Robotics gets interesting… step by step

The Romford Robot plays snooker. For those unfamiliar with the game, snooker is essentially a two-dimensional activity that involves poking balls around a flat table-top surface with a stick (which is more commonly known as a ‘cue’) and manipulating the angles generated when they hit each other to steer them into holes or ‘pockets’ which are set at regular intervals around the table’s edges. The Romford Robot has, over a period of twenty years, proven to be highly effective in calculating the speed, angle, and spin necessary to excel at the game consistently. All of this would be quite exciting were it not for the fact that the Romford Robot is actually the nickname of a human player. Steve Davis is a six-time world champion and was ranked as the world’s number one player for seven years in succession between 1983 and 1990. Still playing professionally today, Davis has nicknamed the Romford Robot to recognize his hometown – Romford – and the seemingly emotionless and error-free manner he played. For almost a decade, Davis singlehandedly made snooker betting a remarkably consistent investment.










