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China: Humanoid Robot Plays Tennis and Impresses (VIDEO)

Published January 9, 2026, 08:14
China: Humanoid Robot Plays Tennis and Impresses (VIDEO)

The Walker S2 humanoid robot from Chinese robotics company UBTech has surpassed pre-defined demonstrations in a laboratory setting, proving its ability to hit a moving tennis ball with speed and accuracy in real-world conditions. Although it may seem simple, tennis is one of the most demanding tests for a humanoid robot, as it requires a perfect combination of perception, trajectory prediction, balance, and rapid movement. The robot must quickly identify the ball, calculate its path, position its body correctly, stabilize its legs, and execute the hit at the right moment, without any pause for readjustment. The most difficult moment is the contact with the ball, notes Interesting Engineering. The hits cause small vibrations, which can easily destabilize a robot. Many humanoids struggle to absorb such vibrations. The performance of the Walker S2 shows that the whole-body control system adapts dynamically in real time, rather than reproducing programmed movements, constantly correcting small deviations that change with each hit of the ball.