Instead of playing table tennis one-on-one with the wall, avid fans of the sport can now use robotic ping pong paddles as their opponent. Ulf Hoffmann has created a robot that uses cameras to follow the ball's direction, which makes for the perfect device to practice one's game.
The robot moves surprisingly fast too. Hoffmann has two balls on the go in the video, and the paddle hits both of them every time, changing its position from side to side and even front to back. Playing doubles with robotic ping pong paddles could be tricky considering its tough to say whether or not the device would stay on one side, but at least it makes for the perfect practice partner.
What's Driving This Trend
- Robotic Sporting Equipment
- Development of robotic versions of traditional sporting equipment provides opportunities for new levels of training and practice.
- Computer Vision in Sports
- Using computer vision to track movements in sports provides disruptive innovation opportunities for training and analysis.
- Multi-ball Robotics
- The development of robots that can handle multiple balls simultaneously offers opportunities for advanced training and practice in a variety of ball sports.
Who This Affects Most
- Sports Equipment Manufacturing
- Manufacturers of traditional sports equipment can incorporate robotic technology into their products to introduce new training and practice opportunities for athletes.
- Robotics
- Advancements in robotics technology provide opportunities for the development of robotic sporting equipment and applications in sports.
- Sporting Goods Retail
- Sporting goods retailers can introduce robotic sporting equipment to their inventory to capture new markets and provide customers with new training and practice options.
