Secrets of the robot camel jockeys.

February 7, 2006 3:08 PM

How do camel riding robots work?

Why don't the camels rebel against their robot overlords? How much authority can a 90lb robot have over a 1000lb ungulate? And are the remote controllers robot experts, or retired child jockeys?

posted by roofus to pets & animals (4 comments total)

These are dumb animals trained to respond to pressure against their sides and flogs from the crop. Uncooperative camels will get selected out just like unruly cattle.
posted by letterneversent at 3:19 PM on February 7, 2006

I don't have the link, but there was a feature on this in Wired two or three months ago.
posted by lunalaguna at 3:23 PM on February 7, 2006

I doubt they would work in a non-race situation. The camel is probably conditioned with a human rider then the robot and the structured race environment and herd instinct keep it on the straight and narrow for a short time. If you used one every day I bet the camel would start to ignore it.

I'm basing that opinion on riding a lot of racehorses.
posted by fshgrl at 5:30 PM on February 7, 2006

Here's the Wired article. To answer your last question, it sounds from the article like trainers control the robots, which isn't much different from the trainers telling the kids what to do by walkie-talkie, which is what used to happen.
posted by MsMolly at 6:36 PM on February 7, 2006