YuMi, a two-armed robot developed by Swiss firm ABB, was trained to copy the movements of conductor Andrea Colombini, who guided the robotic arms to mimic flourishes he had mastered over a career of leading orchestras. However, the robot can only replicate the movements of conductors – not respond to the nuances of the music or encourage players to adopt a change of tone. He has nit the human sensitivity.
The concert in Pisa with a robotic maestro
From 7 to 13 September, the International Robotics Festival in Pisa included workshops, conferences, exhibitions and concerts, a series of events in more than 11 locations offering an interesting program not only for scientists but also for families and other visitors. The first international robotics festival had the goal to demonstrate their enormous potential for the befit of humans, to improve the quality of life. “Do not be afraid of robots” was the mantra of the festival which was promoted by the Municipality, the Arpa Foundation, the Institute of BioRobotica of the Upper School Sant’Anna and the Research Center “E.Piaggio.” “Italy is at the forefront of research in robotics and its robotics and automation industries are also among the first in the world, in both the production of robots and automatic machines and their use. Tuscany, in particular Pisa is a centre of excellence, ”the organizers explained on the official website.
