Robot Beats Professional Ping Pong Players

A new artificial intelligence robot, named Ace and manufactured by Sony, has managed to defeat professional ping pong players. The related study was published in the journal Nature.

The robot features an advanced robotic arm and nine cameras that track the ball's trajectory, analyzing its spin. Its training was based on reinforcement learning.

For the tests, Sony built an Olympic-sized ping pong table at its headquarters in Tokyo. Professional players were impressed by Ace's capabilities.

According to Sony, this is the first time a robot has achieved an elite level in a common sport in the physical world, a milestone for artificial intelligence and robotics.

Ace has eight joints, allowing it to perform complex movements. Sony AI President Michael Spranger emphasized that speed and adaptability to unpredictable environments are key challenges in robotics.

Ace competed against Japanese professionals, including Minami Ando and Kakeru Sone. Former Olympian Kinjiro Nakamura commented that one of the robot's hits was "impossible for a human".