Table Tennis Robot Makes Human Opponents Sweat

A revolutionary robot named Ace, developed by Sony AI, is redefining the boundaries of physical athletics. While AI (artificial intelligence) milestones like Deep Blue and AlphaGo conquered board games, Ace marks a pivotal shift into the high-speed, real-world arena of professional table tennis.

Developed in Zurich, Switzerland, under lead researcher Peter Durr, Ace utilises an eight-jointed arm and a suite of “event-based sensors” that track motion and brightness with incredible precision. Unlike humans, who have a reaction time of approximately 230 milliseconds, Ace operates with a total latency of just 20 milliseconds.

Its skills were honed through 3 000 hours of practical play in a simulated environment, allowing it to develop techniques through experience rather than pre-programmed rules.

In official competition-rule matches, the AI-powered bot initially struggled against professionals but beat three out of five elite non-professional players. However, by March 2026, the robot achieved a breakthrough by defeating three top-tier professionals, including Miyuu Kihara, ranked in the world’s top 25.

Human competitors noted that Ace’s lack of body language makes it difficult to predict, while the robot’s ability to interpret complex spin – and even hit balls that bounce off the net – surpassed expectations.

Former Olympian Kinjiro Nakamura commented that Ace’s innovative techniques are so advanced they could inspire new strategies for human athletes. As Sony continues to refine its hardware towards a humanoid form, the goal of outperforming a world champion is now firmly on track.

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