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ROUND UP
CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION
Ping-pong tech
Omron Corporation has developed the technology that can play
ping-pong with the human being.The spider-like robot, can predict
the ball’s path from its human opponents, with a few misses which
here and there which makes it a thorough ping-pong player. Om-
ron’s three legged robot has been armed with five motors to control
paddle movement, it is also programmed to serve the ball in a way
that makes it easy for the player to return. Recently, in October
2014, Omron Corporation’s ping-pong robot was awarded with the
Grand Prix in the Innovation Awards, as selected by United States
(US) Journalists at the CEATEC. CEATEC Japan (Combined Exhibi-
tion of AdvancedTechnologies) is the biggest exhibit of the latest lT
and electronic technologies in all of Asia. "This ping-pong robot is
a really a demonstration of how a robot can interact with a person
and react in an appropriate manner," says Takuya Tsuyuguchi, an
Omron manager in Japan. "We envision this robot perhaps being
used in a factory or production line - interacting with a worker to do
or build something.This would involve the robot understanding the
needs of its human counterpart and behaving appropriately."Victor
Marques, general manager of Omron South Africa adds to this by
indicating that as leaders in automation and industrial machinery,
Omron
is developing the core technology for the next generation
of robotics. “The ping-pong robot was a thought experiment; our
endeavours are to develop robots that can perform a variety of tasks
in a changing environment.”
Enquiries: Michelle le Roux.Tel. 011 5792600 or