Shimon is a robotic marimba player that actively listens to the other musicians, not just playing pre-programmed music.

Shimon was created by Guy Hoffman from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Guy’s website states the following:

Using a novel gesture-based improvisation and motor control system, the robot listens to the human play and tries to match its beat, sync, and themes. It uses choreographic gestures to generate both motion and sound.

Guy is also the creator of AUR, a Robotic Desk Lamp.

Watch Guy and Shimon perform Duke Jordan’s “Jordu” after the break.

Link via (Gizmodo)