‘Drummer’ humanoid that can outplay humans

August 12, 2025

A team of researchers from Switzerland and Italy has developed a humanoid drummer capable of learning and playing complex rhythms live using reinforcement learning instead of pre-programmed sequences. Unlike traditional robotic systems, this drummer interprets drum sheet music as “rhythmic chains of contacts,” enabling natural human-like adaptations such as alternating hand usage or crossing hands while playing.

Training was conducted in a highly precise simulation using MIDI recordings from various musical genres, allowing the robot to build extremely accurate timing and expressive playing skills. The system coordinates up to 15 degrees of freedom in the upper body, planning movements across the entire drum set to maintain rhythm and spatial accuracy.

The result is impressive — the robot achieves over 90% rhythmic accuracy, matches skilled human drummers, and effortlessly performs demanding transitions and fast note sequences.

The next step is transferring these skills from simulation (tested on the Unitree G1 platform) to a physical robot capable of playing acoustic drums, performing live with bands, and improvising in real-time. This project is part of a broader trend moving from rigid programming to autonomous, adaptive learning in robotics.

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