A robot is beating human pros at table tennis. Its maker calls it a milestone for machines
A table tennis robot built by Sony maneuvers to hit the ball back to its human opponent, Akito Saeki, during a match in Tokyo, Dec. 2025. (Sony AI via AP)
A paddle-wielding robot is so adept at playing table tennis that it is posing a tough challenge to elite human players and sometimes defeating them, according to a new study that shows how advances in artificial intelligence are making robots more agile.
Japanese electronics giant Sony built the robotic arm it calls Ace and pitted it against professional athletes. Ace proved a worthy adversary, though one with some non-human attributes: nine camera eyes positioned around the court and an uncanny ability to follow the ball's logo to measure its spin.
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