A three-armed robot programmed to mimic a “human conductor” has recently debuted in Dresden, Germany. This robot conducted the Dresdner Sinfoniker orchestra during two performances over the past weekend, featuring compositions specifically created to match its capabilities.
The robot consists of three separate arms that wield conducting batons resembling “lightsabers” from the Star Wars movies. It has been trained to recognize rhythms and express musical dynamics, with the ability to move each arm independently.
The Dresdner orchestra conducted by the three-armed robot. (Photo: dw.com).
This capability was clearly demonstrated during the performance of “Semiconductor’s Masterpiece” by composer and pianist Andreas Gundlach, commissioned by the Dresdner Sinfoniker. The robot was able to use its three arms to conduct three sections of the orchestra independently—a feat that a “human conductor” cannot accomplish.
Composer Gundlach shared that the idea for this robot was inspired by scientists at the Technical University of Dresden, who are developing “cobots”—collaborative robots designed not to replace humans but to work alongside them. The development and training process for the robot spanned two years, in collaboration with the Technical University of Dresden.
Gundlach also noted that teaching the robot the necessary gestures for conducting helped him realize “how wonderful a creation humans are.” It takes patience to teach machines to “perform aesthetic hand movements that the orchestra can grasp well.”
Additionally, two of the robot’s three arms also conducted musicians during the premiere of the piece “#kreuzknoten” by Wieland Reissmann—a composition featuring instruments played simultaneously at different tempos.
