Design for Manufacture, Composite Fabrication, LED Optics, Chassis Integration Location – UK A Wimbledon-winning serve, replicated in Kevlar and light. Working with UNIT9 on one of the most distinctive experiential installations of 2025, Studio Sowow was tasked with turning a design concept into a precision-engineered physical product. The brief centred on the Lexus Signature Shot machine: an AI-driven tennis robot built on a Sportbot chassis and programmed to simulate the serving styles of Lexus ambassadors Alfie Hewett OBE and Katie Boulter. Our role sat at the intersection of design engineering and bespoke fabrication. We took UNIT9’s visual concept and worked it for manufacture, without ever compromising the performance of the machine it clothed.
The machine had to look like a Lexus. It also had to perform like a professional tennis robot. The Sportbot is a high-precision, professional-grade moving ball launcher with complex mechanical and electronic systems. Any body panels applied to the chassis would need to withstand constant movement, vibration, and the rigours of live event deployment across the UK tennis season. UNIT9’s design set a demanding visual benchmark, and it was our job to close the gap between concept and production reality. Standard composite materials were not going to be sufficient. The panels needed to be light enough not to affect the Sportbot’s movement, rigid enough to survive repeated transport and installation, and finished to the standard that Lexus demands in any physical expression of its brand. The LED diffuser lenses introduced a further layer of complexity: custom optical components that had to integrate precisely with the panel geometry while delivering consistent, even light distribution across the body of the machine.
Kevlar body panels. Custom LED diffusers. An integration that left the machine’s performance completely intact. We engineered the body panels in Kevlar, chosen for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and resistance to vibration and impact. The material gave us the rigidity and durability the brief demanded, without adding mass that could affect the Sportbot’s movement mechanics or throw off its AI-controlled ball delivery. The LED diffuser lenses were designed and manufactured to our own specification, shaped to sit flush within the panel geometry and engineered for the precise optical output the installation required. All components were then mounted onto the Sportbot chassis, with the machine’s full functionality as the non-negotiable. Working closely with UNIT9, we navigated the mechanical and electronic constraints of the platform and delivered a clean, production-ready assembly. The result debuted at the National Tennis Centre ahead of the 2025 US Open, and went on to tour the UK tennis circuit throughout the season. Photography courtesy of Lexus / © Toyota (GB) PLC
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