For athletes, game improvement is not just about techniques, but is the result of continuous practice. As a reliable training partner, quality coaching with a coordinated schedule can be quite difficult, especially for players who train independently.
This gap has been a key focus that sports technology has worked to overcome.
Pongbot is a prominent investor founded in 2019 that has developed AI training robots aimed at training smarter, improving endurance and speed so athletes are game-ready even when training solo.
The robot training system combines detailed technology with AI automation and can effortlessly adapt to the player’s movements step by step.
Athletes can also customize their training sessions via the easy-to-use mobile app, which includes extensively analyzed game data. Pongbot focuses on the global growth of the smart sports ecosystem in collaboration with gaming communities around the world, such as Germany, Australia, the United States, Italy, etc.
Scaling table tennis technology to an AI tennis court
Pongbot’s first innovations began in the table tennis training space with robotic ball servers to improve reflexes, spin control and training consistency. This was accompanied by the realization that other serving machines also had similar limitations in their function; repeated ball feeds without adapting to the player’s movements.
Training proved to be predictable and did not reflect real games.
To change this, Pongbot began developing training robots that leverage extensive gaming data with its proprietary AI system, the PongSmart algorithm. This results in the training robots accurately recognizing the players’ positioning and then dynamically adjusting their ball throw. This led to the innovation of the Pongbot Pace S Series, an AI tennis training system that overcomes all traditional limitations of ball machines.
Since its launch, the Pace S Series has received a great deal of positive response, raising more than $2.7 million on Kickstarter, securing 69 research and development patents, and becoming the No. 1 technology and sports campaign on Kickstarter 2024.
This ultimately earned Pongbot widespread recognition from sports influencers as well as professional tennis media Tennis.com.
NextGen Robotic Tennis Kit: Pace S Pro
Among all Pongbot’s innovations, the focus is Pongbot Pace S Pro, a flagship tennis series specifically designed to recreate a rally in real time on the court, adapting to each player and their practice techniques.
Pongbot
What makes it different?
Not only are balls fired at the same designated location during practice; Using ultra-wideband tracking technology (UWB), he can accurately position his throw up to 10cm. In addition, the 100 Hz tracking rate allows the robot to monitor movements three times faster than standard camera-controlled systems. Works absolutely great in both low light and bright outdoor courts and sets a completely new benchmark for tennis ball machines as automated trainers.
This offers athletes a game-like competition without the entire experience feeling too mechanical and is ideal for individual training.
Training sessions evolve with the players
Pace S Pro analyzes its data to perfect timing, tracking and intensity during practice drills. This means players who train alone can easily execute complex punch combinations or try out tricky sequences without having to worry.
A feature that makes it even more interesting is the Recovery Trigger, a mechanism that only fires the next ball once the player is back at their assigned spot on the field. This shows that the system learns with each practice session and adapts to the practice patterns in a very short time, improving training through automation.
It can also ensure natural tempo through realistic practice:
- Using game-like speed to refine advanced footwork for athletes
- Beginners who play for recreation can play without becoming overwhelmed
Intelligent exercises provide professional-level thrills
By bringing intelligent tennis to the court, the Pongbot Pace S Pro goes beyond just intelligent tracking. Pace S Pro features a starting speed of up to 80 miles per hour and spins of around 60 per second, which can help tennis players train their backspin, strong topspins as well as combination shots.
It is fully designed for training across the entire court, from baseline to net, including over 564 tennis training routines approved and designed by professional coaches; Ready and customizable for players directly from the companion app. Easily set up a one-on-one match right from your phone.
Smart match planning via a mobile app can also help players develop an individual playing style or replicate the training styles of tennis prodigies such as Nadal, Djokovic or Federer to experience a real game-like thrill during their training session. Even if the training device is offline.
Connected training beyond the machine
Pongbot
For Pongbot, the training robots represent a huge networked training system and are not just a machine. By combining the use of this intelligent training robot with a mobile app for setting fairways, the following is possible:
- Access to numerous user-generated training practices
- Points and rewards with milestones
- Track progress using training game data
- Download exercises or share them with the global sports community
Additionally, with the introduction of future wearable sensors as part of advanced AI alongside tennis ball pickers or ball connectors, over-the-air updates may lead to smarter training practices.
Table tennis robot joins the game
Although Pongbot’s latest product range focuses on tennis, the table tennis range remains the brand’s core component.
Pongbot Nova S Pro is a portable ball machine designed for players looking for a compact but equally powerful training partner. With a delivery rate of up to 30 to 90 balls per minute between 2 and 15 m/s, with combined top and back spin, it is designed to be backpack-friendly.
By connecting to the mobile app, players can access over 264 professional training drills to easily customize their game plan.
This is far from easy, but there is more. The Pongbot Omni S Pro is a series with 360° spin adjustment with rotations of up to 100 per second at speeds of up to 15 m/s. Don’t miss the 396 preset exercises supported by unlimited custom sessions.
Next up is the Pongbot Halo S Pro, a floor-standing training robot for intensive exercises. This series serves to support and model tactical processes in addition to calculating footwork and swing coordination.
It features wide oscillation, over 576 preset routines that can be customized by the player, and has 21 speed levels. It is the absolute premium design with app plus remote control and ball net for professional table tennis training.
Both models, Omni and Halo, were manufactured with the valuable contributions of Chen Bin, a former coach of the Chinese national table tennis team, to ensure that these robot trainers accurately reflect professional techniques.
Get ready with the Spring 2026 sales campaign
Just in time for the start of the training season, Pongbot has also launched its 2026 spring sales campaign with the slogan “From Rusty to Done – Get Back in Shape This Spring.” From March 11 to April 11 (PST), Pongbot is offering up to 45% off its tennis and table tennis training robots.
The highlight is its flagship model, the Pongbot Pace S Pro, with a massive price drop from $1,999.99 to $1,199.99, among others, during this sale.
In addition to the exciting offers, customers can also receive free accessories or surprise vouchers as a Pongbot newsletter subscriber or spin the wheel of fortune to receive more offers and a free order. The campaign also includes a Wish Wall competition, a chance for three random participants to win a wish from Pongbot.
This comeback season, the campaign offers athletes the opportunity to train smarter with improved training robots without burning a hole in their pockets.
Pongbot redefines intelligent training for beginners and professional athletes alike. The combination of automation and sports routine is a further development. These robotic training devices blur the line between professional coaching and solo training. Players will have to get used to real-world game-like challenges that could soon make these intelligent training robots as indispensable on the field as bats and balls.
