Improvisation based on imitating human players by a robotic acoustic musical device ROMI built as a self playing compound acoustic musical robot

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Thesis Type: Doctorate

Institution Of The Thesis: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Turkey

Approval Date: 2013

Student: KUBİLAY AYDIN

Supervisor: AYDAN MÜŞERREF ERKMEN

Abstract:

In this thesis we introduce the robotic device ROMI together with its control architecture, the musical state representation and focus on parameter estimation for imitation of duo players by ROMI. ROMI is aimed at jointly playing two instruments that belong to two different classes and improvises while assisting others in an orchestral performance. A new improvisation algorithm based on parameter estimation process for the imitation control is introduced. This new improvisation algorithm adds the capability of velocity control and polyphonic music processing on top of existing improvisation algorithms. The musical state representation we have developed for controlling ROMI is a feature extractor for learning to imitate human players in a duet. ROMI’s intelligent control architecture also has the ability to provide sample owners’ identification and performance training.