An orchestra-conducting robot mesmerizes the audience in South Korea with its performance.

In a remarkable debut performance in Seoul, South Korea, a domestically developed robot took center stage as an orchestra conductor, captivating a sold-out audience. The robot, named 'EveR 6', stood at an impressive height of five feet and ten inches (1.8m) as it directed over 60 musicians from the National Orchestra of Korea, who played traditional Korean instruments. Throughout the event, EveR 6 flawlessly guided the compositions, both independently and in collaboration with a human conductor stationed beside it, providing half an hour of entertainment to more than 950 enthralled spectators at the National Theater of Korea.

The robot made a grand entrance, emerging from beneath the stage on a lift and gracefully turning to face the audience, prompting a shower of applause. During the performance, its unwavering blue eyes remained fixed on the musicians, synchronized with the music by nodding its head in rhythm. "I had concerns about whether this robot could handle the task flawlessly," shared Kim Ji-min, a 19-year-old music student. "But I was amazed at how well it harmonized with the musicians... It felt like a whole new world for me."

While previous instances of robotic conductors leading musical performances have occurred, such as the 2017 concert in Italy conducted by the robot YuMi, this marked the first time that South Koreans witnessed a robotic conductor taking the stage. Developed by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, EveR 6 was programmed to replicate the movements of a human conductor using motion capture technology. However, the robot currently lacks the ability to listen or improvise in real-time.

The engineers behind EveR 6 are presently working on enhancing the robot's capabilities to perform gestures that are not pre-programmed, as mentioned by Lee Dong-wook, the robot's engineer. Achieving real-time improvisation and communication with musicians is viewed as the next significant milestone, as expressed by Song Joo-ho, a music columnist who attended the performance.