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Home blogs Michael Curry's blog

Flossie, the Castrol robotic motorcycle rider...

Flossie, the Castrol robotic motorcycle 'rider'...: Photo courtesy of and copyright by  Castrol
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:

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  • 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...

Link: Flossie, the Castrol motorcycle test riding robot

Author: Michael Curry /// submitted on July 23, 2009 - 10:33am.
Filed Under
  • Castrol
  • Flossie
  • Motorcycle Gear
  • Motorcycle News
  • Robots
  • Michael Curry's blog
  • Add new comment

I don't know if I like the

IP
Submitted by Jerry (not verified) on December 9, 2009 - 4:32pm.

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 :)

  • reply

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Flossie, the Castrol robotic motorcycle 'rider'...

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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:

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