Unicycle-riding girl robot hits the road

Japanese researchers have created a unicycle-riding robot girl named “Murata Girl,” designed as a worthy successor for their bicycle-riding Murata Boy.

Murata Girl, known in Japanese as “Seiko-chan”, rides a unicycle with ease: she can ride forwards or backwards at two inches per second or be idle in one place. There are in-built sensors which warns if there is an obstruction in front of it or when it is about to bump into some objects. It has a spinning disc inside to keep it balanced in one place without falling. Murata Electronics, the makers of this “Murata Girl” robot created it for education purposes and to promote its brand. The Murata Girl can be controlled via a Bluetooth device. According to the Cnet article, this robot was created by three female art school graduates. The Murata Girl will be officially unveiled at the Ceatec Japan,2008 Show, which begins on Sept. 30.