Ace the Ping-Pong Robot Takes on Human Champions—and Wins

Ace, a table tennis robot developed by Sony AI, has achieved a milestone by defeating human players in official matches. In a study published in Nature, Ace demonstrated its ability to track ball trajectories, adjust racket angles, and return shots in real time, winning three out of five games against skilled opponents. This success marks a significant step in robotics, as table tennis is considered one of the most technically demanding sports for machines.