Chinese robots tackle tennis, smash track records at World Humanoid Robot Games

A tennis ball flew across the net. On the other side, a humanoid robot crouched, shuffled sideways in a series of quick steps, adjusted its position and swung its racquet to send the ball back.

The robot traded forehands and backhands with human players during singles and mixed-doubles demonstrations. At one point, while chasing a ball, it lost its balance and toppled backwards, drawing gasps from the crowd. It then rolled over, pushed itself back to its feet and resumed playing.

The robot was developed by Beijing-based Galbot and took part in what the company described as the world’s first human-robot tennis match.

The demonstration took place as the second World Humanoid Robot Games opened on Saturday night at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval, the speed-skating venue used for the 2022 Winter Olympics. The five-day event brings humanoid robots together to compete in sports ranging from running and football to table tennis and combat events.

This year’s games feature 51 events and 1,301 matches involving more than 600 teams and 2,056 humanoid robots, according to the organiser. New competitions include table tennis and kickboxing, while scenario-based events have been expanded to cover tasks in industrial production, hotels, homes and logistics.

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Tennis presents a demanding challenge for humanoid robots. The tennis robot had to track an incoming ball, predict where it would land, move to the right position, and coordinate its torso and arms to return the shot, all within a matter of seconds.