Murata: Robot Unicyclist’s First Visit to Europe

HOOFDDORP, Netherlands, June 19 /PRNewswire/ — Unicycling robot MURATA
GIRL will visit Europe for the very first time from her home in Japan to
perform at the ARS Electronica Centre in Linz, Austria from June 20. She will
perform alongside her cousin, cycling robot MURATA BOY, at demonstrations at
the ARS Electronica Centre and in Linz’s main square. MURATA BOY will also
accompany young cyclists around an obstacle course on the ARS Electronica
Centre’s main deck.

MURATA GIRL is a unicycle specialist whose ultrasound sensors enable her
to keep a fixed distance away moving objects. She has a gyro sensor and a
flywheel in her chest which help her to keep her balance. She can ride
forwards and backwards as she has ultrasound sensors in the front of her
body. She is very shy and has been known to blush!

MURATA GIRL’s cousin, MURATA BOY, is a cycling robot, capable of riding
his bike along a 2cm-wide balance beam and can even nimbly negotiate tight
S-curves. MURATA BOY also has sophisticated gyro sensors and a flywheel in
his chest to help him balance. Like MURATA GIRL, his batteries are carried in
his backpack. MURATA BOY can be controlled via a remote control with advanced
motion sensing technology. He has the same ultrasound sensors as MURATA GIRL
and he can avoid crashing!

Both MURATA GIRL and MURATA BOY have been developed by Murata to
illustrate Murata’s electronics expertise and the robots are regularly
demonstrated to Japanese schoolchildren to try to get them interested in
pursuing careers in technology.

18 photos of Murata Girl and Murata Boy, cycling robots, can be found at:
http://bit.ly/xlzE0 5 short video clips of Murata Girl, unicycling robot, can
be found at: http://bit.ly/lsxhU More videos on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYzkeSky37k

For the full demonstration timetable, please visit:
http://www.aec.at/news_en.php?iNewsID=1179

    About Murata
    For more information on Murata, please visit: http://www.murata.eu

    Company contact:
    Jonathan Kosters, Murata Electronics (UK) Ltd
    Tel: +31-23-56-98-455
    E-mail: jkosters@murata.nl
    Web: http://www.murata.eu

    Agency contact:
    Sally Ward-Foxton, Publitek Limited,
    Tel: +44(0)1225-470000
    E-mail: sally.ward-foxton@publitek.com
    Web: http://www.publitek.com

SOURCE Murata Electronics (UK) Ltd