Abstract
This article introduces an experimental robotic setup designed to investigate the performance and sound production of flutes. The flute, renowned for its intricate mechanism enabling musicians to dynamically adjust various parameters, yields a diverse range of rich sounds. A key feature of the flute involves the embouchure—the shaping of the air channel by the musician's lips—providing control over airflow, velocity, distance to the labium, inclination, and position. The robotic testbed manipulates critical parameters of the sound-producing system, incorporating an artificial mouth and a motorized mechanism for adjusting jet length, incident angle, and offset. Specialized software aids in route planning, visualization, and description of the controllable parameter trajectories, also generating automatic positions based on a predefined dictionary. Experimental findings showcase the robot's proficiency in playing simple melodies and producing harmonically rich sounds within the specified range. Spectrogram analysis reveals successful reproduction of intended pitches and timbres. This robotic testbed emerges as a valuable tool for delving into the acoustics of the flute and the interaction between performers and flutes. It provides a robust platform for composers to create music that surpasses normal human capabilities and contributes to the comprehension and design of these intricate instruments.