The tennis player robot that is able to perfect your technique while returning all your shots.
Until now, the only robots we had seen on a tennis court were those that returned the ball at high speed, but this new creation aims to go much further.
And now a team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology have unveiled a robot player of tennis that can become a training partner or even a fearsome opponent.
The person in charge of the project Matthew Gombolay He claims that this type of robot could play a crucial role in sports and athletic training.
His creation is ESTHER (Experimental Sport Tennis Wheelchair Robot) which is inspired by the limitations of traditional stationary ball machines used for training.
It is designed to simulate human opponents and real match conditions, allowing athletes to improve their skills and performance more effectively. This robot could adapt to different playstyles and exploit opponent’s weaknesses.
It consists of two motors coupled to a gearbox that provide the agility and push necessary to cover both sides of the track, although its main challenge lies in finding routes so that the robot can anticipate the trajectory of the ball and return it. .
It consists of this technology
They employed a network of high-resolution cameras around the court, using computer vision algorithms to allow recognition of the ball.
And the multiple camera angles allow triangulation of the position of the camera. ball in space, thus predicting its trajectory and determining which blows are the right ones to return it.
The goal with this bot is to strategize shot selection, elevate your playing skills, and enhance its value as a training tool.
“This technology could be useful in manufacturing, construction, or any other field that requires a robot to interact with humans while making fast, precise movements.”, they affirm.