Japanese Robot cuts Pea Pod with Sword

This is very Japanese and very awesome. A master swordsman teaches a robot the art of sword fight. Watch the mind blowing video below.

Japanese master swordsman Isao Machii teaches an industrial robot how to use a sword and the robot Motoman-MH24 is a quick study. Robot company Yaskawa captured the movements of Iaijyutsu master Isao Machii in 3D and translated them into robot movements. The result is mind-blowing. The industrial robot wields the sword like Machii. It is not just the accuracy that is stunning but also the the dynamic and elegant movement.

In the video below the robot and Machii face off in a set of challenges. The most impressive is the one where the Motoman-MH24 robot slices a pea pod in half. To do this the robot needs not only to be precise but also extremely fast.

This project shows how 3D capture of human movements can make robots move in impressive ways.

Yaskawa celebrates its 100th anniversary with this Yaskawa Bushido Project. With annual sales in excess of 360 billion yens, Yaskawa is one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of servo drives, inverters and Motoman industrial robots.

Via Kotaku.