Robot Learns Orchestral Conducting Using Motion Capture Technology

Researchers from a Korean company hope that the robot, which will make its public debut with the National Orchestra of Korea in June, will be able to serve as a pedagogical tool in the future

The Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) has been developing a human-like robot that can accurately mimic the gestural language of orchestral conductors. Named "EveR6", the robot will appear before the public when it leads a performance by the National Orchestra of Korea on June 30, 2023.

Researchers program the robot's movements by collecting information about trajectory and speed from human conductors. This is done through the use of motion capture technology, in which the researchers place sensors onto the human conductor's body to collect useful data.

KITECH's conducting robot is the first project of its kind in South Korea, though robots have been trialed as conductors in Japan (Asimo, 2008; Alter 2, 2018; Alter 3, 2020) and Switzerland (Yumi, 2017).

At this stage, EveR6 is only capable of following a predetermined program, and so every gesture is planned in advance. In other words, every performance the robot gives will be identical, unless the researchers choose to program in a different version of the same piece.

In time, however, KITECH staffer Dr Lee Dong-wook anticipates that the robot will be able to collate data taken from a much larger set of human conductors, and will thereby be able to serve as a tool for those learning to conduct for the first time.

The company hopes that the robot's performance will invite audiences to reflect on the uniqueness of human creative endeavors.

Below, you can view some Korean-language footage depicting the processes used to train the robot.