New Robots Unveiled for Tokyo 2020 Games

Mascot robots and other models will welcome athletes and spectators, provide operational support

at venues and facilitate remote participation in the Games

Tokyo, 22 July, 2019 – The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo

2020) today unveiled four new futuristic robots which will be deployed to assist spectators, athletes and

officials at competition venues and to relay sound, images and physical feedback from venues to those

watching remotely. The Tokyo 2020 Robot project aims to ensure the Tokyo 2020 Games will be the most

innovative ever, with the new robots expected to provide visiting fans and those watching remotely with an

experience they are unlikely to forget.

The robot project will help realise one of Tokyo 2020’s core visions – "Unity in Diversity" – aiming to foster

a welcoming environment for all athletes, visitors and those unable to attend venues who want to

experience the Games remotely at other locations in Japan.

The new models include attractive Tokyo 2020Mascot-type robots – Miraitowa and Someity –

developed by Toyota Motor Corporation, an industry

expert in the field of robot technology who are

providing support for the project. Tokyo 2020 Mascottype robots will welcome athletes and guests at

Games venues and other Games-related locations

with human-like movements such as shaking hands

and waving, and with a variety of facial expressions.

Cameras mounted on the robots’ foreheads will allow them to recognise when people are nearby and to

react to them. Tokyo 2020 and Toyota are additionally discussing a number of ways for the Mascot robots

to make it easier and more enjoyable for children to experience the Games.

Another model—the T-HR3 Humanoid robot— will transmit sounds and images from Games locations to

partner robots at remote locations. Tokyo 2020 is also considering to have them mirror each other’s physical

movements; this will allow those at remote locations who interact with the T-HR3 Humanoid robots to feel

as if they are physically present at Games-related locations.

A third model— the T-TR1 robot— is a virtual mobility robot developed by Toyota Research Institute in the

United States. It will be equipped with a camera atop a large, almost life-size display. By projecting an

image of a user from a remote location, the robot will help that person feel more physically present at the

robot’s location. The T-TR1 robot will give people that are physically unable to be present at Games-related

locations a chance to virtually attend, with an on-screen facility allowing conversations between the two

locations.

Completing the robot line-up will be the Field Support Robot (FSR), which will be equipped with automatic

driving functionality that will allow it to assist at throwing events at the Olympic Stadium. The robots will

determine the optimal path to follow when retrieving items such as hammers or javelins thrown by athletes,

guiding staff along paths that avoid obstacles. It will help reduce the amount of time needed to retrieve

items as well as reduce the amount of human support required at events. Tokyo 2020 and Toyota will be

working with the International Association of Athletics Federations in developing the FSR for the Tokyo

2020 Games.

Other new robots being deployed as part of the Tokyo 2020 Robot Project will be announced in due course.

T-HR3 Humanoid robot T-TR1 robot Field Support robot

You can find additional details of the Tokyo 2020 Robot Project and the robots themselves from our website

at https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/vision/innovation/

Note: some aspects of these robots’ designs may be changed

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only