Galbot humanoid to play autonomous tennis at China Open; Paxton on what robot sports reveal
chris_j_paxton · x · 2026-10-05
- Galbot is the official designated humanoid robot of the 2026 China Open (Beijing, Sep 30–Oct 11), performing fully autonomous rallies at the National Tennis Center.
- Roboticist Chris Paxton argues robot sports, unlike open-loop dance demos, demand three things: dynamic whole-body control, closed-loop decision-making, and fast perception-sensorimotor fusion — the first two are advancing fast, but in-the-loop onboard perception remains the big missing piece.
- Contact-light sports like tennis are a practical proving ground; Galbot's IROS 2026 best entertainment paper shows the direction.
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