Timo Boll vs. KUKA robot

In this man vs. machine table tennis match, who will be victorious? The battle begins NOW as ping pong champion Timo Boll challenges KUKA's Agilus robot to a ping-pong showdown.

Timo Boll, German table tennis star, is the new brand ambassador for KUKA Robotics in China. The collaboration celebrates the inherent speed, precision, and flexibility of KUKA's industrial robots in tandem with Boll's electrifying and tactical prowess in competition.

To celebrate the new KUKA Robotics factory in Shanghai, the two giants will battle to the end on March 11th 2014. The 20,000 sq. meter space will produce the KR QUANTEC series robot as well as the KRC4 universal controller for the Asian market. As a market leader in China, KUKA aims to further develop automation in the country while providing a modern and employee-friendly working environment.

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Man against machine.
The unbelievably fast KUKA robot faces off against one of the best table tennis players of all time. Who has the best technique? Who will win the first ever table tennis duel of human versus robot?
Watch this thrilling preview of table tennis and robotics performed at the highest level. The KUKA KR AGILUS demonstrates its skills with the table tennis racket - a realistic vision of what robots can be capable of in the future.
Timo Boll, the German table tennis star, is the new brand ambassador for KUKA Robotics in China. The collaboration celebrates the inherent speed, precision, and flexibility of KUKA's industrial robots in tandem with Boll's electrifying and tactical prowess in competition. To celebrate the new KUKA Robotics factory in Shanghai, the thrilling video was a highlight of the Grand Opening on March 11th, 2014. The 20,000 sq. meter space will produce the KR QUANTEC series robot as well as the KRC4 universal controller for the Asian market. As a market leader in China, KUKA aims to further develop automation in the country while providing a modern and employee-friendly working environment.

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German robotics manufacturer KUKA celebrates the opening of their new shanghai plant with ping pong playing robot. (March 12)

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One year later: The KUKA KR AGILUS is ready for a revenge.

Get impressed by a new duel man vs. machine. See how the KUKA KR AGILUS uses it?s speed, precision and flexibility to challenge German table tennis star Timo Boll again. But this time, in a completely different way with completely different rules.

Since 1973, KUKA has set the global standard in robotic technology. With unique German engineering, KUKA’s highly specialized devices optimize industrial production in the automotive, electronics, metal, plastics and food industries — to name only a few. Timo Boll has won a variety of international championship titles. In 2003, he became leader of the world ranking and from then on secured his position among the world’s top ten.

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Last year, Timo Boll challenged the KUKA KR AGILUS in his area of expertise: table tennis. Now, it is up to Timo to prove his qualities in a completely different kind of duel.

The revenge is on. Man and machine are ready. The KUKA KR AGILUS and Timo Boll face each other for a new match. But this time, there are no rackets and no balls – there’s only glass.

Watch this fantastic commercial featuring two worthy opponents that both provide utmost precision, speed and flexibility.

Which side are you on? Are you “Team AGILUS”, supporting one of the fastest robots on earth? The KUKA KR AGILUS is unrivaled in his payload class and offers a lot of other talents, too, e.g. in picking and placing, assembling, loading and unloading machines. Or are you “Team Timo”, backing Timo Boll, the terrific German table tennis star and brand ambassador for KUKA Robotics?

Who will break first? Check out now.

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Table tennis superstar and KUKA brand ambassador, Timo Boll, was with us in China to help launch our new robot, the KR CYTEC nano series.

While we had him with us, we decided to create a nice opportunity for his fans: some lucky winners were able to play a table tennis match with him.

Have a closer look at the fun and listen as Timo tells us his thoughts on technology, his Chinese fans, and what's it's like to be a KUKA brand ambassador.

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After THE DUEL and THE REVENGE, Timo Boll and a KUKA robot encounter each other for the third time. Can’t wait to see it? New movie out April 25th!

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One of the fastest table tennis players of the world. One of the strongest robots of his class. And one of the most flexible mobile platforms, ever existing. When Timo Boll, the KUKA titan and the KUKA omniMove come together, one thing is for sure: something exceptional happens.

