Sony's Ace Robot Reaches Human-Expert Level in Table Tennis
Sony's robot Ace used reinforcement learning and roughly 9–12 cameras to beat elite players, winning three of five April 2025 matches, researchers said.
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Overview
Sony published a Nature paper reporting that its robot Ace won three of five matches against elite players in April 2025, researchers said.
Sony said Ace achieves human expert-level play in a common competitive sport by combining reinforcement learning with high-speed robotic hardware, project lead Peter Dürr said.
Former Olympic player Kinjiro Nakamura told researchers that Ace executed a shot "no one else would have been able to do," according to the Nature paper.
Ace uses roughly 9 to 12 cameras, has eight joints for arm movement, and scored roughly 16 direct service points versus elite players' eight, Sony said.
Researchers said they continued experimenting after submitting the paper and that Ace accelerated shot speeds and defeated all but one of four high-skill players in December 2025, Sony said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Sony's Ace as a technological triumph and inevitable step toward physical AI, using celebratory language ("breakthrough," "glimpse into the future") and privileging company press-release quotes. Editorial choices—positive adjectives, selective match statistics, and absence of independent or skeptical perspectives—produce a promotional, forward-looking narrative.