According to futurologist Dr. Ian Pearson, robot jockeys will be winning horse races by the year 2025. It’s fair to say that many will have to be sold on such a prediction. That being said, a prototype robot jockey has been developed and has been used in controlled simulations.
According to multiple reports, a bookmaker by the name of BetBright commissioned the project to build the ‘jockey,’ which, as it turns out, sort of looks like a cross between C3PO and the Tin Man from cinema of yesteryear.
All unconventional optics aside, the six-foot robot jockey has the ability to ‘ride’ at speeds in upwards of 30 miles per hour. The prototype, which also dons a slick riding cap, has a camera instead of a left eye and can ‘handle’ a mount as it jumps four-foot-high fences.
Constructed with lightweight steel, electronic parts and equipped with artificial intelligence, the robot jockey also has the ability to verbally communicate with its connections. Additionally, the jockey utilizes sensors between its body and the horse’s saddle to gather/process information and adjust its riding technique accordingly.
“I was genuinely impressed with what the team was able to create in just three months,” BetBright Chairman Rich Ricci has been quoted as saying. “I had expected RoboJockey to be able to ride, but I never expected it to be able to jump fences or talk to me about upcoming races. It will be fascinating to see how robotics and AI continue to evolve and the impact it will have in multiple sports.”
Whether the move is a type of a publicity stunt or not, Horse & Hound dove deeper into the story of the robot jockey and found out what special steps and training it took for the horse in question to get used to his new rider.
(With files from The Sun, The Mirror and Horse & Hound)