Toyota CUE Timeline

Toyota revealed CUE7, the seventh generation of the basketball robot. Weight dropped from ~120 kg on CUE6 to 74 kg, and the fixed shooting stance was replaced by an inverted two-wheel balancing base. The control stack combines reinforcement learning with model predictive control, allowing dynamic shooting motion instead of static aim-and-release.

CUE6 sank a shot from 24.55 m at a court in Nagakute, Aichi, to claim the Guinness World Record for the farthest basketball shot by a humanoid robot. For the attempt, Toyota re-engineered the right arm for extra strength and integrated around 350 wires to support the long-distance throwing motion. Foot-mounted cameras helped the robot track ball position.

Toyota published detailed coverage of the CUE6 long-shot preparation, including hand modifications, foot camera additions, and how the team used AI to learn from missed attempts and adjust aim, posture and arm position in real time. The target for the attempt was 24.5 m — roughly the full length of a FIBA regulation court.

The sixth generation of CUE was first shown publicly during the half-time of an Alvark Tokyo vs. Shiga Lakes B.League game. CUE6 participated in the Skills Challenge, setting up its later Guinness attempt. The unit was larger and heavier than earlier generations, reflecting the shift toward long-range shooting.

CUE5 introduced dribbling to the platform for the first time and featured internal battery space to support untethered operation. The robot appeared at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021), performing during the basketball match between the USA and France. This was CUE's largest international broadcast audience to that point.

CUE participated in the three-point shootout at the B.League All-Star Game, pitting the robot against professional players in a scoring contest. The appearance underlined CUE's ongoing formal relationship with Japan's top basketball league.

The fourth-generation CUE was formally transferred to B.League club Alvark Tokyo as a shooting guard wearing jersey number 94. CUE4 was also the first generation able to move around the court (on skate-like wheels) and to grasp and shoot autonomously, rather than being fed the ball.

CUE3 made 2,020 free throws in a row over 6 hours 35 minutes, earning the Guinness World Record for the most consecutive basketball free throws (assisted) by a humanoid robot. CUE3 was also the first generation able to stand on its own.

CUE2 added increased motor power compared with the first prototype and could stand independently. Development was still carried out in volunteer time by the Toyota Engineering Society group, outside any formal product programme.

The first full prototype, CUE1, reached a practical free-throw hit rate of roughly 9-of-10 in internal testing. It was built on a simple tethered frame and could not move or stand independently.

Nine Toyota employees — none with prior robotics experience — began the CUE project inside the Toyota Engineering Society as a volunteer side-activity. The team later cited a reference in the manga Slam Dunk to 20,000 practice shots as their motivating anchor. The stated goal was simple: build a robot that could shoot free throws reliably.