Mechanical Mozart making a new fashion statement

Technological innovations are sometimes hard to explain. A robot designed in the 1980s hasn’t found its match even after two decades, despite the fact that robotics is evolving at a breath-taking pace. Video after the jump.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRDaXwwMiHw[/youtube]

The WABOT-2, a Mozart among humanoids of its era, continues to enthrall and fascinate scientists across the world with its uncanny ability to play music intelligently. With notation-cognizant eyes, nimble hands and an artificial brain that can put music aficionados of our breed to shame, the WABOT-2 was built for the future. The android could play intermediate-level music notes with ease and was adept at playing tunes in sync with accompanying vocalists. Conversations at a basic level was another interesting addition to its repertoire. The WABOT-2 performed live for the first time in Tsukuba, Japan at Expo ‘85, treating audience to Kitaro’s evergreen ‘Silk Road’. The supremely intelligent robot was controlled by 80 microprocessors designed to work like the Human Nervous System. WABOT-2 could also move its arms and legs through 50 degrees, which per se was a record during its time. For Waseda University, the creators of this marvellous humanoid, the WABOT-2 was nothing short of a technological coup! We wish more of its tribe would follow suit. via: gizmowatch.com