Robot volleyball machine helps Japan team practise attacks
Third Party Content: News Scientist DAILY NEWS 12 April 2017 Hands up if you’re a robot supported in part by the High Performance Support Project, Japan Sports Agency By Timothy Revell To perfect their attacks, some of Japan’s top volleyball players are training against a robot that can mimic the tactics of opposing teams. The Japanese Volleyball Association’s “block machine” consists of three pairs of robotic arms that move side to side in front of the net. These represent blockers – players who defend against “spikes” from the attacking team that send the ball forcefully over the net, making it hard for opposing players to return it. “A spike is the most effective way to win points in volleyball,” says Laura Woodruff at Volleyball England. “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.” If the attacker g...