Just a robot playing ping-pong. NBD (Source). I prefer my robots tiny and harmless, like this little cutie. So when I saw “Wu” and “Kong,” two adult-sized robots created at China’s Zhejiang University playing ping-pong like nobody’s business, I was a little, how shall we say … terrified.
Giant robots who can hit things with precision? How could that possibly go wrong? I won’t make this a rant (or I’ll try not to) about my own personal robot fears, but I can’t help but picture “Wu” and “Kong” escaping from what I can only imagine as Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory and breaking into homes at night.
What if you woke up to these two robot escapees peering over you in your bed? I can’t be the only person frightened at the thought of two life-sized robots on the lam and wielding ping-pong paddles.
Regardless of my irrational (or rational?) fears, I can still appreciate how amazing it is that “Wu” and “Kong” can not only play each other in ping-pong, but human players too. It’s impressive technology for sure … as long as (you know I have to say it) they do not become self-aware.
You can watch Wu and Kong in action here