Video: Flossie the robot can 'ride' a motorcycle, remains oblivious to good oral hygiene
![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/sL6K.pvInqL64vrAroIU6Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTcxMQ--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/mdaqHnOtxlHE1Wpb1cg5wA--~B/aD00MTU7dz01NjA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/07/castrol-flossie-robot-test-rider-motorcycle-560x415.jpg)
The best and worst part about robots is the fact that they can be purpose-built to perform any task at hand. Oh sure, they can be built to kill, or they can built to test motorcycles without risk to our feeble (yet tasty) meat-sacks. Introducing Flossie, the Castrol-developed test rider that's threading a Fireblade between its "legs" in the shot above. The robot features a self-learning mode that enables it to get a feel (throttle response, clutch drag, gear shifting patterns, etc.) for any stationary bike upon which it's perched -- right, stationary... he's no Murata Boy. Still, as the ultimate precision rider that never tires, Flossie allows Castrol to evaluate its lubricants as effectively as possible. See it in action after the break.
[Via Faster and Faster, thanks Jensen]