DESCRIPTION
The WF-4 (Waseda Flutist No. 4) is an anthropomorphic flutist robot developed in 2003 by the Takanishi Laboratory at Waseda University, the fourth generation of a flute-playing line begun in 1990. Its mechanical design mirrors the human organs needed to play the instrument - lungs, neck, lips, fingers, tonguing and vibrato - with the aim of clarifying the flute-playing mechanism from an engineering viewpoint and enabling communication with people at an emotional level. The earlier WF-3 controlled the air beam by turning the posture of the flute, which disrupted the beam and made performance unstable. WF-4 introduced a new lip mechanism that steers the air beam accurately without moving the instrument, improving the quality of the sound. The robot is built for human-mimetic performance and real-time interaction, collaborating with a human flute player through a MIDI accompaniment system. A professional flutist, Mr. Wakamatsu, served as the project's technical adviser. WF-4 was one of three institute robots invited to demonstrate at the Lille 2004 Robots! exhibition.
FEATURES
- Fourth-generation anthropomorphic flutist robot, developed in 2003.
- Mechanically reproduces human lungs, neck, lips, fingers, tonguing and vibrato.
- New lip mechanism steers the air beam without moving the flute, unlike the WF-3.
- Built for real-time interaction and collaboration with a human flute player.
- MIDI accompaniment and tone generation system.
- Developed with professional flutist Mr. Wakamatsu as technical adviser.
- Part of a Waseda flute-robot line begun in 1990.
- Selected for the Lille 2004 Robots! exhibition.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
| Mobility | |
| Movement Type | Bipedal |
|---|---|
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
| Mobility | |
| Movement Type | Bipedal |
|---|---|
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the WF-4?
The WF-4 (Waseda Flutist No. 4) is an anthropomorphic flutist robot developed in 2003 by the Takanishi Laboratory at Waseda University, the fourth generation of a flute-playing line begun in 1990.
Who makes the WF-4?
The WF-4 is made by Waseda University, a robotics company based in Japan.
How much does the WF-4 cost?
Waseda University has not publicly announced pricing for the WF-4. You can enquire through RobotAIGeek for current pricing.
What is the WF-4 used for?
The WF-4 is designed for research. It is used in research settings.
When was the WF-4 released?
The WF-4 was released in 2003.
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