Google Develops Robot That Plays Table Tennis [Video]

The engineers of the US-based technology giant Google, working on artificial intelligence, have developed a robot arm called “i-S2R”. This robotic arm was trained to play table tennis and was quite successful. The robot arm managed to rally 340 times in one match.

Google engineers developed the robot arm using a training method called Sim2Real. This method involved testing the training given to artificial intelligence in a simulation environment in the real world. With this method, artificial intelligence training, which would sometimes continue for years, could be completed in a few days or even hours. This technique has enabled Google to develop a robotic arm that beats the professionals.

Kensi can even execute her strategy!

The rule to win in table tennis is good strategy. Of course, it is also important to meet the incoming ball, but if you do not tire the opponent, it will not be easy to win the match. Here, Google’s artificial intelligence can develop this strategy on its own. Moreover, it does not do this through mathematical precision.

Developing such a successful AI was not an easy task. Because the Sim2Real technique was not that good for the interaction of humans and robots. It was not easy to simulate what a human could do. Being aware of this, Google conducted a study that ranged from unsuccessful engineers in table tennis to more successful engineers. Artificial intelligence acquired and improved new information with each new competitor. At the last point, a robot that can rally 340 times has been developed.

340 rally, not a world record

We did a research for our readers who are not very interested in table tennis. When we look at the data in the Guinness Book of Records, we see that the longest table tennis rally in the world lasted 11 hours 50 minutes 36 seconds. 340 rallies in table tennis played with artificial intelligence developed by Google have a duration of 4 minutes. In other words, Google’s artificial intelligence does not have the level of development to break the record for now.

You can watch the 340 rally of Google’s artificial intelligence below: