How does a robot conduct a symphony?

WhileASIMOis an example of advanced technology and innovation, it's not quite at the level where it can pick up a baton and lead an orchestra without preparation. In fact, the only way the robot can conduct an orchestra is to follow a complex set of instructions programmed by engineers. To lead the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, ASIMO had to take an intense crash course in movement.

First, engineers from Honda met with Charles Burke. Burke is the education director for the Detroit Symphony. The engineers watched Burke as he conducted "The Impossible Dream" to a pianist. They had to pay close attention, because Burke's motions would serve as the model ASIMO would follow six months later at the Power of Dreams event.

Then the engineers set to work. They studied Burke's movements and programmed ASIMO to follow the same patterns. ASIMO's complex system of joints andmotorsallowed it to mimic Burke's range of motion with mechanical precision.

While ASIMO's performance was impressive -- some musicians remarked that its movements were almost human -- it wasn't interactive. The orchestra's musicians would have had a similar experience if they had followed a pre-recorded human conductor. There was no opportunity for improvisation.

Some people might argue that ASIMO didn't really direct the Detroit Symphony Orchestra -- rather, Burke did. After all, ASIMO was really recreating Burke's style and movements. The entire routine was simply a program running on ASIMO'soperating system. The robot just ran through the series of motions from start to finish, and would have continued regardless of whether or not the orchestra followed the robot's lead.

In a way, that makes ASIMO a very expensivemetronome-- a tempo-keeping device used in musical performances. The robot could keep time with incredible precision. Since most music in part relies on maintaining a particular rhythm, this was a useful skill. But it also restricted the amount of emotion that could come through the piece. While ASIMO could change tempo during a performance, engineers had to pre-program the specific shifts in tempo in advance. In other words, ASIMO would always change tempo the same way at the same point in a piece.

Will robots ever be able to conduct an orchestra the way a human conductor can? That will depend on a number of factors. First, robots will need some measure ofartificial intelligencein order to be able to interpret a performance and make decisions based on that information. Robots will also have to be able to express intentions to musicians and recognize the musicians' responses in return. In other words, we have a long way to go before we see the Terminator direct the London Philharmonic in a performance of "Night on Bald Mountain."

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