Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Robot Pianist Is Self-Correcting
This little humanoid robot is just starting out in the business, but it can already play any musical score on the spot, and even listen to its own playing and self-correct when mistakes are made. Too bad it only has one finger on each "hand".
(Robot Pianist Is Self-Correcting)
Alyssa Batula and Yougmoo Kim, from Drexel University, Philadelphia [are] using it to explore musical performance - expression and interaction with other musicians, for example - rather than merely note-playing.So far, they've created a mini humanoid robot that can play the piano at 200 beats per minute...
The robot is less than 40 centimetres tall and is controlled by a small on-board processor, as well as a larger computer that sends it commands, such as which gestures to make...
The robot's limbs are controlled by motors and their position is updated every 20 milliseconds. At the moment, it can only hit the white keys. The robot can pick up wrong notes thanks to a pitch detection algorithm which makes sure each note is the correct pitch for that key. If the pitch is wrong, the system checks whether it fits neighbouring keys and the robot makes a note of the mistake so it doesn't make it again. It also uses the algorithms to detect the pitch of notes played by others so that it can join in and harmonise.
Fans of Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey recall the musical learning experiences of the HAL 9000 computer. Take a look at HAL singing "Daisy, Daisy" from the end of the movie (skip to 5:15 for the song).
(HAL 9000 sings "Daisy, Daisy")
Robots express themselves musically in these links:
- Robot Taiko Drummers Give Up Factory Day Jobs
Video! The robots were special guests at the 400 year-old Kokura Gion Daiko Festival in Kitakyushu, famous for traditional drumming competitions. - JukeBot
Video! Industrial-grade techno music for your next party event. - Robot Directs Detroit Symphony Orchestra Video
ASIMO walked quietly on-stage, waved to the orchestra, and then conducted the DSO in a performance of "The Impossible Dream" from The Man of La Mancha.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 12/16/2010)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 0 )
Related News Stories - (" Robotics ")
It's A Giant Robot! You Reporters Have Been Warned!
'... completely forgetting the ship at sight of the awesome figure and great head of the giant Gaut...'
Tactile Skin Supplier Map
'What strange sensitivity! What an amazing development of science was manifested in every move and act and word of this Robot!' - Ray Cummings, 1931.
Robot Bees 3D Printed By Festo
'At first I was struck by the large size of these bees..' - Ernst Junger, 1957.
DIY Robot Scorpion Crushes It
'...it raised its front end off the ground and waved its antennae at them, then raised one armoured claw as if to snip them out of the sky.' - Neal Asher, 2008.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
You Will Eat The Cookies Made From Plastic...
'Our planes are going to start bringing in bales of discarded plastics...'
It's A Giant Robot! You Reporters Have Been Warned!
'... completely forgetting the ship at sight of the awesome figure and great head of the giant Gaut...'
Birds Learn To Sing Pictures ala Frank Herbert's Distrans
'We will fight in the time of fighting.'
ElectionSim: China's 'Ender's Game' Battle Sim, Or Lem's 'Kingdom In A Box'?
'So, Ender, we will now begin your education.'
Tactile Skin Supplier Map
'What strange sensitivity! What an amazing development of science was manifested in every move and act and word of this Robot!'
Flock Stymied By 'Adversarial Fashion'
'Forget the head atop it, the legs below, feet, arms, hands. It compels erasure.'
Orb Nomad Zero-Emission Electric Aircraft
'That explains how it was so easy for me to remain motionless in midair or to perch on a flagpole in imitation of a giant bird, even in the windy city of Chicago.'
ICE Buys Shock Gloves Like Batman's
What else is the Caped Crusader using?
Factories In The Sky Will Surpass Those Of Earth
'The thirty-odd miles of The Factory’s circumference...'
Sleeper Drones Lie in Wait
'Wandering mines, you took them out on the edge of the desert, set them down and activated them.'
Warfare Goes Underground In Ukraine
'Once in the very first weeks of the war, before everyone had been evacuated from the surface...'
Robot Bees 3D Printed By Festo
'At first I was struck by the large size of these bees..'
3D Printed Organs From Space
'For a while your colonists will have to come up to the [orbital] Hospital...'
DIY Robot Scorpion Crushes It
'...it raised its front end off the ground and waved its antennae at them, then raised one armoured claw as if to snip them out of the sky.'
How To Settle An Argument Between Two Robots
'Henry... assumed the curious absent look of a robot talking on the TBR circuits.'
The Wind Phone Calls Those Who Have Passed On
'Only I heard that!'
