Sponsored By

Geekend: Robot Vs. Human SmackdownGeekend: Robot Vs. Human Smackdown

Who would win a fistfight between a man and a robot? Take a look at the evidence, and see if you agree with our conclusion.

David Wagner

July 25, 2014

3 Min Read

to compensate as wind, air resistance, spin, and air temperature act on the flight of the ball, not to mention deal with running over uneven ground, multiple surfaces, a changing eyeline as he leaps, and the force of hitting the wall.

But there's a robot designed by the Learning Algorithms and Systems Laboratory at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne that can make all of those calculations. It can catch better than a human. And it learns to get better. Each time you throw something at it, it uses cameras to calculate the trajectory. Even objects like half-full bottles with changing centers of gravity are no problem for it, once it has time to practice.

About the Author(s)

David Wagner

Executive Editor, Community & IT Life

David has been writing on business and technology for over 10 years and was most recently Managing Editor at Enterpriseefficiency.com. Before that he was an Assistant Editor at MIT Sloan Management Review, where he covered a wide range of business topics including IT, leadership, and innovation. He has also been a freelance writer for many top consulting firms and academics in the business and technology sectors. Born in Silver Spring, Md., he grew up doodling on the back of used punch cards from the data center his father ran for over 25 years. In his spare time, he loses golf balls (and occasionally puts one in a hole), posts too often on Facebook, and teaches his two kids to take the zombie apocalypse just a little too seriously. 

Never Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.

You May Also Like