ETH Zurich Builds Four-Legged Robot That Plays Badminton With Humans

TECH

By Aniket Chakraborty June 5, 2025 Arrow

Meet ANYmal-D — a four-legged, AI-powered athlete built by Robotic Systems Lab.

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Unlike humans, this bot uses four legs for extra agility and stability.

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It’s equipped with a stereo camera and a dynamic hitting arm.

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At its core is a reinforcement learning controller that adapts to shuttlecock motion.

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ANYmal-D predicts, positions, and strikes — in real-time.

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During tests, it held rallies up to 10 shots long with human players.

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The bot even mimics human follow-throughs and tilts its body to track the game.

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It’s not just a gimmick — it shows the potential of dynamic legged robots in sports.

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From badminton courts to future Olympics? The robot revolution in sport has begun.

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