Humanoid robot HITTER plays table tennis with human-like speed

UC Berkeley has developed a humanoid robot named HITTER that can play table tennis with human-like speed and agility. Demonstrated in a video, HITTER successfully engaged in rallies exceeding 100 shots against human opponents, using its left hand for balance and executing precise, fluid movements. The robot’s performance relies on a dual-system design: a high-level planner that tracks and predicts the ball’s trajectory using external cameras, and a low-level controller that converts these calculations into coordinated arm and leg motions. Trained on human motion data, HITTER can move naturally, reacting to balls traveling up to 5 m/s in under a second. The development team combined model-based planning with reinforcement learning to overcome the challenges of split-second decision-making and unpredictable shots inherent in table tennis. This hybrid approach enabled HITTER to fine-tune its movements through trial and error, resulting in lifelike swings and footwork. Tested on a general-purpose humanoid platform (likely the Unitree G1), HITTER demonstrated its