Rock Paper Scissors

Robot Janken is called after the Japanese adaptation of the game Rock, Paper, Scissors. Usually utilized as a coin toss-like fair technique of selecting between two options, the robot is anything but fair. Janken, created by University of Tokyo academics, isn't just proficient at the game; it's also possibly the only player to consistently have a 100% victory rate.

Although Janken may appear to be an expert predictor, that is not what it is doing. It is simply responding to the opponent's gesture with the aid of high-speed cameras, but only quickly enough to give the impression that it happened instantly.

While it's obvious that Janken can't be taken seriously at a professional Rock Paper Scissors competition — as that's clearly cheating — robotics researchers continue to investigate response and reaction speed. In sectors like driverless vehicles, where response time should be as close to zero as possible, it is very relevant.