The Waseda Flutist Robot WF-4RII in Comparison with a Professional Flutist

The development of anthropomorphic ("humanoid") robots is inspired by the ancient dream of humans' replicating themselves. However, human behaviors are difficult to explain and model. Owing to the evolution of computers, electronics, and signal processing, this ancient dream is becoming a reality. In fact, current humanoid robots are able to perform activities such as dancing (Ogura et al. 2004) and playing musical instruments (Kato et al. 1987; Kajitani 1989), etc. However, these mechanical devices are still far from understanding and processing emotional states as humans do.