At this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, over 180,000 visitors saw the latest and greatest gadgets from Google, Sony, Samsung and other global tech leaders. While faithful attendees have seen healthcare equipment giant OMRON's table tennis robots before, they were amazed by the latest version. The fifth generation of their AI-driven robot, dubbed Forpheus, has been redesigned from the ground up to be the perfect table tennis practice partner. While previous versions were unable to read spins or return smashes, Forpheus 5.0 has made several key modifications to overcome these weaknesses. For one, the new robot has five cameras instead of three. Another key source of data is the custom racket with green dots on the rubber, making it easier for the cameras to capture its movement. Not only can Forpheus more accurately read human players' spins, but its new articulated arm can actually impart its own rotation to the ball. As a result, passers-by were unable to get a ball by Forpheus. A most gracious winner, the robot even provides a scientific analysis of players' technique and tactfully offers helpful coaching tips. While it remains to be seen it would stack up against a professional player, the advances in this latest incarnation are remarkable. At his rate, can it be long before life-like table tennis androids are infiltrating the professional ranks?

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