Chinese androids wear tracksuits, play sports, but not at the same time (video)

[![Chinese androids wear clothes and play ping-pong, but not at the same time video][1] ][2]

When we last caught up with the Beijing Institute's [family of bots][3], their abilities extended to slow (but pretty) tai chi moves. Returning three years later, we see that they're coming along nicely: BHR-4 is still going through the old graceful routines, but now he's wearing a human face and fetching sportswear to look like one of his creators. The 140-pound android beats certain [Japanese alternatives][4] by having both a fully-actuated body _and_ a face that can mimic emotions, like surprise and fear when someone tries to give it a decent hair cut. Meanwhile, brother BHR-5 doesn't bother with appearances, but instead has graduated to playing ping-pong in the hope of one day taking on rivals from [Zhejiang University][5]. He uses high-speed image processing and 32 degrees of freedom to pull off rallies of up to 200 shots, and he'll do his utmost to impress you in the video after the break.

[Image and video credit: CCTV-4]

[Continue reading _Chinese androids wear tracksuits, play sports, but not at the same time (video)_][2]

[Chinese androids wear tracksuits, play sports, but not at the same time (video)][2] originally appeared on [Engadget][6] on Mon, 09 Jul 2012 04:37:00 EDT. Please see our [terms for use of feeds][7].

######

[Permalink][8] ![][9][Plastipals][10] | ![source][11][KTSF][12] | [Email this][13] | [Comments][14]

[1]: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/07/chinese-android2.jpg
[2]: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/09/chinese-androids-ping-pong/
[3]: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/21/jingjing-and-puipui-bots-followup-on-the-bhr-tai-chi-bots-give/
[4]: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/02/hiroshi-ishiguro-creates-his-creepiest-robot-yet-the-telenoid-r/
[5]: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/13/chinese-researchers-create-ping-pong-playing-robots-trash-talk/
[6]: http://www.engadget.com
[7]: http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/
[8]: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/09/chinese-androids-ping-pong/ (Permanent link to this entry)
[9]: http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/post_label_VIA.gif
[10]: http://www.plasticpals.com/?p=32854
[11]: http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/post_label_source.gif
[12]: http://www.ktsf.com/china-creates-smart-robot-that-can-play-pingpong/
[13]: http://www.engadget.com/forward/20273900/ (Send this entry to a friend via email)
[14]: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/09/chinese-androids-ping-pong/#comments (View reader comments on this entry)

URL: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/09/chinese-androids-ping-pong/