Humanoid Robot Drum Motion Planning for Collision-Free Play

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Solution Overview

Problem

Humanoid robots are not suitable for playing musical instruments like drums due to their design focus on precision and accuracy for object manipulation tasks, and existing drum-playing robots have bizarre shapes that interfere with audience immersion.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for generating drum play motion in a humanoid robot, involving identifying melody parts, generating rhythm and assigning notes to hands, scheduling swing times, and controlling joint motions using an artificial neural network and closed-loop inverse kinematics to enable creative and flexible drum play.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If humanoid robots are designed for precision and accuracy in object manipulation tasks, then manipulation precision is improved, but suitability for playing musical instruments deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanipulation precisionVSAvoidsuitability for playing instruments

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by generating real-time drum play motions through scheduled swing times and trajectories for each joint, allowing the robot to adapt its movements to different musical patterns while maintaining precise control. The motion generation system dynamically adjusts joint angles and velocities based on rhythm requirements, enabling the robot to play various instruments with human-like flexibility despite being designed for precision manipulation tasks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If robots are designed with multiple arms to play drums, then drum playing capability is improved, but robot shape becomes bizarre and interferes with audience immersion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrum playing capabilityVSAvoidrobot shape

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements universality by enabling a standard humanoid robot with natural human-like shape to perform drum playing through software-based motion generation. The system uses the robot's existing dual-arm configuration for their intended purposes while generating coordinated drum play motions when needed. This allows the robot to maintain its natural humanoid appearance for audience immersion while acquiring drum playing capability through intelligent motion control rather than physical modification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Manufacturing precision

If drum play motion is generated manually, then motion accuracy is improved, but productivity and flexibility deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemotion accuracyVSAvoiddrum play generation speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies self-service by implementing an automated motion generation system that autonomously creates drum play trajectories without manual programming. The system automatically identifies melody parts, generates rhythms, assigns notes to hands, schedules swing times, and computes joint trajectories based on input music data. This self-service approach maintains motion accuracy through algorithmic precision while dramatically improving productivity by eliminating time-consuming manual motion programming.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical motion programming with an automated computational system. Instead of manually configuring joint angles and timing, the system uses algorithms to generate motion trajectories from musical input. This substitution of manual mechanical programming with automated computational generation maintains accuracy while enabling fast and flexible drum play adaptation to different songs and styles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Ease of operation

If swing time is not scheduled for each hand, then operation simplicity is improved, but hand collision occurs during drum play

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemotion control simplicityVSAvoidhand collision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by scheduling swing times for each hand based on the assigned notes and rhythm patterns. The system calculates the timing and duration of each hand's swing motion to ensure that hands reach their target drums at the correct moment and return before potential collisions. This feedback-based timing coordination maintains operational simplicity by automatically managing hand coordination rather than requiring complex manual control, while preventing harmful hand collisions through precise temporal scheduling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS12569996B2Method and apparatus for automatically generating drum play motion of robot

Publication Date: 2026.03.10 KOREA INST OF SCI & TECH

AI summary

A method of generating a drum play motion of a robot includes generating a plurality of rhythms of a melody, assigning each of a plurality of notes forming a rhythm of each part to one of the right hand and the left hand of the robot, scheduling swing time of each of the right hand and the left hand to which each note is assigned, and generating a trajectory of each of a plurality of joints of the robot for playing the rhythm of each part based on the swing time of each of the right hand and the left hand, and by controlling a motion of each of the plurality of joints according to the trajectory of each of the plurality of joints generated in this way, creative drum play of a humanoid robot may be done when only a melody is input.