Can AI Replace Your Tennis Partner? | Acemate Tennis Robot S10 Review

[00:00:02]This right here is the Ace Mate tennis robot S10 and it's the robot that your rally partner doesn't want you to find out about.

[00:00:09]>> All right, Ace Mate. Let's see what you got. You talk a big game, but I don't really know if that's true.

[00:00:15]>> I've got a problem. I like playing tennis. I'm [music] actually not the best at it by a long shot, but I really enjoy playing tennis. However, finding someone who's free when I am, especially as a YouTuber with a crazy schedule, that's the hard part. So, today I am putting AI to the test. And at the end of this video, we're going to answer three very important questions when it comes to this machine. Can this actually rally like a real person? Is it more fun than a traditional ball machine that have been around for ages? And is this the beginning of where sports training is actually heading? Let's find out.

[00:00:53]>> [music] >> Most tennis ball machines do one thing, they shoot balls. [music] They're great if all you want is repetition, but tennis isn't about repetition, unless it's your stroke, that should be very repetitive. Your opponent actually moves though, they react, they might even make mistakes. They change angles and so many more. So, this Ace Mate is trying to solve a completely different problem.

[00:01:21][music] Instead of just launching balls, it's supposed to watch where you hit them, move across the court, catch them and send them back like an actual rally partner. It uses dual 4K cameras with AI vision to track [music] the actual ball and can hold up to 80 balls. Four omnidirectional mecanum wheels, so it can actually move in any direction and it's designed to react in about 0.15 seconds, insanely fast. It's super intuitive and easy to use. You simply power it on, connect to the mobile app and you are in business. It also has a >> [music] >> removable, replaceable battery that can last up to a good, I would say, 2 hours of full play. Really impressed with the battery [music] life. You can also charge it while it's in the machine and simply by opening up this port and plugging the charger into [music] the port right here. I also really like the all-metal construction here, >> [music] >> metal poles and really solid net. That sounds impressive though on paper. But paper doesn't miss forehands, [music] people do. So, let's see what happens when I'm actually using this on a real court. [music] So, right away, this machine feels completely different than any other normal ball machine, that's for sure. Normally, you already know where the next ball is [music] coming from. Here, you actually have to play some tennis and it's exposing all of my weaknesses. The robot is reacting to my shots instead of just following a preset predictable pattern. That's a very different experience than I've had in the past. Now, before we start giving this [music] thing too much credit though, let's see how it handles someone in addition to myself. [music] So, I invited my father-in-law, who is my rally partner and has played a lot of tennis to know [music] when something feels realistic. And I really wanted his opinion cuz he loves the tech as well. I also found out very quickly that it's been a while since I've actually played tennis and muscle memory, I guess you can lose it. Anyway, one thing I wasn't expecting, you actually stop thinking about the robot, the Ace Mate itself.

[00:03:24]Because after a few rallies, your brain kind of just switches into I'm playing tennis mode, which is really cool.

[00:03:30]You're actually watching the ball, moving your feet, which you need to do, setting up your shot, getting ready for your shot, and that's probably the biggest [music] compliment that I can give the Ace Mate. Because if you're constantly thinking about the machine itself and what it's [music] doing, it isn't doing its job. It's just being another robot. But here's the big question, does it actually catch and return every single shot? And of course it doesn't cuz I'm not a very good shot.

[00:03:53]But, if you hit something with crazy pace or an [music] impossible angle, it'll occasionally miss it. Even Ace Mate says it's designed to handle the vast [music] majority of normal rally situations rather than every possible shot. But, honestly, a human partner misses balls, too, so that's very realistic in the rally mode. One of the side note, do not use multicolored balls. It performs best with [music] yellow balls like this. It picks them up the best, and I had the best response from the machine when using the proper colored [music] balls. So, this net right here in the middle is really cool, because this is what allows it to absorb a lot of the inertia if you're hitting the ball super fast.

[00:04:38]So, it's not going to be perfect every time, but this is really cool design to make sure it [music] stops the balls and drop down in.

[00:04:46]>> [music] >> Now, this thing can do so many more things that I didn't even have the time to test, like helping you serve. It's crazy the extent [music] at which this can do, and it goes way beyond a traditional tennis machine. You can adjust the ball speed, the top spin, the back spin, the final shots, even high lobs. Depending on your skill level, you can make it pretty forgiving, like easy mode, or make yourself really go to work. It can send the balls up to about 60 mph with spin [music] and high lobs.

[00:05:23]While the companion app lets you change modes and settings without walking back and forth to the machine. I just kept my phone in my pocket. But, here's the really interesting part. That's not even the feature I think most people will care about when they get or considering getting the Ace Mate. [music] The real question isn't whether this can replace a human coach, because it really can.

[00:05:44]And it can really interpret a lot of what you're doing on the court, right or wrong. Plus, it's never going to be that friend that says, "Hey, I don't feel up to playing tennis today." It doesn't complain at all. Cuz friends get busy, weather changes, people cancel, there's a lot that happens. This thing never does. It shows up and is [music] ready.

[00:06:01]So, if you want to work hour after hour, have replaceable batteries, which it has, and keep going as long as you can, then honestly, this is an excellent machine to consider. And it really makes the most sense if you want to keep that rally partner going as long as possible.

[00:06:15]Because the Acemate really removes the biggest excuse most of us have for not practicing. We don't have a partner. So, the question is pretty simple. Can AI replace a real rally partner? Well, not completely. [music] Because different partners create unpredictability. And while this thing is very, very competitive, it's a lot of fun, you can start to see some of its patterns. So, having a real rally partner is still a lot of fun. But, it definitely beats a traditional ball machine and it is huge leaps forward in technology on the tennis court. So, if you're struggling to find someone to play with, this might actually solve that problem. Or, you just want to play more than your friends want to play, you definitely need an Acemate. Cuz I can definitely see myself bringing this to the court a lot more often. Cuz I don't have to call somebody and say, "Hey, are you available?" No, I just go to the court, call them and say, "Hey, you want to come hit with my Acemate?" And then, bam, they're there for some reason.

[00:07:09]>> All right, no joke.

[00:07:11]The robot exhausted me.

[00:07:14]And not because it's 101° out here.

[00:07:16]That thing just never tires, never stops.

[00:07:19]>> [panting] >> It just keeps going.

[00:07:23]This will push you harder than any other rally partner ever has.

[00:07:27]No offense to rally [music] partners, but this thing goes hard.

[00:07:33]>> So, this machine is excellent. But, let me know from you guys. Would you choose a real hitting rally partner every time over having a backup or a consistent machine that's going to show up every time for you. If you enjoy this video, be sure to hit the subscribe button and the like button cuz I'm going to put this through a lot more paces coming up here. And even though it never gave me any type of backtalk or trash talk, I loved working with this thing. It really motivated me to work harder and I've got a lot of work to do on my stroke. It's been years since I've actually played consistently [music] and I don't know. I'm just not that good at it. But this machine, the Ace Mate, I truly believe it's going to make me a better tennis player and keep me more active as let's face it, I get older [music] cuz we all are. But this machine, definitely Man Shed approved.

[00:08:20]All right, partner.

[00:08:21]Let's go home.

[00:08:23]>> [music]