It’s annoying to play table tennis against a weaker opponent or against a way stronger one. Weaker opponents are like stealing the candy from a baby. Playing against someone a class above you feels like boxing against Mike Tyson while you’re blindfolded.
How about someone (or something) that can match your skill? Obviously, a man can’t do it. So how about a robot? With two vision sensors, a motion sensor and a well crafted AI, Forpheus can analyze ball trajectory and hit back. Over time, it also analyze your performance and provide insights on how to improve. And if that’s not enough, Forpheus will also keep track of your progress.
However, there is more to this AI table tennis coach. The philosophy behind the system is based on human-machine interaction. OMRON, the developer of Forpheus aims to create robots which will enhance human skills, instead of acting as slaves. Development is undergoing since 1970 and still has a long way to go.
For the moment, Forpheus is not available for sale. Nevertheless, the concept is plain awesome and could someday be expanded to help humans learn, work and improve in any field they want. Check out more details on OMRON website.
