Public defence: Mojtaba Karbasi

Master Seyed Mojtaba Karbasi at the Department of Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, is defending the thesis ZRob; Exploring Rhythmic Patterns and Emergent Behaviour in Robotic Drumming for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor.

Mojtaba Karbasi on the right, RITMO logo on the left

Trial lecture

"AI in music technology to improve human creativity”.

Time and place: November 29,  2024 11:15 AM CET. Forsamlingssalen, Harald Schjelderups hus.

Main research findings

This thesis investigates how robots can learn to play drums, showing that intelligent and creative behaviour can emerge from the robot’s physical design and its interactions. A robot named ZRob was developed with a flexible gripper that can exploit the dynamics of the body and environment for creating emergent rhythmic patterns. By using machine learning, specifically reinforcement learning, ZRob learns rhythmic patterns through interaction. By trial and error, it adapts and improves, sometimes producing surprising and unique rhythms. This study suggests that robots like ZRob can go beyond following set patterns—they can become creative performers in their own way. These findings open possibilities for robots not only as precise, automated musicians but as collaborative partners capable of enhancing human music performances.

Adjudication committee

  • Professor Sylvie Gibet, University of Bretagne Sud, France
  • Associate Professor Daniel Overholt, Aalborg University, Denmark
  • Professor Michael Welzl, University of Oslo, Norway

Supervisors

  • Professor Jim T?rresen, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway

  • Professor Alexander Refsum Jensenius, University of Oslo, Norway

  • Professor Emeritus Rolf Inge God?y, University of Oslo, Norway

Chair of defence

Associate Professor Ragnhild Kobro Runde, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo

Contact information at Department: Mozhdeh Sheibani Harat 

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Published Nov. 15, 2024 12:46 PM - Last modified Nov. 15, 2024 12:46 PM