Mechatronic students at the University of Stuttgart, led by graduate engineer Jan Schlechtendahl, implemented systems to robotically play a guitar and keyboard interpreting MIDI files using the Sercos automation bus. The Sercos Guitar made its debut in the Sercos booth at Hannover Fair 2011 and appeared again at the 2011 SPS/IPC/Drive show in Nuremberg. The Sercos Keyboard joined the guitar at the 2012 Hannover Fair.
Here is more information on both instruments and links to YouTube videos.
Sercos Guitar
A guitar has six strings. Humans need ten fingers, hundreds of thousands of sensory nerves and billions of neurons to play it. Machines just need
sercos.
The Sercos robotic guitar is played by a system that interprets MIDI files using the Sercos automation bus. It uses an MLP industrial control from Bosch Rexroth and bus terminals from Phoenix Contact to actuate a group of lifting solenoids via Sercos commands. Six pluck the strings and 24 operate the finger board. The system played a number of tunes from its repertoire at the show.
The sercos guitar will go on tour, to be exhibited at a number of tradeshows around the world this year.
Sercos Keyboard
A robotic keyboard is joining the Sercos guitar in the Sercos Robotic Band. The robotic musicians were developed and constructed by students at the University of Stuttgart with the assistance of the Institute for Control Engineering and Bosch Rexroth.
The keyboard has two hands, each with 16 fingers. They move across the keyboard on separate rails, allowing them to cross each other. To exactly hit the keys, fast horizontal movements with precise stops were a special challenge. The students installed Bosch Rexroth linear inverters, IndraDrive CS drives and bus couplers. The complex sequences are coordinated by the Sercos automation bus. The keyboard and guitar will be appearing together at several exhibitions this year, with their debut as an ensemble at Hannover Fair 2012.
