The Duel: Timo Boll vs. KUKA Robot

Man against machine.
The unbelievably fast KUKA robot faces off against one of the best table tennis players of all time. Who has the best technique? Who will win the first ever table tennis duel of human versus robot?
Watch this thrilling commercial of table tennis and robotics performed at the highest level. The KUKA KR AGILUS demonstrates its skills with the table tennis racket - a realistic vision of what robots can be capable of in the future.
Timo Boll, the German table tennis star, is the new brand ambassador for KUKA Robotics in China. The collaboration celebrates the inherent speed, precision, and flexibility of KUKA's industrial robots in tandem with Boll's electrifying and tactical prowess in competition. To celebrate the new KUKA Robotics factory in Shanghai, the thrilling video was a highlight of the Grand Opening on March 11th, 2014. The 20,000 sq. meter space will produce the KR QUANTEC series robot as well as the KRC4 universal controller for the Asian market. As a market leader in China, KUKA aims to further develop automation in the country while providing a modern and employee-friendly working environment.
music production: Lost in Music; composer: Matthias Neuhauser; soundmix: Robert MIller c.o. m-sound

[Toopa]

When you test every feature in your editing software.

[baconair]

I wish I could see this game like a real table tennis game. Like, from one angle, with no cuts or inserted slowmo.

[feifeidu]

Editor: so how many angles do you want?
Producer: yes

[BaltoLonewolf]

Take a shot of vodka every time the camera angle changes

[davidconnelly]

A potentially interesting video, ruined by unnecessary drama.

[dhidhi]

Can we see the raw film? 
Thank you. 

[alexharkler]

I'm getting a headache watching this. This cameraman needs to calm tf down.

[neonglowmusic]

I couldn't watch this due to the horrible editing and camera movement.

It seemed like an interesting concept, too. Oh well.

[BinkieMcFartnuggets]

In the future, robots will enslave humanity and force us to watch never ending robot vs robot table tennis matches.

[degrees]

That's like the worst editing ever, just show us proper footage. Nobody wants to see these camera changes literally every 0.5 seconds.

[bobs]

Recording is crap, stop with the slow motion & flipping of the camera... kills the video. Just let them play..

[JimTaylor]

I do not believe that this totally speeded-up, slowed-down, edited-to-death, music-saturated, made-up movie is a true record of what actually happened. Please upload the raw footage and then I may be impressed.

[bikebudha]

2014 "look, how cool is that?!"



2037 "Run for your lives!!!"

[cameronzy]

There's crazy editing because this is a kuka robot ad. You'd need very fast, very accurate vision systems to play ping pong with a robot. For the time it would take the robot to even receive an image, do the math for the correct position and swing, the ball is already going to be off the table.
I program a Fanuc R1000ia-30ib with said vision systems. It's all but 'fast'.

[kuboy]

keep calm and realize its a cool commercial folks. no more, no less.

[SaladUK]

Wow, what absolute bullshit. Heavily edited, even the ball was fake at times. Jesus Christ.

[livapininfarina]

A big "woot" to the marketeers of KUKA and a big "hug" to Timo!

[mmoussli]

Was ein tolles kraftvolles Video. Bin stolz darauf bei Kuka in Augsburg mein Praktikum gemacht zu haben, allerdings nicht beim Tennis sondern in der IT 🎾 😊👌.

[DrShaym]

That's impressive. It's amazing what you can do with computer animation these days.

[JamesEdwards]

Gotta admit that I was looking forward to an actual competition not an over produced commercial. I guess the technology is just not there yet. That day will come.