Behold, the rise of the tennis-coaching robots. First there was the PongBot, followed by the Tenniix and the Acemate. Now, there's the possibly even more capable ball-shooting, performance-assessing, AI-packin' Aceii One.
Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the Aceii One folds down to a wheeled suitcase form factor when not in use. It consists of a main robotic unit, along with a detachable ball bag that sits on top – the latter can hold up to 120 tennis balls. The whole shebang is claimed to tip the scales at 25 kg (55 lb).
Utilizing two vertically aligned 1080p/60fps cameras, the Aceii One tracks its human user as they scamper around with their tennis racket on the far side of the court. Depending on how the robot is set up, it can either shoot balls to them from a stationary standpoint – like a regular ball machine – or it can move back and forth across its end of the court as if it's returning the ball in a rally.
The robot moves on two ABS differential drive wheels, using two fold-out wheeled outriggers to keep its balance. It can move at up to 3 meters (9.8 ft) per second across paved, clay and grass surfaces, utilizing an ultrasonic sensor to avoid obstacles. Balls are shot at speeds of up to 80 mph (129 km/h), at intervals of 0.5 to 15 seconds, with variable spins at heights of 42 to 52 cm (16.5 to 20.5 in).
One two-hour charge of the lithium battery should be good for two hours of runtime if the robot is moving, or eight hours if it's stationary.
Utilizing an iOS/Android app, users can set the Aceii One to numerous training modes, depending on which skills they wish to build. Sessions can be started and stopped via the app screen, or by gesture control. At the end of each session, users are provided with an assessment of their performance, which includes suggested improvements.
Assuming the Aceii One reaches production, a pledge of US$1,099 will get you one. The planned retail price is $2,099. You can see it in action, in the following video.
Sources: Kickstarter, Aceii One
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