Toyota’s Trumpet Playing Robot will perform “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” from Walt Disney’s animated classic Cinderella as a solo piece. This engineering marvel will then join Maestro Kunzel and the Pops for two medleys that include such seasonal favorites as “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “Joy to the World,” and “Jingle Bells.”
“This is exciting for me and a first for the Pops stage,” said Erich Kunzel. “I’ve worked before with animals and children — but never with a robot!”
This high-energy extravaganza features everything one would expect from a Cincinnati Pops holiday show — singing dancing, a chorus, puppets a bell choir — but with a high-tech twist.
Standing 4 foot 9 inches, Toyota’s Trumpet Playing Robot has artificial lips which replicate the vibration of a human mouth, as well as artificial lungs. This intricate piece of engineering shows how robots can do very sophisticated functions like walking and playing a musical instrument with full dexterity.
“I’ve seen this robot in action – the audience will be amazed,’” said Mr. Kunzel. “We’re honored to be chosen by Toyota to feature this unique and interesting special guest.”
“Toyota is thrilled to showcase this innovative technology which will ultimately improve people’s quality of life in a wonderfully festive and family-friendly environment,” said Tania Saldana of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. “We are excited and honored to have our robot take the stage for the first time with the renowned Cincinnati Pops under the direction of Erich Kunzel.”
Based just south of Cincinnati in Erlanger, Kentucky, Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Inc. is a long-time supporter and community partner of the Cincinnati Pops.
Toyota’s Robot Technology Program
Since its founding, Toyota’s corporate spirit has been “to enrich society through making things.” Based on this spirit, Toyota has been developing human-assisting partner robots as people around the globe are starting to crave better, more diversified lifestyles. These changes are particularly prominent in Japan where dwindling birth rates and a rapidly aging population are underscoring concerns regarding the need to secure a stable labor force for the future in order for its people to be able to enjoy comfortable standards of living. Toyota hopes to contribute to solving this growing problem even if in a small way.
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The Toyota group has been working on industrial robots since the 1970s. Toyota Partner Robots were developed from basic technologies accumulated by various departments since the mid 1990s, with full-scale development beginning in 2000.
Partner robots will assist people in four target fields: manufacturing, medical/nursing care, housekeeping and personal mobility. Toyota believes that the technology incorporated into these partner robots will be a core technology for production and automobile manufacture in the future. -- www.cincinnatisymphony.org
Posted December 6th, 2008 by ruzik_tuzik
