“The Duel: Timo Boll vs. KUKA Robot” the Robo Ping Pong Challenge

In a table tennis showdown between robots and humans, who will win?

CADENAS PARTsolutions customer, Kuka knows a thing or two about robots, and now they can say their robots know a thing or two about ping-pong (ok table tennis if you need to be a dork about it).

Not since Terminator 2, have robots asserted their dominance over humans so successfully. Kuka, showing the versatility, speed and power of their robots set up a show down between their "gladiator" and Timo Boll, one of the top players in the world. Again, not since Terminator 2, did humans unleash such a whoppin' on a foe that could, and should, beat them easily.

Timo Boll isn't the #1 table tennis player in the world by accident. After the robot goes on a scoring run, the human sees a weakness and exploits it. Timo proves why it's still hard for a robot to beat a human when problem solving, skill and agility are involved.

From Kuka:

Timo Boll, the German table tennis star, is the new brand ambassador for KUKA Robotics in China. The collaboration celebrates the inherent speed, precision, and flexibility of KUKA's industrial robots in tandem with Boll's electrifying and tactical prowess in competition. To celebrate the new KUKA Robotics factory in Shanghai, the thrilling video was a highlight of the Grand Opening on March 11th, 2014.

The KUKA KR AGILUS demonstrates its skills with the table tennis racket – a realistic vision of what robots can be capable of in the future.

by Adam Beck