In a research article published this Thursday, Sony presented a robot that could challenge the Lebrun brothers in table tennis.
What if the next opponent of the Lebrun brothers were a robot? In a research article published this Thursday in the journal Nature and reported by AFP, Sony presented a robot that it claims is ready to compete in table tennis against professional players, like the two French players. The artificial intelligence unit of the Japanese group has completed the development of a robotic arm that operates using AI technology. With a table tennis racket, it is capable of responding with “the speed and spin effects of high-level table tennis” to shots seen in professional ping pong matches.
The size of this robot, named “Ace”, is almost the same as a ping pong table. Sony AI also specifies that this robot was designed to make very quick decisions. This allows it to be particularly precise and powerful when executing table tennis-related movements.
Professional players defeated
The company states that initially, it won three out of five matches against an “elite” group of players. After further adjustments, “Ace” managed to beat professional players, thanks to better ball speed, placement, and a faster pace of play, according to the brand. This was something it had not achieved in a first attempt, even though the duels were “competitive,” as stated by Sony AI.
In comments reported by AFP, the company also added: “By solving a problem that requires exceptional real-time detection and control, this research lays the foundation for AI systems capable of operating safely and reliably in dynamic physical environments, ranging from critical security contexts to real-time interactive domains.”
