If you need a violin player who won't charge a fortune and won't complain if your shindig goes on later than expected, Toyota has the answer: the Violin-Playing robot. This fiddle on the hoof arrives just in time for Christmas with a repertoire of carols.
Standing at 1.5m tall and with 17 joints in each of its hands and arms, the Violin-Playing robot uses human-like dexterity to knock out a few tunes.
Toyota has also come up with a new Mobility Robot, which can move at up to 4mph and travel 13 miles on a single charge. As the user sits in the chair, the robot can either follow instructions or make its own way by avoiding obstacles.
Neither robot has anything to do with making cars, but Toyota says the new hand skills of the Violin-Playing Robot could find a use in helping with medical care. Toyota isn't talking prices yet but it does say the two robots will be on sale in the next five years.
Alisdair Suttie
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