CMU Lab Demonstrates Humanoid Robot Bending Banana Shots

TinfoilTricorn · x · 2026-08-10

Ding Zhao, Director of the Safe AI Lab at CMU, shared a demo of a humanoid robot practicing bending banana shots (curved free kicks). Shown at 0.1x speed, the video details the robot's precise control over its gait, coordinated leg swing, and exact contact point to generate spin.

He noted that this level of control accuracy, reliability, and strong sim-to-real capability could lead to breakthroughs in various real-world applications beyond soccer, predicting an "AlphaGo moment" for robotic free kicks very soon.

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