Instead of years of rehearsing in a garage or a band member’s parent’s basement, CyberOne is simply provided a digital MIDI file for a performance, which is used to extract and determine the drum beats that need to be played. The robot’s arms and legs have the range of movement needed to play a full drum kit, but there are a few things that have to be taken into a consideration for a performance.
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Which limb is hitting which piece of the drum kit is the most important, but the robot has to also ensure there won’t be any unwanted collisions while playing, either with the instrument, or its own limbs, which may be simultaneously reaching for another part of the kit. It’s something the human brain does subconsciously and automatically, but a robot playing the drums requires far more pre-planning.
The speed limitations of the robot’s movements also have to be taken into account when planning its performance, because playing the drums is really all about timing, and each drum or cymbal hit has to be in perfect sequence and happen at a very specific time. Admittedly, CyberOne’s performance isn’t going to impress any music fans—it definitely sounds like a musician who just enrolled in drumming 101—but it does help demonstrate the potential and adaptability of a humanoid robot, and helps Xiaomi further justify the millions its already spent on developing CyberOne.