Smart Tennis Robot Launched by Ex-DJI Engineers

A new player has entered the burgeoning smart sports hardware arena with the official launch and initial batch deliveries of its intelligent tennis training system. AceiiLab, a company founded by former DJI engineers, has secured over 10 million yuan in seed funding from prominent investors including Zero-One Capital, Variable Capital, and Haiyi Capital. This capital infusion is earmarked for accelerating product development and expanding market reach.

Founded in December 2024, AceiiLab aims to establish a comprehensive smart training ecosystem that integrates hardware, software, data analytics, and AI coaching. The core team boasts extensive experience in robotics, with founders having previously contributed to advancements at industry leaders like DJI and KUKA. Their collective expertise spans various robotic applications, including drones, autonomous vehicles, and commercial cleaning systems, providing a strong foundation for consumer hardware development and international market penetration.

The smart sports sector is experiencing a significant technological uplift, driven by advancements in AI, robotics, and sensor technology. Unlike traditional sports equipment that primarily focuses on data logging, intelligent hardware is increasingly geared towards active training assistance and enhanced user experience. Sports demanding rigorous practice and technical skill, such as tennis, badminton, and golf, are prime candidates for this technological evolution. AceiiLab is specifically targeting the tennis market with a novel approach to automated ball delivery.

Challenging the conventional fixed-point delivery of traditional ball machines, AceiiLab's product logic centers on simulating realistic rally dynamics. The AceiiLab A1, their flagship smart tennis robot, features advanced mobility powered by a proprietary dual-camera vision system. This system enables real-time tracking of the ball, player, and court position, allowing the robot to dynamically adjust its location and deliver balls with variable trajectories and speeds, up to 5 meters per second. This capability aims to replicate the movement and rhythm of actual player-versus-player rallies, enhancing training effectiveness.

A key differentiator highlighted by the company is the robot's ability to simulate the common coaching practice of feeding balls from the same side of the court as the player. The AceiiLab A1 supports multi-positional feeding from the same side and can seamlessly switch between various feeding zones, such as the baseline and service line, catering to diverse training scenarios. The product's design also emphasizes portability, adopting a suitcase-like form factor that allows users to easily transport it to and from the court.

On the software front, AceiiLab has developed a companion mobile application. This app provides users with functionalities for customizing ball trajectories, accessing structured training programs, and analyzing performance data. The company envisions leveraging the collected data—including ball speed, placement, spin, and player movement—to create detailed user skill profiles. These profiles will then inform personalized training recommendations, adapting to individual player levels and identifying areas for improvement. The long-term strategy hinges on building a data-driven feedback loop, where accumulated training data refines the AI models, leading to enhanced training outcomes, increased user retention, and sustained growth.

The AceiiLab A1 previously garnered significant attention through a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, raising over $820,000. The company is now focused on scaling production and expanding its presence in both international and domestic markets. Plans are underway to launch on e-commerce platforms, with a next-generation product already in development. Notably, AceiiLab has secured framework agreements valued in the tens of millions of yuan with domestic distributors, signaling strong market anticipation.