Acemate
Technology is reshaping a wide range of professions, and tennis coaching appears to be among its latest targets. The Acemate S10 goes beyond traditional ball machines by both launching and returning shots for a more realistic rally experience.
The S10 uses dual 4K cameras for human-like depth perception and AI tracking for precise 3D ball analysis. It moves on Mecanum wheels with rubber treads and a built-in net, allowing smooth court movement and rallies without wearables or complex setup.
Autonomous Tennis Partner for Continuous Rallies
Designed as an autonomous tennis partner, the Acemate S10 aims to replicate the experience of playing against a human opponent. It moves around the court, tracks incoming shots, catches the ball in its net, and returns it over the net, enabling continuous rallies without the need for another player.
Using dual 4K cameras and AI, the robot tracks the ball in 3D, predicts its landing point, and reacts in as little as 0.15 seconds. It then uses Mecanum wheels to move quickly, collect the ball, and return shots like a human hitting partner.
Acemate
The Acemate is designed to produce more realistic rallies compared to current tennis robot systems. It adjusts shot placement, speed, spin, and trajectory to support drills like rallies, serves, smashes, and recovery. After training, the S10 provides feedback on placement, accuracy, contact point, and rally consistency. Its companion app takes this further by generating reports that outline strengths and weaknesses and point out areas for improvement.
The author also notes plans to test this advanced model soon, acknowledging that their once-strong tennis skills likely need significant improvement. Still, they look forward to reviewing the performance data. It can also sync with an Apple Watch to show session summaries like duration, shots, and calories burned.
Customizable Training Settings and Multi-Surface Performance
The Acemate app allows users to fine-tune settings such as serve speed, spin, landing zones, and rally difficulty. The robot can deliver flat shots, topspin, slice, and lobs up to 8 meters (26 feet). It works on hard, clay, and grass courts and offers about two hours of battery life per charge.
The S10 weighs 17.8 kg (39.2 lb), and with its net folded, it appears relatively easy to move from a car to the court. However, portability and storage may still be a concern, as tennis training machines of this size can sometimes be cumbersome to handle in practice.
Acemate is offering the S10 for $1,849 (down from $2,499) in a limited-time post–Prime Day deal. Customers can access the discounted price for an additional week by using the code ACEMATE001 at checkout.
The S10 was previously featured during its crowdfunding stage and has since progressed into full production, earning multiple awards along the way.
Read the original article on: newatlas