We've all had teachers with a stiff, robotic delivery. A new Shanghai professor, however, takes this to the extreme. Meet Pongbot M-ONE, a new faculty member at the Shanghai University of Sport. Working at the university's renowned China Table Tennis College, Pongbot offers not only endless multi-ball practice, but also, like any good teacher, some constructive criticism. Developed by Chinese robotics giant SIASUN, Pongbot differs from traditional table tennis robots in that it uses mechanical "arms" to deliver the ball. One such arm tosses the ball, and the other strikes it with an actual paddle, imparting either backspin or topspin. (It must be noted that Pongbot neither tosses the ball 6 inches vertically, nor clears its free arm from the receiver's view of the serving motion. Both infractions are flagrant violations of international law. In its defense, however, Pongbot can justifiably claim that such behavior realistically simulates the services players routinely face in competition.) While Pongbot is programmable, capable of delivering customized spin, speed and placement, its overarching goal is to help students improve. Toward this end, the mechanical maestro employs Artificial Intelligence (AI) to convert data into individualized instruction. According to SIASUN, Pongbot's ability to learn makes it the best teacher. "It is to use the powerful learning ability of robots, adapting to different ways of hitting, and then train students in different ways to achieve the purpose of teaching each other, and promote the improvement of students' table tennis skills," reads the company's website. "We are what we repeatedly do," wrote Will Durant in 1926, summarizing Aristotle. "Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Already supported by world-class coaches and practice partners, students at the Shanghai University of Sport now have a straight-shooting coach and tireless practice partner to refine their excellent habits. Thus, in all senses, the Pongbot M-ONE aims to serve. (Now if it could just teach by example how to serve legally...)

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