It used to be that only factory workers were displaced by machines. But if you’re looking for work as a symphony conductor, you’re probably not going to be overjoyed to hear that automation has spread to the lively arts as well. The esteemed Detroit Symphony Orchestra recently announced that its May 13 concert will open with a piece conducted by a robot.
The electronic maestro is Honda’s ASIMO robot, a bipedal humanoid machine that the Japanese automaker has been developing since the 1990s. A prototype for a future generation of machines intended to help disabled people and the elderly, ASIMO has plenty of impressive abilities; it can run 4 mph, climb stairs, avoid obstacles, comprehend simple voice commands and recognize a familiar face. Apparently, it also has the ability to keep a beat and distinguish between fortissimo and pianissimo, or in lieu of that, at least to wave a baton convincingly.
"Honda hopes ASIMO's appearance will draw attention to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's nationally acclaimed youth music programs, and particularly Detroit Symphony Orchestra's effort to encourage and support involvement of children in Detroit," the company, which has previously teamed with the symphony to provide music lessons to Detroit students, told the Detroit News.
ASIMO will conduct "The Impossible Dream" from the musical Man of La Mancha. Perhaps not coincidentally, the same piece of music served as the soundtrack in a humorous 2006 Honda TV commercial, in which a stunt driver pushes various company wares to improbable extremes, culminating with a dive over a waterfall in a Honda motor-propelled speedboat.
Hopefully, the symphony orchestra will provide ASIMO with a crate to stand on, so that the 4-foot-tall device will be able to reach over the podium.
The symphony performance won’t be the first time that Honda’s robots have demonstrated their artistic flair. Here’s an undated YouTube video of ASIMO performing a few spritely dance steps.