World's first robotic LEGO band makes its debut

We've seen some impressive creations that use LEGO pieces to make music in the past, from a drum machine sequencer to a Star Wars-themed barrel organ. More recently though, Italian music producer Giuseppe Acito decided to take the inevitable next step and build a fully working band using the little plastic bricks. The "Toa Mata Band" is made up of several tiny robotic LEGO figures programmed to play a variety of instruments.

Each "member" of the band is constructed from LEGO Bionicle pieces rigged with rubber bands and pulleys. Their arms are controlled by an Arduino Uno connected to an iPad running Nord Beat, a MIDI sequencer app. The tiny bots essentially perform a MIDI sequence by hitting the instrument they're facing when prompted.

So far, Acito has used a range of different synthesizers and drum machines, including some vintage equipment. The way the bots are set up, they can perform a pre-programmed song or play live with a human operator adding commands to the MIDI sequence in real-time.

For now, Acito has made just this one prototype, but he hopes to expand the project much further in the future. Check out the video below to see how a LEGO band comes together to play a catchy beat.

Source: Opificio Sonico