Skip to main content

Omron’s ping-pong robot is showing signs of improvement

【CEATEC2016速報】オムロンの卓球ロボットはこんな感じ[OMRON ping pong robot]
Japanese electronics firm Omron says that in the beginning, its ping-pong-playing robot “could not even return a ping-pong ball,” which suggests its engineers were getting ahead of themselves when they described it as a “ping-pong-playing robot.”

On its website, the company clearly isn’t afraid to tell us just how bad the robot really was, explaining how the machine “kept missing the ball … it couldn’t even return the ball to the opponent.”

Recommended Videos

Evidently a tenacious bunch, Omron’s robotics engineers persevered, determined to create something that would at least go some way to justifying all the hours they were giving the project.omron-ping-pong

Please enable Javascript to view this content

So at last, there’s some good news to share. This week, several years after a team member batted the first ball toward their (then) hopeless machine, Omron has unveiled a third version – and it’s ready to play.

Clearly an improvement on the original (what wouldn’t be?), and somewhat slicker than its predecessor, the latest design, which was shown off at this week’s CEATEC tech trade show in Tokyo, can actually keep the ball going with a human player.

While the robot’s opponent in the video (above) is admittedly no wizard with the bat, Omron’s machine, whose design suggests it’ll be best avoided by arachnophobes, looks nimble enough and makes few mistakes during the rallies.

To ensure it can make an accurate shot, the sensor-equipped bot analyzes not only the position of the ball, but also the opponent’s standing location and the precise position of their bat. Its computers then make a lightning-quick judgment about the likely trajectory and speed of the ball, allowing it to position its bat as the ball approaches before hitting it with the appropriate force back toward the human player.

While there’s still room for improvement, it beats the mess that this ping-pong “Trainerbot” makes during a practice session, and could probably handle this much smaller machine without too much difficulty.

And the motivation behind Omron’s efforts? Apparently it’s to develop the company’s sensor and control technology, which it says could one day help pave the way to “an enriched society marked by optimal harmonization of people and machines.” And really good ping-pong-playing robots.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Hyundai Ioniq 5 sets world record for greatest altitude change
hyundai ioniq 5 world record altitude change mk02 detail kv

When the Guinness World Records (GWR) book was launched in 1955, the idea was to compile facts and figures that could finally settle often endless arguments in the U.K.’s many pubs.

It quickly evolved into a yearly compilation of world records, big and small, including last year's largest grilled cheese sandwich in the world.

Read more
Global EV sales expected to rise 30% in 2025, S&P Global says
ev sales up 30 percent 2025 byd sealion 7 1stbanner l

While trade wars, tariffs, and wavering subsidies are very much in the cards for the auto industry in 2025, global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are still expected to rise substantially next year, according to S&P Global Mobility.

"2025 is shaping up to be ultra-challenging for the auto industry, as key regional demand factors limit demand potential and the new U.S. administration adds fresh uncertainty from day one," says Colin Couchman, executive director of global light vehicle forecasting for S&P Global Mobility.

Read more
Faraday Future could unveil lowest-priced EV yet at CES 2025
Faraday Future FF 91

Given existing tariffs and what’s in store from the Trump administration, you’d be forgiven for thinking the global race toward lower electric vehicle (EV) prices will not reach U.S. shores in 2025.

After all, Chinese manufacturers, who sell the least expensive EVs globally, have shelved plans to enter the U.S. market after 100% tariffs were imposed on China-made EVs in September.

Read more