An AI-powered tennis robot introduced at a local tennis center in south China's Shenzhen is acting as the perfect practice partner and providing players with a personalized training assistant as they look to brush up their skills on-court.
Enthusiasts can be seen engaging in training sessions at the center, with the AI tennis robots taking their place at the opposite end of the net. The bot is able to track the players' shots in real time, move into position, catch the balls and deliver them back with a degree of accuracy.
One local tennis player surnamed Zeng says she has been impressed by how the robot can respond to her playing style, making it the ideal companion on the court.
"When I run during the rally, it follows my pace and knows to speed up, slow down and return the ball accordingly. I think an AI tennis robot is the best choice as a training partner," she said.
The robot's arrival further highlights how such cutting-edge technology is delivering more practical benefits to the sports sector and reshaping the way people exercise and train.
Equipped with 4K binocular cameras and an intelligent decision-making system, this tennis bot can analyze the ball's speed, trajectory and estimate its landing position with a millisecond-level precision.
Through a closed-loop process of perception, analysis, execution and feedback, the robot is able to create realistic rallies and can automatically adjust shots based on individual training needs.
Developed by OneRobotics Shenzhen, the robot, which has been fittingly named 'Acemate', is also able to offer up detailed performance analysis, helping aspiring tennis players to sharpen up various aspects of their game.
"The robot can analyze key data relating to a players' positioning, shot placement and ball speed. It shows the players where they need to improve and how much progress has been have made during their current training session compared with the previous one," said Hu Zhidong, the company's chief financial officer.
AI tennis robot serves as perfect practice partner for players in Shenzhen
A new round of trade-in subsidy program is energizing China's consumer market these days, with provinces across the country seeing a surge in demand for cars, home appliances and digital devices.
In north China's Shanxi Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, which started on January 9, has further helped boost sales in home appliances and digital devices which are covered by the new round of subsidies.
To enjoy the subsidies, six types of home appliances, including refrigerators and washing machines, must meet national Level 1 energy-efficiency or water-efficiency standards. Digital and smart products include four types, such as mobile phones and tablets, with a sales price cap of 6,000 yuan (about 800 U.S. dollars) per item.
In both categories, subsidies are set at 15 percent of the final transaction price. For home appliances, the maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per item. For digital products, the cap is 500 yuan per item. Each consumer can receive a subsidy for one unit in each category.
Neighboring Shanxi, Hebei Province kicked off the year of 2026 with the new round of trade-in subsidy program starting on January 1.
The subsidies cover automobiles, home appliances, and digital products. Individual consumers who purchase designated Level 1 energy-efficiency appliances or eligible digital products priced at no more than 6,000 yuan can receive subsidies equal to 15 percent of the transaction price. The maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per appliance and 500 yuan per digital or smart device, with each person limited to one subsidized item in each category.
Data showed that from Jan 1 to 9, Hebei's home appliance trade-in program alone disbursed more than 130 million yuan in subsidies, driving sales of over 920 million yuan.
In east China's Jiangsu Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, taking effect for two weeks, has brought the province a boom in trade-in.
At a local 4S store in Jiangsu's Suqian City, showroom traffic has spiked as salespeople walked customers through the new benefits from the trade-in subsidy program.
"Under the scrappage-and-replacement scheme, customers who buy a new energy vehicle (NEV) can receive a subsidy worth 12 percent of the vehicle price, capped at 20,000 yuan (about 2,860 U.S. dollars). For combustion-engine cars, the subsidy is 10 percent, with an upper limit of 15,000 yuan. For trade-ins, NEVs are able to receive a subsidy worth 8 percent of the vehicle price, up to 15,000 yuan, while combustion-engine cars will receive a 6-percent subsidy, with a cap of 13,000 yuan," said Sun Yue, a saleswoman at the store.
In the home appliance sector, Jiangsu's policy this year stipulates that only products that meet China's Level 1 energy-efficiency standard are eligible for subsidies. The scheme covers six major categories, including refrigerators and washing machines.
Consumers who purchase qualifying appliances can receive a subsidy equal to 15 percent of the final retail price, up to a maximum of 1,500 yuan per item. Each person is limited to one subsidized unit per product category.
Four types of digital and smart products, such as mobile phones and tablets, are eligible for a 15-percent subsidy capped at 500 yuan per unit, with a retail price no more than 6,000 yuan.
"With the national subsidy policy back in place this year, I went to the store to check what discounts I could get. It knocked 500 yuan off the price. [The discounted price is] very reasonable," said Wang Kang, a resident of Jiangsu's Xuzhou Province.
To enhance the shopping experience for consumers, many retailers are pairing subsidies with "one-stop" services that combine the delivery of new products with on-site collection of old ones.
"After consumers place an order for new home appliances, our staff will schedule a time to pick up the old units. Recycling the old appliance can also further offset the purchase price of the new one," said Yang Jie, a sales supervisor at a major home appliance company.
China's new trade-in program sparks consumption boom