But this time it is not about competition. It is about something bigger: the perfect collaboration of human and machine. By cooperating perfectly, a completely new dimension of processes and results is created. We at KUKA call it: Orange Intelligenz.

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Timo Boll’s great strengths are his speed, enormous precision and extreme mobility. As such, not only is he the personification of our robots, but above all the ideal brand ambassador for KUKA.

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Timo Boll: The Spin of Life. On the way to Tokyo

"The Spin of Life" is a special film project about an exceptional career. KUKA accompanies Timo Boll on his way to Tokyo in 2020, and looks back on the special career of an exceptional athlete in an eight-part film documentary. From February to August 2020, this current documentary will be published on https://www.kuka.com/timo.

Part 2: First Steps

Timo Boll took three gold medals at his European Junior Championships and has already made himself immortal in his home town. But Timo, who is closely tied to his hometown, is becoming part of a bigger story. A whole team is moving to Höchst because of him alone - and that where nobody could have guessed what would happen to the talented Timo - except for one: Discoverer Helmut Hampl.

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Timo Boll: The Spin of Life. On the way to Tokyo

"The Spin of Life" is a special film project about an exceptional career. KUKA accompanies Timo Boll on his way to Tokyo in 2020, and looks back on the special career of an exceptional athlete in an eight-part film documentary. From February to August 2020, this current Timo Boll documentary will be published on https://www.kuka.com/timo.

Part 3: International Breakthrough

Timo is preparing intensively for the 2020 Olympics, including a medical examination. We look back on the first meeting with his idol Jörg Roßkopf, who has to clean up at Timo's club, the TTV Gönnern. But this is exactly what helps Timo to reach the top of the world for the first time in 2003.

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Part 4: Fair play

Certainly Timo's successes are among his greatest moments. In 2005 he has the best chances to win the world champion title. But at the world championship he makes a momentous decision which destroys the way to the title, but helps him to international reputation.

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In order to make the teaching of an industrial robot through manual guidance simple and user-friendly, KUKA offers ready2_pilot: a wireless solution which is particularly easy to use and can be implemented quickly.

As the world’s first controller package of its type, KUKA ready2_pilot makes robot control merely child’s play. The package is quickly mounted on the robot and can be used directly without complex programming. Manual guidance of the robot is all that is required to teach it the desired sequences. From precise welding to rough palletization, and from small robots such as the KUKA KR AGILUS to heavy-duty giants such as the KUKA KR 1000 titan – KUKA ready2_pilot enables you to master a wide range of different requirements simply and straightforward.

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Part 5: Partnerships

Certainly Timo's successes are among his greatest moments. In 2005 he has the best chances to win the world champion title. But at the world championship he makes a momentous decision which destroys the way to the title, but helps him to international reputation.

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Part 6: The team player

Individual athletes are often considered as loners. This is not the case with Timo Boll: the table tennis star also shines out in doubles and team competitions and has won numerous titles with various teams. What is it like to stand at the table with Timo Boll in international competitions? What is team play with Timo like? His table tennis doubles partners talk about shared experiences and successes.

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Part 7: My China

Particularly in China, Timo Boll acquired hero status early on. In dozens of visits, the German table tennis professional has become an expert on China – and more famous in the Middle Kingdom than virtually any other sportsman. But what is it like to be celebrated in the Far East, while leading a somewhat peaceful existence back home in Germany? And there is an incredible moment for Timo: we look back at flag-bearer Timo Boll at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and let former German flag-bearers talk us through this moment.

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Timo Boll: The Spin of Life. On the way to Tokyo

Part 8: Olympic Hero

Even after an active sporting career spanning 25 years, Timo Boll is still playing at the top of his game. Even though the Olympic Games have now been pushed back by a year, he is in a bullish mood: it may be his 6th Olympics, but he still intends to go for gold. What are the chances for Timo Boll? We put this question to his contemporaries and fellow players.

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