Sony AI
About
About Sony AI
Sony AI was founded in April 2020 and became part of the Sony Research organization in 2023. Its teams work across Japan, Europe and the United States on AI for robotics, gaming, imaging, scientific discovery, creators and responsible technology.
Ace is the division's principal physical-AI system. The table-tennis robot combines nine Sony IMX273 global-shutter cameras, three gaze-control assemblies using IMX636 event sensors, model-free reinforcement learning and high-speed robotic hardware. The system continuously estimates ball position and spin, plans actions and executes strokes against elite and professional players, making it a research platform for perception and control under tight real-time constraints.
Products
Observed use
- Sony AI Ace autonomous table-tennis system with Harmonic Drive Systems gearboxes
Research Experiment - Embedded - Sony AI’s Ace research robot used Harmonic Drive Systems gearboxes in its upgraded six-axis arm.
Source - Sony AI Ace autonomous table-tennis system with Yaskawa motors
Research Experiment - Embedded - Sony AI’s Ace research robot used Yaskawa motors to increase torque in its upgraded six-axis arm.
Source
Supply
Supply chain relationships
- Sony Semiconductor Solutions
Inbound - Perception - Sony AI Ace integrates Sony Semiconductor Solutions IMX636 event sensors for gaze-control perception
Source - THK
Inbound - actuation and motion control - THK supplied a custom Linear Motor XY Axis Unit to move Sony AI’s Ace table-tennis robot
Source - THK
Inbound - actuation and motion control - THK’s custom XY stage for Sony AI’s Ace robot incorporates Caged Ball LM Guide SHS units
Source - THK
Inbound - Compute & Control - Sony AI’s Ace table-tennis robot uses THK Cross-Roller Ring RU bearings in its six-axis arm
Source - Sony Semiconductor Solutions
Inbound - Perception - Sony AI Ace integrates Sony Semiconductor Solutions IMX273 sensors for high-speed table-tennis perception
Source
Team
- Peter Dürr - Director, Sony AI Zürich; Ace project lead
- Peter Stone - Chief Scientist, Sony AI - Official Sony AI release.
Timeline
Events
- 2026-04-23 - Partnership - THK supplies linear-motor XY unit for Sony AI table-tennis robotics research
The XY stage spans 3.2 by 2.3 metres, with 925 mm of X-axis travel and 750 mm of Y-axis travel. Its synchronized actuators support loads above 40 kg and back-and-forth strokes as short as 0.8 seconds. The 900 kg unit uses linear-motor drives and is specified for acceleration and deceleration of 2 g.
Source