In order to get a leg up on the competition, Japan’s national volleyball team has enlisted the help of robot trainers.
Known as the “block machine,” three robot torsos each suited with a pair of hands are pre-programmed to mimic the defensive moves of Japan’s next opponent. Sliding up and down a track up to 8.3 miles per hour, human players can spike the ball against a variety of popular formations used by a rival team.
“A spike is the most effective way to win points in volleyball. The blocker’s job is to try to make part of the court unavailable to the attacker, whilst the attacker has to try to find space to hit the ball into,” says Laura Woodruff at Volleyball England.
If the attacker picks the right move, the ball will fly over the blocker’s hands and smash to the ground for a well-earned point. However, if the blocker intercepts the spike, the ball rebounds to the attacker’s side.
Japan’s national women’s volleyball team has found success using these robots as a training tool on several occasions. Specifically, six players practiced with the block machine over a period of eight days. At the end of the study, some players even noticed very little differences between playing against the machines versus the actual game.
As with any new design, there is always room for improvements. Since the robots move in pre-determined directions, coaches hope to soon equip the block machine with motion sensors in an effort to increase unpredictability. The team plans to present their work at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Singapore this May.
Watch the block machine hit the court in the video below.