Need a ping pong player that can play without tiring out? You're in luck. Omron Corp. unveiled its three-legged ping pong playing robot that watches its human opponent and continuously serves at the CEATEC Japan electronic trade show outside of Tokyo on Tuesday.
The Umron ping pong robot predicts the ball's path and gauges speed and trajectory to hit the ball back to its opponent. The robot misses a few hits to make it easy on humans. The robot also has five motors to control the movement of the paddle. It is programmed to volley easy serves for return by sensing the positions of the opponent's racket. It uses 3D data to calculate the ball to determine timing and force of the return.
However, the ping pong playing robot is looking for a new job. Omron created the prototype not to become the world's best player, but rather to intergrate more flexible and intelligent robots into factories.
Factory robots commonly perform repetitive, simple tasks. The ping pong robot was developed to help humans, primarily in factory jobs where they could "pick and place" different parts for assembly.
"This ping pong robot is really a demonstration of how a robot can interact with a person and react in an appropriate manner," Omron manager Takuya Tsuyuguchi says. "We envision this robot perhaps being used in a factory or production line and having a role in which it would have to interact with a worker to do or build something.
The robot was just one of the technologies showcased at Japan's largest IT and electronics exhibition. A smartphone-controlled dinosaur and a squad of synchronized robot cheerleaders were also popular technologies showcased.
Omron's planning and promotion supervisor, Masayoshi Higuchi said the company hopes that the showcase illustrates that humans and machines can positively work together.
Like the Murata Manufacturing cheerleaders, Omron has no plan on selling the Umron ping pong robot to the public.
