Drumming Meets Animatronics Engineering – This Robot Drummer searches for a flat surface to play on, taps the object to determine if it produces a suitable sound through its microphone, and begins playing a rhythm. The robot will also play a beat along after detecting the rhythm of someone clapping their hands or stomping their foot, transmitting sound through its top-mounted speaker.  Videos of the Yellow Drum Machine in action may be found at letsmakerobots.com.

Click this link for a discussion of the design and programing details by the robot’s builder.
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Click HERE for an informative article about the Robot Drummer (letsmakerobots.com)
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What does the Yellow Drum Machine Do? 

•  The Yellow Drum Machine navigates its territory, moving with the aid of object sensors and its yellow tracks.
• The YDM collects data as it is travelling so that it avoids obstacles in the future.
• It finds “a single isolated object or a wide flat surface that it can find an angle onto” to use as a playing surface.
• The YDM navigates into place so that it can reach it’s playing surface. It then plays some beats on the surface, while taking audio samples.
• After determining if it has found a suitable playing surface (using the sound sample), the YDM composes a rhythm and plays along with the recorded sample.
• If someone near the robot makes a loud sound (such as shouting or clapping), the robot replays the sampled sound through its speaker and plays a rhythm along to the sound.

Cost to build:
$120
Time to build:
20 hours
Actuators / output devices: 6 geared motors in total, 2 speakers, sound sampler
Control method: Autonomous
CPU: Picaxe 28
Operating system: Picaxe basic
Power source: 4 AA batteries
Programming language: Picaxe basic
Sensors / input devices: SRF05, microphone
Target environment: anywhere there is something to play on