March Madness comes to a close today as Texas Tech and Virginia duke it out for the NCAA D1 basketball championship. We’ve seen robots displace humans in various fields and occupations. Are basketball players safe from automation? Could a team of robots beat a team of trained athletes in a game of basketball? Robots are precise, consistent, reliable, and untiring: these are all qualities that make a great athlete. Here’s what the starting line up for a robot basketball team would look like.
At point guard…
The point guard is the heartbeat of the team. The ability to distribute the ball and good ball handling skills are a must have for a point guard. The robots that work in Amazon’s fulfillment warehouses may look like beefy Roombas, but they have ample experience getting goods where they need to go. So far, there’s only been one report of an Amazon robot dropping the ball. Experience in this high pressure role could also be beneficial in clutch end-game situations.
At shooting guard…
Toyota recently unveiled a robot, called Cue 3, that shoots a basketball with pinpoint accuracy and consistency that can only be achieved by a machine. Cue 3 is 6 ft. 10 in. tall, and if you can delicately place a basketball directly in the robot’s hand, and not interfere with the shot, the opposition doesn’t stand a chance. The robot can’t set a screen, perform a pick-and-roll, or otherwise move, but it’s the only basketball-specific robot on the roster, and a likely team MVP candidate.
At small forward…
Versatility is key for this position. Your small forward needs to be able to provide a little but of everything: reliable defending, outside shooting, low-post offense, rebounding, court vision, awareness, and everything in between. We’re going to put an Indramat servo motor in as the starting small forward based on versatility alone. Indramat made a motor for practically every motion control application you can think of.
At power forward…
Boston dynamics has a slew of robots that could fight for a spot on a competitive robot basketball team, but one robot stands out. Handle would be a dominant forward. Standing 6ft. 6 in. tall and weighing in at 231 pounds, Handle combines speed, mobility, and size with a sure grip. He will have to get his warehouse shifts covered, though.
At center…
Omron built a robot named Forpheus that can cross paddles with humans in ping-pong matches. A combination of sensors and three different cameras allow Forpheus to precisely track movement, which will translate to fantastic rebounding skills. The robot also uses artificial intelligence to adjust its game based on the opponent. Since, Forpheus is already familiar with competitive sports, he would also be the team’s captain.
Considering that a majority of the starters on the robotic basketball team are not mobile, and not designed to play basketball, a team of human athletes still has the competitive edge. Robots should stick to manufacturing, packaging, and industry — at least for now.
How are your robots doing? We offer preventive maintenance and inspection, repair, remanufacturing, retrofitting, and service for Indramat industrial motion control systems. Call 479-422-0390 for immediate troubleshooting support, or for any of your Indramat motion control needs.