Toyota’s CUE6 just set a record for the farthest basketball longshot.
Guiness World Records released the footage of the humanoid sinking a basketball from 24.5 meters (80 feet 60 inches), the farthest shot ever recorded by a humanoid robot. The CUE6 is the latest in Toyota’s CUE series of humanoids developed by the Japanese automaker’s Frontier Research team.
The CUE robots were initially conceived in 2017 as a platform for exploring state-of-the-art robotics and artificial intelligence. The project manifested into CUE3, which in 2019 set a Guiness World Record for the most consecutive basketball free throws by a humanoid robot with 2,020 consecutive shots. CUE3 also demonstrated long-range shooting from the center circle at about 12 meters (39 feet).
CUE6 is engineered to replicate precise movements required for complex human tasks like shooting hoops.
It uses machine learning to calculate optimal angles, force, and trajectory for each shot. It can adjust its technique in real-time, learning from previous attempts just like a human athlete. The robot’s high-precision sensors analyze variables like distance, and environmental factors to finely tune each shot.
Advanced actuators deliver smooth, humanlike motions. Its robotic arm incorporates mechanical muscles that mimic the complex, fluid motions.
While robots are not yet a threat to humans on the court, CUE6’s achievement narrows the gap. Its 24.55-meter shot more than doubles the distance of CUE3’s previous longshot.
The human record for longest basketball longshot is held by Joshua Walker, a Louisiana basketball coach who made a shot from 34.6 meters in 2022.
The human record for longest basketball longshot is held by Joshua Walker, a Louisiana basketball coach who made a shot from 34.6 meters (113.5 feet) in 2022. The NBA’s longest successful shot was made by Baron Davis, who launched a 27.4 (89-foot) shot playing for the Charloette Hornets against the Milwaukee Bucks, in 2001.
The CUE series is part of Toyota’s broader initiative exploring future technologies to redefine mobility and robotics. The team’s work extends beyond humanoids and into areas like autonomous vehicles, AI-assisted healthcare, and industrial automation.
Toyota is also partnering with Boston Dynamics, gaining access to its world-famous humanoid robot, Atlas, to advance AI robotics. The research is being done through Toyota Research Institute (TRI), which can be seen as the American counterpart to the Japan-based Frontier Research group.