I don't think I care about human vs robot play. It seems pointless when machines have ultra high speed reaction and perfect play.
.. but.. I would like to see robot vs robot ping pong competitions. I feel like at a certain level, you'd have to watch it from behind a protective barrier.
58
KaiAusBerlinMay 10, 2026
+10
Also a robot specialized on a certain sport is obviously good at it.
Try to let the same robot compete in monopoly and we will see who's superior ;)
10
SeminarSoulMay 10, 2026
+4
yes but the interesting thing here is it actually adapted in real time. It wasn't just pre-programmed moves
4
KaiAusBerlinMay 10, 2026
+3
Well, it wasn't out if nothing.
3
Dry_Departure_7813May 12, 2026
+1
Bet I'd smoke it in the 100 meters too
1
TinglingLingererMay 10, 2026
+6
I'd bet folks would just have to wear protective glasses.
A ping pong ball weighs 2.7 grams (.0027kg)
Force required to break a human ulna is ~4,000 Newton's.
F = m * a
4000 = .0027 * a
a = ~ 1,481,481.481m/s^2
To have an acceleration of ~1.5million m/s^2, assuming the ping pong ball hits the flat of your arm, nearest to the bone, for maximum damage, would have to have an impact of ~.001 second.
v = a * t
v = 1481.481 m/s (~3300 miles / hour)
The ball would have to break the speed of sound a couple times over to have any sort of lasting damage to an extremity.
6
Ill_General_6608May 10, 2026
+6
Counterpoint, the paddle ways considerably more and I can imagine a world where a slippery robot hand lets one slip during a 200kph swing.
or just, like, a whole arm swinging off
6
IppzzMay 10, 2026
+3
I'm with you on that. Actually, I would much prefer if the robots had certain constraints that would help humans improve. A bit like what happened in chess or Go. Yes they could calculate all the moves if given the time and ressources but that's exactly the constraints they got and we're still able to find their ways.
3
ghostwaterdrossMay 10, 2026
+2
> Ace is equipped with an eight-jointed arm and uses multiple cameras positioned around the table to track the ball's high-speed movement
They kinda went in the other direction. The advantages are so stacked you can't really call this a competition.
2
Bitter_Nail8577May 10, 2026
+1
Pretty much like comparing how good and fast two cars are, great for amusement and for business
1
lorkanoooMay 10, 2026
+1
Definitely doesn't matter yeah, I mean just look at chess. Very popular despite humans no longer winning with computers. People just find watching computers play really boring, doesn't matter if they are better
1
Nicholas-SteelMay 10, 2026
+17
Looks and moves nothing like a human player, which these pro athletes train against so no surprise.
17
jackcatalystMay 10, 2026
+24
A wall could beat elite table tennis players
24
tarosan_skMay 10, 2026
+11
That is the best kind of true.
11
nicuramarMay 12, 2026
+1
The false kind.
1
tarosan_skMay 12, 2026
+2
Wall doesn’t get tired. Wall doesn’t get hungry. Wall doesn’t need a piss. You can’t beat a wall forever.
2
nicuramarMay 12, 2026
No, because if the ball bounces twice, the wall loses. This would be trivial.
0
YoghurtOverall8062May 10, 2026
+24
"A.I." is doing some very heavy lifting here. Not to discredit the tech behind it (I guess?) But its not like its f****** sentiently playing ping pong, its just programmed to track and hit a ball.
24
Waste_Jello9947May 10, 2026
+10
"Bulldozer beats man at weightlifting."
10
XeiomMay 10, 2026
+6
I know this isn't how it works but every time I read a headline about a robot doing some silly sport I always imagine it as a tradeoff against something more impressive.
"Ok so and with that we'll commence development on our cancer curing table tennis playing robot!"
"Hmm, this timeline looks a little tight, we're going to have to cut one of the features"
"Ok, reading you loud and clear!"
6
pablo_in_bloodMay 10, 2026
+6
Who cares. Of course robots will win sports if they’re built to win sports. They already cracked chess and all that.
6
valadianMay 10, 2026
+3
It's just a robot. there is no "AI". just math. inverse kinematics, and low latency ball tracking and projection. "move paddle where ball going"
3
AmstervinceMay 10, 2026
+1
That shouldnt work against elite players though. They can give it so much spin moving the paddel to block isnt enough
1
valadianMay 11, 2026
+1
yes, you can predict ball spin by tracking player arm movement. this isn't that complicated. It definitely isn't "AI". there is no high level thinking/problem solving involved.
1
SeamnstrMay 10, 2026
+1
It's similar to an AI opponent in video games where all it does is apply some maximizing function and pick the move. If it's deciding which direction to move in, how fast, what angle etc, it's AI.
1
faximusyMay 10, 2026
+1
It is based on controllers and precomputed mathematical functions built with the help of Laplace transforms.
1
Hot-Employ-3399May 10, 2026
Yeah but it's not a video game. When ai is in video game it's ai but do the same irl and it's not ai because I'm stupid and suddenly demand sentience. Makes sense /s
0
Ashamed-Date-7747May 10, 2026
+2
So?
2
HodrMay 10, 2026
+1
Suspiscious
1
BountyMakesMeCoughMay 10, 2026
+1
No legs!
1
Perfekt_FlawMay 10, 2026
+1
I’ll be impressed when it’s a humanoid robot doing it.
1
splitfinityMay 11, 2026
+1
Looks like they are being restricted on how hard they can play. This robot isn’t beating elite players playing at elite levels
1
cyberianscribeMay 10, 2026
-3
The knowledge gained here might serve as a solid basis which can be extended to develop a robot that can swing a sword or knife (instead of a paddle) or possibly a bare hand (which can be used for grappling, striking, blocking etc). And, a robot could have multiple limbs with the same capabilities.
-3
YoghurtOverall8062May 10, 2026
+2
Dont go giving them any ideas
2
AhelexMay 10, 2026
+2
Nah, all we need is a Jedi Master to solve that problem.
2
cyberianscribeMay 10, 2026
What about turning it into a Teppanyaki or Sushi chef?
Alternatively, a scaled down version could be used for vermin control - Why should cats have all the fun?
40 Comments