Toyota shows off violin playing robot

Toyota today unveiled a violin playing robot.

The 5ft (152cm) tall robot, uses its mechanical fingers to push the strings correctly and bows with its other arm, co-ordinating the movements well.

Toyota Motor Corp has already shown robots that roll around to work as guides and have fingers dexterous enough to play the trumpet.

Company president Katsuaki Watanabe said robotics will be a core business for the company.

Toyota will test out its robots at hospitals, Toyota-related facilities and other places starting next year, he said. And the firm hopes to put partner robots to real use by 2010.

“We want to create robots that are useful for people in everyday life,” he told reporters at a Toyota showroom in Tokyo.