Music

RoboTar ushers in the era of Robotic Rock, maybe

RoboTar ushers in the era of Robotic Rock, maybe
RoboTar in action at Maker Faire
RoboTar in action at Maker Faire
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The innards of RoboTar
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The innards of RoboTar
Robotar covers the first four frets of a standard guitar
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Robotar covers the first four frets of a standard guitar
Robotar connects to a floor pedal and app via Bluetooth
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Robotar connects to a floor pedal and app via Bluetooth
RoboTar in action at Maker Faire
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RoboTar in action at Maker Faire
The device connects to a PC or Android device via Bluetooth
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The device connects to a PC or Android device via Bluetooth
The device connects to a PC or Android device via Bluetooth
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The device connects to a PC or Android device via Bluetooth
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Of all the robots spotted at last month's Bay Area Maker Faire, the non-descript RoboTar definitely had the most distinctive groove. RoboTar is a robotic guitar hand that attaches to the neck of your instrument and takes care of that tricky fret work allowing for a new way to learn, play one-handed or even encourage experimentation for more experienced players.

At the RoboTar booth, I watched one newbie youngster pick up a guitar for the first time with the device in place and strum out some Led Zeppelin chords with seeming ease.

The unit itself is contained within what's essentially a plastic box fastened on the guitar neck. The system connects to software running as an app on an Android device or on a PC via Bluetooth. It can be programmed to play standard chords or any other chord you could dream up, including those that would be physically impossible for a human to play.

The device can be controlled while playing by pressing a pedal with your foot, which will trigger RoboTar to move to the next chord shape in a pre-programmed sequence.

Robotar covers the first four frets of a standard guitar
Robotar covers the first four frets of a standard guitar

This little musical hack is the creation of Kevin Krumwiede, who told me it was inspired by a lifetime guitarist who lost the use of his left hand after a debilitating stroke. Krumwiede is currently in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign to move his technology from prototype to production. He pitches it as a worthy teaching tool, a means of one-handed play for those with disabilities, and a way for seasoned guitarists and composers to accompany themselves.

RoboTar does have its limitations, as it only works on the first four frets of a standard guitar. The crowdfunding campaign still has a few weeks to go, but to get an assembled prototype you'll have to pledge at least US$319 and hope the project meets its rather ambitious $230,000 goal.

This might not be the device that introduces robot rock stars to the culture, but it could one day be seen as the godfather of robotic rock that was just a little ahead of its time.

Check out some robot tunes in the video below.

Source: Kickstarter

RoboTar Examples

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4 comments
4 comments
Bruce H. Anderson
Not quite the Clippard Air Guitar, but an interesting solution.
Daniel Gregory
oh, the horror!
Michael Johnson
save your money... get some lessons...
Kevin Krumwiede
Bruce Daniel and Michael... RoboTar was created so those who can't play guitar have an option. RoboTar is not intended to be an automatic guitar (like the Clippard) and it is not intended to take the place of lessons. In fact, even for beginners, the more you know about song structure, chord setup, the fretboard, strumming, rhythm and finger picking, the more options you will have playing using RoboTar. There are now people in 7 countries around the world that lost the ability to play guitar due to stroke, cancer or injury that are playing guitar and singing with their music again because of RoboTar. Hope that helps with the concept.