Asimo to lead Detroit symphony orchestra

After being named world champion of Crave's nonviolent robot tournament, most robots would probably have been content to rest on their laurels, put on a little weight, and settle into a sad, drug-addled existence only to wake up 10 years later and realize that they're out of money, and their fans have moved on. But Honda Motor's Asimo is not like most robots.

(Credit: Honda)

After handily taking that title, Asimo has a new role now. He'll be conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on May 13, leading the orchestra on just one song, "Impossible Dream" from Lost in La Mancha.

Famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma will also be performing that night, though not on that particular number. Both celebrity appearances are part of a program that will benefit music programs at Detroit schools. Honda has given more than $1 million to the symphony orchestra to create The Power of Dreams Music Education Fund, which will help fund master classes, an introductory class, and private lessons for Detroit students. (More details on the program are here.)

You may remember that a few months ago, Toyota unveiled a robot that can play the violin. Let's just hope that the two companies don't team up, or those music-loving robots are bound to figure out that they can get rid of us pesky humans altogether.

[xZero2007x]

I'm actually still more impressed with the robot in Japan that can play the trumpet. They have that one up in the Toyota headquarters factory in Nagoya. Though it wasn't the best accenting I've heard on a trumpet, it played it well and demonstrated that it could play the more intricate techniques--or at least better than I could at the moment.

[ice_man01]

Just a FYI, I'm pretty sure the songs from "Man of La Mancha" the . Lost in La Mancha was a movie made in the UK in 2002. and from what I can tell,not a musical.
Thanks
ice_man01

[muskratboy]

good call, ice_man... that's a pretty silly mistake. doesn't anybody besides the author bother to read these things before posting?

Man of La Mancha is a classic musical based on the spanish novel "Don Quixote."

"Lost in La Mancha" is a documentary about a failed Terry Gilliam movie project about Don Quixote.

derp.