Beyond Auto-Tune: Japanese Robot Learns How to Sing By Mimicking Pop Stars

Modern pop music is packed to the brim with machine-aided singers, probably more than we can even imagine. But what happens when the machines start singing for themselves? HRP-4, the first ever divabot, is a Japanese fembot programmed to sing. With an assortment of software enhancements, HRP-4 mimics pop singers down to their every last breath and facial tic.

A piece of software called VocaListener is used to synthesize the notes of a singer and a program called Vocawatcher analyzes a singer�s facial tics as she sings, translating the vocal and performance style into robot language. But is the entertainment industry ready to compete with a robotic pop star? If it will make them money, I’m sure they won’t have a problem.

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