Toyota’s virtual reality robots to take fans inside Tokyo Games

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Toyota Motor Corp. is fielding its latest robots to let fans far from Olympic and Paralympic venues experience the excitement of the Games almost as if they were there in the flesh.

The T-HR3 humanoid, one of five types of Toyota robots to be deployed to the 2020 Tokyo Games, will allow people outside event venues to virtually “shake hands” with Olympians and Paralympians.

The T-HR3, which stands 154 centimeters tall and weighs 75 kilograms, can be linked to a small robot modeled after the Games mascot that is 60 cm tall and weighs 5.7 kg.

Even if they are in locations far from each other, the two robots can communicate so they move the same way and exert the same amount of force in their movements.

When athletes shake hands with the T-HR3, their grip pressure is reproduced by the robotic mascot set up at schools, for instance, to entertain students.

The T-TR1, another robot that can be operated by remote control, will enable people in distant locations to interact with those at event venues by displaying their video image on its 145-cm-by-50-cm liquid crystal screen.

The robot can travel autonomously, and a camera set up above its monitor will give them a 360-degree view around the robot at the venues.

Toyota also plans to have robots help Games staff fetch hammers, javelins, discuses and other objects after athletes fling them across the field in throwing competitions.

The fleet-footed robots clock in with a top speed of 20 kph and are able to go back to specified zones by themselves because stadium map data has been input into them.

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