Development of Pneumatic Circuit with Intraoral Pressure Control on Humanoid Saxophone Playing Robot

To investigate the human mechanisms involved in musical instrument performance, the humanoid saxophone playing robot was developed. However, there are limitations regarding the performance stability and difficulties in controlling dynamics. To address these issues and ensure stable sound production, an improved pneumatic circuit that combines intraoral pressure control with the existing flow control mechanism was developed in this study. The oral cavity was improved by reforming the frame part with hard materials to increase air tightness and facilitate easier maintenance compared to the previous design. Soft material was partly used to enable tongue movement and cross section change while absorbing echoes in oral cavity. A proportional valve was implemented as the air outlet of the oral cavity to mimic the human act of air inhalation, solving the problem of control delay and enabling smoother note transitions. The improved system allows the robot to deliver a consistent and stable performance, enabling a better musical expression.