How an AI robot smashed the human world record in Labyrinth, a classic marble maze game

You’ve probably heard of AI winning against humans in games like chess and GO that require intellect. That’s impressive but not shocking.

AI is good at crunching numbers and finding patterns.

But what about physical skills? That’s something humans are supposed to be better at, right? Well, not anymore.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have created an AI robot with the task of learning how to play the popular wooden labyrinth maze game. The goal of the game is simple, using two knobs, you have to steer a marble ball from a start to an endpoint without it falling into the holes across the board. But if you’ve ever played it, you know it’s actually easier said than done. The scientific explanation behind its difficulty is that it requires acute motor skills, spatial reasoning abilities — and a lot of practice.