The Development of Robotic Musical Instruments in Japan: A Historical Perspective

Improvements in control theory, image processing and voice recognition technologies in recent years have broadened the applications of robots from industrial technology to entertainment purposes. Moreover, as advances in AI technologies have made human–robot interactive communication more feasible, various companies have begun to release small robots that can be used on a personal level. The term ‘robotic musical instruments’ or ‘musical robots’ is generally used for a wide range of musical machines that produce music autonomously using various kinds of mechanical parts. In the 1980s, a project team at Waseda University in Tokyo/Japan developed the piano robot, the WABOT-2, a pioneer musical humanoid with the ability to communicate with humans. Since then, various research institutions have been conducting research and development on robotic musical instruments. In recent years, the robotic musical instruments have been developed for application in three areas: entertainment, medical and nursing care, and education. This article focuses on the development of robotic musical instruments in Japan, particularly in the fields of entertainment and medical and nursing care, providing an overview of the background and characteristics of their development along with the creators’ objectives. It also considers questions regarding the relationship between humans, musical instruments and music.