“The ad might read, ‘Percussionist wanted, preferably marimba player, for jazz-influenced band. Must be able to improvise, bob head and wear metal,” writes CNN Reporter Valerie Streit in her April 29, 2010 story. “And the perfect candidate? It may be Shimon, a marimba-playing robot that, despite having four arms, is remarkably human. It has a shiny aluminum-steel head that bobs with the music and acknowledges other people when they’re nearby.”
And, when the new ZOOZbeat app launched in October 2009, CNN Reporter John Sutter wrote: “The iPhone’s accelerometer, which allows users to control apps by titling the phone, makes the ZOOZbeat app possible, said [Dr.] Gil Weinberg, director of the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology and founder of ZOOZbeat.”
Gil appears on the Science Channel series Popular Science’s Future of: on the episode devoted to Pleasure which premieres 9 pm ET/PT Monday, November 2, 2009. This episode air again 1 pm ET/PT Saturday, January 26, 2010 on the Science Channel.
The segment was filmed in June at the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology. Gil introduces you to Haile: a robotic percussionist that can listen to live musicians, analyze their music in real-time and play back in an improvisational manner. (Really! You must see!)
Dr. Gil Weinberg (left) with Baratunde Thurston
Haile was developed by Gil; and Scott Driscoll (a GA Tech engineering student at the time) and now ZOOZbeat Musician Technologist. PopSci’s The Future of Pleasure Host Baratunde Thurston interviews Gil and Haile. (Okay; actually just Gil; just Haile another year or two …) Bonus video: The Discovery Channel — sister channel to the Science channel — previously featured Haile, Gil and Scott. Watch this 90 second clip (used by permission of Science Channel).
