This page may contain stale information. Last updated: 2026-04-22
Overview
Ace is a table tennis robot developed by sony AI that achieved human expert-level performance, marking the first time an autonomous robot accomplished this in a competitive high-speed physical activity.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Degrees of Freedom | 8 (robotic arm) |
| Ball Tracking | 9 high-speed cameras |
| Control Policy Rate | 31.25 Hz (32ms cycles) |
| Serve Return Rate | 75% against professionals |
| Learning Method | Model-free reinforcement learning |
Achievements
- December 2025: Defeated professional Japanese league players Minami Ando and Kakeru Sone
- April 2026: Published in Nature journal (peer-reviewed research)
- First: Autonomous robot achieving expert-level in competitive sport
Significance
Ace demonstrates that AI can learn complex physical skills through model-free reinforcement learning without explicit programming. The 75% serve return rate against professional players represents superhuman performance in reaction time and coordination.
Future Applications
- Manufacturing robotics
- Service robotics
- Any domain requiring real-time physical interaction