The Versaball robotic gripper is a robotic arm that will battle proficient beer pong players at CES 2015. The robot will ultimately take on the winner of the World Series of Beer Pong in a special 'man vs machine' face-off tomorrow.
The Versaball can pick up ping pong balls and fire them into cups with precision. It picks up balls using a suction mechanism, before blowing air into the ball to get it going.
Empire Robotics, the developers of the Versaball, say the purpose of the face-off isn't merely to amuse people. Rather, it is meant to show off the Versaball's ability to handle delicate objects with precision.
If you're unable to attend CES 2015 but fancy taking on a beer pong-playing robot, you can purchase the Versaball as a research kit directly from Empire Robotics.
What's Driving This Trend
- Robotic Grippers
- Developing robotic grippers with precision to handle delicate objects is a disruptive innovation opportunity within the robotics industry.
- Gaming Robots
- Creating gaming robots that can battle against human players is a disruptive innovation opportunity within the entertainment industry.
- Robotic Sports Tournaments
- Hosting robotic sports tournaments like the World Series of Beer Pong is a disruptive innovation opportunity within the sports industry.
Who This Affects Most
- Robotics Industry
- The development and implementation of the Versaball robotic gripper is a disruptive innovation opportunity within the robotics industry.
- Entertainment Industry
- The use of gaming robots like the Versaball is a disruptive innovation opportunity within the entertainment industry to attract and engage audiences.
- Sports Industry
- The incorporation of robotic sports tournaments like the World Series of Beer Pong is a disruptive innovation opportunity within the sports industry to offer a new type of competition.
