Intelligent robots in spotlight at Universiade

CHENGDU — With a mechanical arm tossing a ping-pong ball upward and the other arm swinging the racket, an intelligent robot skillfully hit the ball to the opponent on the other side.

This scene took place in the table tennis venue of the High-tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.

The 31st International University Sports Federation Summer World University Games will kick off in the inland city in 10 days, and the gymnasium will host table tennis competitions.

Ahead of the FISU Summer Universiade, the "training partner robot" has attracted much attention.

The robot measures about 1 meter in height and is designed specifically for serving practice. It features a pair of "mechanical hands," with one equipped with a round "palm "and the other one with a racket. It can perform precise actions like topspin, backspin, sidespin and push shots during serves.

"Compared with human beings, the robot has more precise control over the speed and spin during serving," said Li Pengfei, a trainer from a table tennis association in Chengdu, who played with the robot.

"The robot can help players improve their observation and anticipation skills for the opponent's serving actions. They can repeatedly practice a specific type of serve, making their training more targeted and effective," Li added.

In addition, the robot offers diverse training modes, ranging from entertaining levels suitable for amateurs to professional levels for athletes. The entertainment level allows casual players to enjoy a relaxed match with the robot, making the training experience enjoyable and accessible.

Apart from training robots, a medical robot model has been put into use in many venues as well. "Rongbao," as the robot is named, can deliver emergency kits, defibrillators and other medical emergency tools.

After receiving an emergency call, Rongbao will immediately rush to the location, automatically open its first aid kit and display an instructional video for using the defibrillator. It can also establish remote video connections with medical experts for professional guidance.

Beyond emergency services, Rongbao can also provide intelligent services such as guiding, broadcasting information, providing language translation, launching remote calls and engaging in consultations.

At the welcoming center of the Universiade Village, a group of adorable bipedal humanoid robots will perform welcoming dances for foreign guests.

"As the Universiade approaches, more intelligent robots will show up. I believe that the innovative high-tech applications at the Universiade will leave a lasting impression on the attendees," said Guo Ji, a member of the executive committee of the Chengdu Universiade.

Xinhua