The 2017 Tokyo Motor Show gave us hints and promises with a look at the future of transportation. Yamaha was there with a slew of electric and self-driving concepts, including the "Motodroid" self-riding motorcycle. The anime-inspired, bleeding-edge design features AI that controls the bike and interacts with the ride as well.

“Motoroid” is a proof-of-concept experimental electric motorcycle aimed at new forms of personal mobility in which the rider resonates harmoniously with the machine. In order to create new experiences based on Yamaha's exclusive development ideal of Jin-Ki-Kanno, MOTOROiD was developed under the concept of an “Unleashed Prototype.”

The bike is equipped with high-precision balance control via artificial intelligence and autonomous technology, and it can sense its own state and adjust its center of gravity accordingly to stand up off its kickstand and remain upright unassisted. It can also recognize its owner and move forward to meet him/her, as well as react based on its rider's actions thanks to its human-machine interface (HMI). These, among several other functions, allow MOTOROiD to behave like a true partner of its owner.