Guinness World Record™-holding AI basketball robot CUE has undergone major evolution. The development team aimed to create something that would make people say, "Japan still has Toyota." This week's Toyota Times News covers their tremendous efforts.
On April 12, 2026, a new teammate made its debut at an Alvark Tokyo home game at Toyota Arena Tokyo.
It was CUE7, the newest generation of Toyota’s AI basketball robot, CUE.
Volunteers from the Toyota Engineering Society started the CUE project in 2017 with the goal of developing AI from scratch.
In 2019, it succeeded in making 2,020 free throws in a row, earning a Guinness World Record™ for most consecutive free throws by a humanoid robot (assisted).
In 2024, it attempted to make the longest shot by a humanoid robot and achieved a distance of over 24.5 meters, earning a second Guinness World Record™.
Now, with CUE7, the development team is calling it a “full model change.” In addition to shooting baskets, they taught it to move around the court and dribble the ball with smooth, human-like movements.
Toyota Times featured CUE7’s debut, which was met with thunderous applause, along with the behind-the-scenes story leading up to it. The technology used to develop CUE7 may help shape the future.
“I think we can build something that will make people say, ‘Japan still has Toyota.’” Toyota Times News delved into the determination and struggles behind these words shared by the development team.