Japan’s ‘Superhuman’ athletes mix legends with high tech

By HT Correspondent

Updated On May 16, 2017 12:50 pm IST

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Members of Superhuman Sports Society demonstrate ‘Rock Hand Battle’ sport in Tokyo, Japan, April 13, 2017. Japan has a rich history spanning ancient legends and sport to popular comics and video games. Now a new generation of inventors is drawing on this culture to create sports with a 21st-century twist -- helping players feel ‘superhuman” through technology or other special equipment.

Updated on May 16, 2017 12:50 pm IST

Members of Superhuman Sports Society demonstrate ‘Rock Hand Battle’ sport in Tokyo, Japan, April 13, 2017. Japan has a rich history spanning ancient legends and sport to popular comics and video games. Now a new generation of inventors is drawing on this culture to create sports with a 21st-century twist -- helping players feel ‘superhuman” through technology or other special equipment.

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Members of Superhuman Sports Society pose with ‘rock hands’ for ‘Rock Hand Battle’ sport in Tokyo, Japan. In ‘Rock Hand Battle’ each player wears an oversized arm and tries to knock off small rocks attached to an opponent's ‘rock hand’. (REUTERS)

Updated on May 16, 2017 12:50 pm IST

Members of Superhuman Sports Society pose with ‘rock hands’ for ‘Rock Hand Battle’ sport in Tokyo, Japan. In ‘Rock Hand Battle’ each player wears an oversized arm and tries to knock off small rocks attached to an opponent's ‘rock hand’. (REUTERS)

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Isao Uebayashi, 38, a sports science researcher and an inventor of ‘Slide Lift’, demonstrates with a motor-assisted wheelchair in Tokyo, Japan. Equipped with special wheels, the motor-assisted wheelchair can be moved by ‘Slide Lift’ racers in any direction, including in racing car-like drifts. E Technology can improve and supplement human ability,’ said Uebayashi. ‘ Anyone can do 'drift racing' with this wheelchair.’ (Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters)

Updated on May 16, 2017 12:50 pm IST

Isao Uebayashi, 38, a sports science researcher and an inventor of ‘Slide Lift’, demonstrates with a motor-assisted wheelchair in Tokyo, Japan. Equipped with special wheels, the motor-assisted wheelchair can be moved by ‘Slide Lift’ racers in any direction, including in racing car-like drifts. E Technology can improve and supplement human ability,’ said Uebayashi. ‘ Anyone can do 'drift racing' with this wheelchair.’ (Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters)

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Kosuke Sato, 25, a Ph.D. student in human informatics and an inventor of ‘Carry Otto’. Sato said he wanted to create a sport anyone could enjoy regardless of age, gender or disability. ‘Carry Otto’ is a motorised wheel device with reins that pull a rider seated on a dolly. Riders race each other. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters)

Updated on May 16, 2017 12:50 pm IST

Kosuke Sato, 25, a Ph.D. student in human informatics and an inventor of ‘Carry Otto’. Sato said he wanted to create a sport anyone could enjoy regardless of age, gender or disability. ‘Carry Otto’ is a motorised wheel device with reins that pull a rider seated on a dolly. Riders race each other. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters)

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Ryoichi Ando (R), 27, a virtual-reality researcher and an inventor of ‘Bubble Jumper’, competes with his opponent as they demonstrate the sport. Ando said he felt as if he were wearing the kind of augmented body suit found in science-fiction movies that boosts the wearer's strength. In ‘Bubble Jumper’, players walking on stilts and wearing inflatable bubble protectors crash into each other like sumo wrestlers. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters)

Updated on May 16, 2017 12:50 pm IST

Ryoichi Ando (R), 27, a virtual-reality researcher and an inventor of ‘Bubble Jumper’, competes with his opponent as they demonstrate the sport. Ando said he felt as if he were wearing the kind of augmented body suit found in science-fiction movies that boosts the wearer's strength. In ‘Bubble Jumper’, players walking on stilts and wearing inflatable bubble protectors crash into each other like sumo wrestlers. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters)

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Equipped with special wheels, the motor-assisted wheelchair can be moved by ‘Slide Lift’ racers in any direction, including in racing car-like drifts. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters)

Updated on May 16, 2017 12:50 pm IST

Equipped with special wheels, the motor-assisted wheelchair can be moved by ‘Slide Lift’ racers in any direction, including in racing car-like drifts. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters)

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Hirohiko Hayakawa, 26, a Ph.D. student in media design and an inventor of ‘ToriTori’, poses as he controls a drone in front of a goal net as he demonstrates the sport in Tokyo, Japan.Players controlling the small drones score a point by putting them in the goal net and opponent controlling the big drone acquires a point by capturing the small drone. Hayakawa said: ‘The drone in the air is a part of the player's body and this sport integrating human and machine makes me experience the feeling of flying.’ He said he was inspired by the bird catchers ("tori tori" in Japanese) in Kenji Miyazawa's classic 1934 fantasy novel ‘Night on the Galactic Railroad’. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters)

Updated on May 16, 2017 12:50 pm IST

Hirohiko Hayakawa, 26, a Ph.D. student in media design and an inventor of ‘ToriTori’, poses as he controls a drone in front of a goal net as he demonstrates the sport in Tokyo, Japan.Players controlling the small drones score a point by putting them in the goal net and opponent controlling the big drone acquires a point by capturing the small drone. Hayakawa said: ‘The drone in the air is a part of the player's body and this sport integrating human and machine makes me experience the feeling of flying.’ He said he was inspired by the bird catchers ("tori tori" in Japanese) in Kenji Miyazawa's classic 1934 fantasy novel ‘Night on the Galactic Railroad’. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters)

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Piyohina, an Internet idol and singer of animation songs, poses wearing a head-mount display and an armband sensor for playing ‘HADO’ in Tokyo, Japan. In ‘HADO’, players in head-mounted augmented-reality displays and armband sensors dodge waves of light as they fire energy balls at each other in a virtual arena. ‘When I play HADO, I always simulate in my head the best way to fire an energy ball,’Piyohina said. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters)

Updated on May 16, 2017 12:50 pm IST

Piyohina, an Internet idol and singer of animation songs, poses wearing a head-mount display and an armband sensor for playing ‘HADO’ in Tokyo, Japan. In ‘HADO’, players in head-mounted augmented-reality displays and armband sensors dodge waves of light as they fire energy balls at each other in a virtual arena. ‘When I play HADO, I always simulate in my head the best way to fire an energy ball,’Piyohina said. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters)

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Isao Uebayashi, 38, a sports science researcher and an inventor of ‘Slide Lift’ sport, demonstrates with a motor-assisted wheelchair in Tokyo. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters)

Updated on May 16, 2017 12:50 pm IST

Isao Uebayashi, 38, a sports science researcher and an inventor of ‘Slide Lift’ sport, demonstrates with a motor-assisted wheelchair in Tokyo. (Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters)

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Piyohina, Junpei Sasaki, Rimiko Sakihama (L-R), members of HADO team ‘Slamdiva’, pose for a photograph wearing head-mount displays and armband sensors in Tokyo, Japan. (REUTERS)

Updated on May 16, 2017 12:50 pm IST

Piyohina, Junpei Sasaki, Rimiko Sakihama (L-R), members of HADO team ‘Slamdiva’, pose for a photograph wearing head-mount displays and armband sensors in Tokyo, Japan. (REUTERS)

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