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 a table tennis venue in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. The 31st International University Sports Federation (FISU) Summer World University Games will kick off in the city in days, and the gymnasium will host table tennis competitions. The “training partner robot” has attracted much attention. The robot 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 to 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. In addition, the robot offers diverse training modes, ranging from entertaining levels suitable for amateurs to professional levels for athletes. Apart from training robots, a medical robot model has been put into use in many venues as well. Named “Rongbao,” this robot can deliver emergency kits, defibrillators, and other medical emergency tools. At the welcoming center of the Universiade Village, a group of adorable bipedal humanoid robots will also perform welcoming dances for guests from various countries. “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, from the executive committee of the Chengdu Universiade. (Xinhua) | 