Flossie, the Motorcyle-testing Robot

I’m certain that a lot of you are seeing some science-fiction vision just by just looking at a picture of a robot on a motorcycle, but it is not what you think.

The good news is that this is not some artistic vision, or concept gadget, but Flossie the robot has been built, and is in use right now. Yes, I realize that Flossie is the worst name for a robot since “Robbie”, but you have to admit, it is as skinny as dental floss.

Anyway, Flossie was developed by technicians at Castrol, and is designed to test out throttle response, gear shifting, and clutch drag. She (should I call it a she?) does this on a stationary bike, mind you, so she doesn’t ever go on the open road. Catch a video of it after the jump.

So you can relax, because you won’t be seeing any robot motorcycle gangs, yet. Besides, everyone knows that robots use rider-less motorcycles, like the type seen in Terminator Salvation.

Of course, this does raise the question of is it possible to teach a robot the balance necessary to ride a bike. Well, if you’re going to do that, then you’d better give Flossie a head with some cameras, or something.

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