A-HOGE, a music robot developed by @goto_statement, performs melodies on a set of calculators. (Image Credit: @goto_statement)
This fun project had me thinking I should have explored the idea of music creation with my "Scary Tapping" project here at element14.
Have you ever seen a robot play Mozart, but with calculators? This impressive 'A-HOGE' musical robot, developed by Twitter user @goto_statement, can play various well-known masterpieces by famous composers. The machine features four robotic arms, controlled by a combination of stepper and servo motor mechanisms. A-HOGE produces different musical sounds by sitting in front of perfectly aligned calculators and pressing their keys.
While @goto_statement built the robot, the entire concept came from hitome, who uses calculators to play melodies. The developer even posted a video that shows A-HOGE performing one of Mozart's well-known compositions, the Turkish March.
The robot relies on steppe and servo motor mechanisms to move its arms so that it can hit calculators keys, which produce a different note. (Image Credit: @goto_statement)
That's not the only composition the musical robot can play, however. As demonstrated on the YouTube channel, it also performs canon in D (Pachelbel's canon) and a cruel angel's thesis, the opening theme from neon genesis Evangelion, a famous anime series.
Each video shows A-HOGE hitting calculator keys with enormous momentum. Of course, as you might expect, each key produces a different note. The entire project could be characterized as an electronic musical instrument, where the keystrokes produce a better sound than the melody. This whole setup, including A-HOGE's precision and momentum that cannot be reproduced by human hands, is very entertaining. The sound and arm movement that follows the flow of each melody is certainly visually appealing.
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