Design of flutist robot for acoustical experimentation and analysis of flute-like instruments
Fernando Hurtado García-Huidobro · 2024
In the last decades, research in flute acoustics has been torn into understanding the relationship between the musician and their instrument and explaining how they interact with each other. Various experiments with flutes have been undertaken to explore this relationship, leading to partial descriptions of their interaction. However, the acquisition of data has been constrained by the unavailability of a comprehensive system capable of exerting control over all relevant variables independently for their analysis. The limitations become evident when observing human players, who, when measured, tend to approach musical tasks differently each time and lack the ability to independently manipulate each parameter. Given this situation, a robotic system that replaces the human instrumentalists in their roles as providers of the conditions to experiment with flute acoustics is proposed. The whole system model is described in detail. A system of airflow with an artificial mouth that channels the air into the labium is proposed, along with a displacement system that allows moving the artificial mouth around the embouchure of the instrument, and a mechanismthat emulates the musician’s fingers acting on the keys of the instrument. The system was implemented, and then three experiments were conducted to characterize its performance. The results show the usefulness of the proposed approach, which can effectively reproduce the conditions required to produce sound with a flute with precision and consistency.