A robot developed by Sony AI has defeated elite table tennis players in a notable step for robotics in competitive sports. The system, called Ace, won three out of five matches against elite opponents but lost both matches against professional players, winning only one game across those contests, The Guardian reported.
Ace operates using an eight-jointed robotic arm mounted on a movable base and relies on multiple cameras positioned around the court. By analyzing visual data, including the ball’s logo, the system estimates spin and trajectory within milliseconds.
The results, conducted under official competition rules, highlight progress in a field where table tennis has long been considered a demanding test due to the speed, precision and adaptability the sport requires. For example, Ace demonstrated the ability to handle spin and respond to unpredictable shots, such as balls that clip the net.
Even though independent experts described the project as a significant technical achievement, they noted that broader challenges in robotics — such as object manipulation — remain unresolved.
Last week, a humanoid robot completed a half-marathon in Beijing faster than the current human world record, highlighting recent advances in China’s robotics technology.
