Ping pong robot takes on Olympian at Tokyo tech fair

Chiba : A ping-pong-playing robot served up a hit at a top Tokyo tech fair Monday, while a barely-moving machine in the shape of a sloth aimed to provide a relaxing change of pace.

The alien-looking table-tennis star, named FORPHEUS, had a tough opponent, in the shape of Japan's first-ever Olympic singles medal-winner in a man-versus-machine clash.

Technicians have worked on FORPHEUS's robotics and artificial intelligence technology and had hoped it would be able to return a smash from the Olympian, Jun Mizutani.

"This machine now has the ability to react to a smash by observing the other player's movement," said Masayuki Koizumi in charge of sensing technology research at Omron, the robot's creator.

"We hope people with advanced ping pong skills will play with the machine," he said.

But Mizutani appeared to have little reason to hang up his bat yet, as the robot failed to retrieve his attacking shot.

"One day it might hit back," Mizutani, 28, said after the match.

Omron also showcased a new censor that can detect whether a driver is concentrating or dozing off in a self-driving car. 

The company aims to commercialise its technology by 2020, it said at the Cutting-Edge IT & Electronics Comprehensive Exhibition (CEATEC) near Tokyo.