"You know that feeling when you want to practice your serve but no one's available to hit with you? Or when you're playing a casual match with friends and everyone's arguing about whether that ball was in or out? Designer Jaehong Jeon has created something that might just solve both problems, and it happens to look like the friendliest little robot you've ever seen."
"ORVY is a court-centered companion robot that's basically the Swiss Army knife of racket sports. This isn't some clunky, industrial-looking machine that screams "future dystopia." Instead, it's got this adorable, minimalist design that looks like a friendly elephant decided to become a sports assistant. The rounded white body sits low to the ground on wheels, with what almost looks like a trunk extending forward. It's the kind of design that makes you want to pat it on the head and say "good robot.""
"But here's where it gets really interesting. We're living in a moment where tennis courts are becoming increasingly flexible spaces. Pickleball is exploding in popularity across North America and Europe, and padel is gaining serious traction too. Courts that used to be dedicated solely to tennis are now being repurposed and shared among multiple sports. ORVY was designed specifically for this new reality of multi-use sports venues."
ORVY is a compact, court-centered companion robot for racket sports with an intentionally friendly, minimalist design resembling an elephant-like assistant. It adapts to the rise of multi-use courts as tennis venues accommodate pickleball and padel. The robot operates in three modes that address practice, impartial officiating, and player tracking/data capture. In Following mode it silently tracks players along sidelines, records play, and learns individual styles. In AI Referee mode it uses vision sensing to make neutral in/out calls and reduce disputes. The design prioritizes unobtrusive movement, versatility, and accessibility for casual and evolving court use.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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