Mar 1 2011
Toyota displayed the robots playing violin and trumpet at its Tokyo AMLUX building. Human violin and trumpet players played alongside the robots, trying to match their playing to the musician bots. The robots performed the same pieces that they had performed earlier.
Toyota’s Partner Robots
Robots for playing music are not the prime intentions of Toyota, but rather to display their potential in assisting humans in human environments. The musician robots exhibited the complexity and humaneness inbuilt in them. Toyota aims to use the Partner Robots in hospitals, nursing homes, general work around the home and in the manufacturing industry. These Partner Robots demonstrate Toyota’s progress in manufacturing robots for replacement of human workers.
Humanoid Partner Robots have earlier demonstrated their ability to dance and run at speeds of seven kilometers an hour, showing the ability to get along with humans. But, formidable challenges still remain in social and legal adoption of these technologies.
Source: http://www.toyota.com