Castrol-1 ~ "Free kick" machine can kick ball 206 km/h

 Engine oil company BP Castrol based in Tokyo unveiled the world's first engine-driven "free kick" machine called Castrol-1. Moriyama-san has the story on his blog NODE and Game Watch.  

 You can watch the newest videos from the press conference - where Castrol-1 showed off his kicking skills at 206 km/h - on the Game Watch site (just click the photos), but here's a slow-motion video taken a few days before at the work-shop where the machine had been under development.

 And at real time,

 So why this? Castrol BP is one of the sponsors of the FIFA World Cup 2010 and it wanted to show the world it's emphasis on "best performance" and the joy and excitement of challenging new ideas.

 The machine was developed by artist Kogoro Kurata who has a lot of experience with steel. The kicker is made by steel and carbon fiber-reinforced  plastic. The mechanism is almost the same as a normal automobile engine using differential gears. Rotating speed can be adjusted. The kick is initiated by "changing the foot from the right to the left on the break pedal" says the article. I'm not sure how this really works but it's a safety measure so that the kicker doesn't move with, say, just one push of a button. Also the artist Kurata-san says that it is soccer after all and you want to be using your feet.

 There are 2 cameras each facing the front and the ball. The machine weighing 2 tons moves around on electric motors and not the engine.  Last but not least, the engine uses "Castrol EDGE" oil.

Comments

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The kicker doesn't move with, say, just one push of a button.