Jazz robot that improvises?
Robot musician improvises, jams with humans
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) – The ad might read, “Percussionist wanted, preferably marimba player, for jazz-influenced band. Must be able to improvise, bob head and wear metal.”
And the perfect candidate? It may be Shimon, a marimba-playing robot that, despite having four arms, is remarkably human. It has a shiny aluminum-steel head that bobs with the music and acknowledges other people when they’re nearby.
Like any jazz impresario, Shimon can listen to music, analyze its structure and improvise with other musicians. But instead of lifelong musical training, Shimon relies on complex algorithms to identify tempo, beats, chord progressions and melodic dissonance and consonance.</em>
A machine that can improvise jazz? Anyone who has ever played an instrument can’t help but be amazed.
