Robots are invading the symphony hall, said Kevin Ryan at Inc. YuMi, a two-armed robot built by Swiss robotics company ABB, recently conducted a performance of the Lucca Philharmonic Orchestra in Pisa, Italy. The 84-pound bot learns tasks by recording and mimicking them, "without any coding" required. It has wrists, elbows, and shoulders, giving its movements fluidity similar to a human being's. Italian conductor Andrea Colombini taught YuMi the songs for the performance, including "La Donna è Mobile" from Verdi's Rigoletto.
Unlike its human counterpart, however, the robot can't respond to how the orchestra is playing, so "a cellist who misses a note won't get a stern look." As a result, Colombini isn't too worried about his job security just yet. "The robot uses its arms," he said. "But the soul, the spirit, always come from a human."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
