Murata Girl - robot unicyclist

Maintains balance, won't fall down

19 June 2009 17:29 GMT / By Duncan Geere

Murata Corporation, which normally makes capacitors, sensors and communication modules for circuits, has decided that the best use of its time is to build a unicycling robot.

After seeing the adorable thing, we couldn't disagree. Murata Girl is an adept balancer, and won't fall down while pootling around on one wheel. A series of "Murata Girl Facts" are provided:

She's 50cm high and weighs 5kg. Her birthday is 23 Sept, and she's a Virgo. Her favourite pastime is "Practising riding her unicycle at the park", and she's the younger cousin on the father's side of Murata's other robot - Murata Boy. Her personality is listed as "Physically active but shy".

Murata has been using Murata Boy (who employs a regular bicycle) to promote science education in schools, and says that Murata Girl represents the foundation of the company's "monozukuri".

If you're wondering, Google tells us that "monozukuri" translates to something like "having the spirit to produce excellent products and the ability to constantly improve a production system and process". How wonderfully Japanese.