Roadcarvin.com co-founder and serves as chief editor, scribe, staff photographer, and other things.
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I don't know if I like the
I don't know if I like the learning ability in Flossie. Robots that learn are potentially dangerous as they will out smart us! lol
Flossie is awesome, he is a safe rider but has no need for a helmet :)
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