Video: Itzhak Perl-bot
posted at 9:04 am on December 7, 2007 by Allahpundit
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I love what you do for me, Toyota! Or not. This looks like something salvaged from “A Clockwork Orange”: Futuristic yet kitschy, and depressing in how it reduces the most spiritual art form to something cold and impersonal. They should have had it play Ludwig Van, just to round off the frame the reference.
Also, is this really the best use of this thing? It’s impressive technically but if you want a machine playing violin, pop a Paganini disc into your CD player. How about hooking him up to an iPod and teaching him to crunk dance? That’ll keep those elderly childless Japanese couples entertained for hours.
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Itzhak he/she ain’t!
I think there is a real little person in there.
OBX Pete on December 7, 2007 at 9:09 AM
If by ‘best use’ you mean demonstrating what the technology is capable of, I’d say yes. After all, impersonal mechanical exercise or not, it can play the violin and I can’t.
James on December 7, 2007 at 9:09 AM
Just a goofy lookin music box.
oakpack on December 7, 2007 at 9:10 AM
If those fingers can play a violin they damn sure can play a Sig-Sauer too.
Limerick on December 7, 2007 at 9:13 AM
Can’t the Japanese make a robot that doesn’t look like a five-year-old could kick its ass? B/w the nancy-ass robos and the fembots that don’t like to be fondled, I’ve about given up on the Japanese robotics folks. Can’t the Koreans get more involved in robotics or something?
RW Wacko on December 7, 2007 at 9:14 AM
But can it fly and shoot?
TheSitRep on December 7, 2007 at 9:14 AM
Ugh, they showed this lame thing on Fox & Friends… sorry, I’d almost rather see that unbelievably obnoxious 80s pageant girl playing (on the trumpet) and acting out Star Wars.
RightWinged on December 7, 2007 at 9:26 AM
It’s early on, AP. Five more years and you won’t be able to tell the difference between the fiddlebot and Doug Kershaw.
eeyore on December 7, 2007 at 9:26 AM
Dude, I’m gonna have to reconsider your atheist credentials.
Me, I wanna see a cage match between the Toyota robot and the Honda robot.
The winner takes on the American dude in the exoskeleton.
saint kansas on December 7, 2007 at 9:27 AM
Allah didn’t just say that. Did he?
I agree howevah. Depressing to see a robot playing music.
What’s even more depressing is that these Japanese senior citizens should be being helped by their children and grandchildren, not these things, however technologically kewl.
inviolet on December 7, 2007 at 9:32 AM
Sorry guys, I’m impressed. Not that it plays well, but my God folks, it plays…the violin. Won’t be long until it’s playing guitar, and better than most pop band guitarists.
tickleddragon on December 7, 2007 at 9:58 AM
Word.
Vizzini on December 7, 2007 at 10:00 AM
It’s almost guaranteed that they’ll find a way to leverage this technology into something more useful, like sex-bots.
saint kansas on December 7, 2007 at 10:06 AM
Dang! It’s about time AP! I thought you might be slipping.
csdeven on December 7, 2007 at 10:08 AM
I wasn’t that impressed with the robot’s talent.
It’s cool that it can play the violin at all, but that sounded like something you’d hear from a junior high kid who’s still learning how to play.
Esthier on December 7, 2007 at 10:09 AM
Though funny looking now, but that is the future of America. Remember the first IPods? Or Walkmans, Cassette Players, Reel to Reel, 8-Track, etc.
This my friends is the future. Look at it from the prospective of low wage/low skilled workers — picking lettuce, painting houses, mowing lawns, and maybe even wiping your parents butts in the nursing homes. Wow, would it be great just to replace a majority of the low wage/low skill workforce. Yes, human workers would be displaced, however, most of them are illegal, and they would go back to their countries of origin. A win/win for America.
Wuptdo on December 7, 2007 at 10:11 AM
That’s all well and good until these robots start flying the Toyota flag above Old Glory or breaking into your neighbor’s house to rob it (to steal medicine, which they use for fuel).
James on December 7, 2007 at 10:22 AM
Well, it’s no Vassar Clements.
rivlax on December 7, 2007 at 10:41 AM
Or outbreeding us, which frankly demographically might not be too hard to do.
inviolet on December 7, 2007 at 11:12 AM
It was all nice and comfortable until it transformed into a Yugo and ran over half the audience.
Nethicus on December 7, 2007 at 11:25 AM
I think the purpose of this demonstration is to show the improvement in “fine” motor skills technology. The same could potentially be used to improve artificial arms for amputees or defuse bombs where shotgunning them is not possible.
Catseye on December 7, 2007 at 11:55 AM
The Devil went down to Toyota
Lookin’ for a job to steal…
Interesting? Yes. Impressive? Not so much.
rockbend on December 7, 2007 at 11:59 AM
Yes. This is just like those big fashion shows, or Detroit concept cars. Nobody would buy the stuff actually on display (expect for obsessives with too much money). Instead, it’s a demonstration of themes / capabilities. A robot that can play a violin can also do a lot of other tasks that require a sensitive touch (like, washing my windows). In fact, it’s better from the manufacturer’s point of view to do something totally useless in the demo, so as to not exclude potential buyers with specific tasks in mind in order to attract the broadest possible set of clients.
Annoying Old Guy on December 7, 2007 at 12:36 PM
Just what we need, a robotic Kenny G!
Weebork on December 7, 2007 at 12:48 PM
Four year old on Suzuki method.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on December 7, 2007 at 1:25 PM
The Japanese have there own problems with the aging population considering they don’t really have enough people to care for them. That combined with their incredibly strict immigration policies make them somewhat in a bind. A bind they’re trying to answer with robots. And thus these demonstrations come forth to show just what robotic technology can be capable of (in this case fine tuned motor skills of the hand). You’ll notice that a number of Japanese robotic research is dedicated to machines that “assist” in one form or another.
This is their future and this is what they’re banking on. Think of it as our version of trying to save Social Security.
CTDeLude on December 7, 2007 at 2:04 PM
I was hopping it would start humping things….
liquidflorian on December 7, 2007 at 2:32 PM
… or start playing DragonForce tunes.
liquidflorian on December 7, 2007 at 2:38 PM
It would play any piece exactly the same over and over and over with all the talent of whoever enters the data. I doubt the plan is robot musicians.
I’m sure the instrument is fixed precisely and it cannot compensate if the violin moves the least. It’s a neat trick but nothing earthshaking.
It’s true application is what would be interesting but it’s probably too mundane to do on stage for an audience.
BL@KBIRD on December 7, 2007 at 6:16 PM
I switched careers a couple of months ago. I started working as a Field Service Engineer on robotic woodworking machinery or, as I call it, a traveling robot repairman. I’m just now getting a handle on it so I’m no expert but from what I do know, that is some really impressive programming. Movement on so many axis combined with intentional weight shift and reaction is pretty impressive to me. To maintain positioning, stroke and consistent pressure during the bow movements and keeping the bow on the proper string at the right time and direction must have been a real programming chore. There is a lot of stuff happening very precisely to play like that that.
Guardian on December 7, 2007 at 7:14 PM
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