PR2 Moves From the Laundromat to the Pool Hall

The PR2, part of Willow Garage's ongoing general-purpose robot project, has evolved beyond the boring task of folding laundry. Now, its creators are letting the PR2 have a little fun -- by programming it to play pool.

The Willow Garage "PoolShark Team" built a special grip and bridge so the robot could hold a cue. To enable the PR2 to locate the balls, the team made use of its high-resolution camera with a "color blob tracker."

By the end of the weeklong experiment, PR2 was successfully sinking shots; better watch out, pool sharks.