The interactive robotic percussionist - new developments in form, mechanics, perception and interaction design

We present new developments in the improvisational robotic percussionist project, aimed at improving human-robot interaction through design, mechanics, and perceptual modeling. Our robot, named Haile, listens to live human players, analyzes perceptual aspects in their playing in real-time, and uses the product of this analysis to play along in a collaborative and improvisatory manner. It is designed to combine the benefits of computational power in algorithmic music with the expression and visual interactivity of acoustic playing. Haile´s new features include an anthropomorphic form, a linear-motor based robotic arm, a novel perceptual modeling implementation, and a number of new interaction schemes. The paper begins with an overview of related work and a presentation of goals and challenges based on Haile´s original design. We then describe new developments in physical design, mechanics, perceptual implementation, and interaction design, aimed at improving human-robot interactions with Haile. The paper concludes with a description of a user study, conducted in an effort to evaluate the new functionalities and their effectiveness in facilitating expressive musical human-robot interaction. The results of the study show correlation between human´s and Haile´s rhythmic perception as well as user satisfaction regarding Haile´s perceptual and mechanical abilties. The study also indicates areas for improvement such as the need for better timbre and loudness control and more advance and responsive interaction schemes.