Technology Review: Toyota shows new violin-playing robot

Compared to a virtuoso, its rendition was a trifle stilted and, well, robotic. But Toyota\’s new robot plays a pretty solid \’\'Pomp and Circumstance\’\’ on the violin.

The 152-centimeter (five-foot)-tall all-white robot, shown Thursday, used its mechanical fingers to push the strings correctly and bowed with its other arm, coordinating the movements well.

Toyota Motor Corp. has already shown robots that roll around to work as guides and have fingers dexterous enough play the trumpet.

Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said robotics will be a core business for the company in coming years. Toyota will test out its robots at hospitals, Toyota-related facilities and other places starting next year, he said. And the company hopes to put what it calls \’\'partner robots\’\’ to real use by 2010, he said.