Robotics

A New Revolution - Danielle George's 2014 Christmas Lectures 3/3

The Royal Institution
The Royal Institution•Mar 10, 2026

Why It Matters

The project demonstrates how inexpensive, repurposed technology can democratize robotics and creative production, signaling new opportunities for interdisciplinary education and low‑cost automation in the arts and beyond.

Key Takeaways

  • •Simple electric motors can drive complex robotic musical instruments.
  • •MIDI converts sheet music into robot control signals for orchestration.
  • •Repurposed everyday devices become functional robot musicians for performances.
  • •Demonstrations link Faraday’s historic motor to modern robotics.
  • •Collaborative European effort builds robot orchestra performing Doctor Who theme.

Summary

The Christmas Lectures finale showcased a "robot orchestra" built from simple electric motors, 3‑D‑printed parts and repurposed household devices, all programmed to perform the Doctor Who theme alongside the London Contemporary Orchestra. Professor Danielle George framed the project as a tribute to Michael Faraday’s first electric motor, demonstrating continuous rotation with a mercury‑filled motor before inviting the audience to assemble a basic battery‑magnet‑coil motor.

Over several months, engineers across Europe constructed robotic drums, bass synths, guitars and even a wind‑turbine‑powered generator using a washing‑machine motor. The common thread was the conversion of electrical energy into precise mechanical motion, controlled via MIDI – a digital sheet‑music protocol that translates notes into timed motor commands. Simple hacks, such as using a dot‑matrix printer’s motors for pitch modulation, illustrated how existing technology can be re‑engineered for musical output.

Highlights included a live demonstration with a schoolgirl named Lucy building a motor, a Rubik’s‑cube‑solving robot (Cubtormer 3) that uses camera‑based algorithms to generate move sequences, and a 3‑D‑printed replica of audience member Isa’s head serving as a visual metaphor for digital fabrication. The orchestra’s bass guitar employed solenoids and compressed‑air actuators, while the drum robot responded to programmed MIDI beats, proving that robotics can mimic human timing and dynamics.

The experiment underscores a broader shift: accessible robotics and open‑source software enable interdisciplinary creativity, blurring lines between engineering, music and education. By demystifying motor control and showcasing low‑cost, hackable solutions, the lecture inspires a new generation to explore automation not just for industry, but for artistic expression and sustainable innovation.

Original Description

Inspired by the Royal Institution’s very own Michael Faraday, Danielle George attempts to use simple motors to construct the world’s greatest robot orchestra.
When Michael Faraday demonstrated the first electric motor in 1822, he could never have dreamed that in 2014 we’d be surrounded by mechanical devices capable of performing nearly every human task
In this lecture, Danielle explains how these robotic and motor-driven appliances work and shows how they can be adapted to help you kick start a technological revolution. She shows you how to turn a washing machine into a wind turbine, how Lego can solve a Rubik’s Cube and how the next Mars rover will traverse an alien world.
About the 2014 CHRISTMAS LECTURES
A revolution is happening. Across the world people are taking control of the devices we use every day, customising them, creating new things and using the sparks of their imagination to change the world. Now it’s your turn, and you can start with the things you have around you.
Electrical and electronics engineer, Danielle George takes three great British inventions – a light bulb, a telephone and a motor – and shows you how to adapt them and transform them to do extraordinary things. This is tinkering for the 21st century, using the full array of cutting edge devices that we can lay our hands on: 3D printers, new materials, online collaboration and controlling devices through coding.
Inspired by the great inventors and standing on the shoulders of thousands of people playing at their kitchen table or in their shed, Danielle announces the new rules of invention and shows you how to use modern tools, technologies and things from your home to have fun and make a difference to the world around you.
Anything could happen. Sparks will fly.
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Chapters:
00:00 The Grand Challenge: Building a Robot Orchestra 🎻🤖
03:02 Faraday’s Legacy: The Physics of the First Motor ⚡
07:45 Hacking a Washing Machine into a Wind Turbine 🌀
11:03 Programming Mortimer: The Science of Robotic Rhythm 🥁
13:10 Cubestormer 3: Solving a Rubik's Cube in 3 Seconds 🟩
16:15 Dot Matrix Music: Repurposing Obsolete Tech 🖨️
18:40 3D Printing the Orchestra: From Bass Guitars to Prosthetics 🎸
26:38 The Feedback Loop: Playing the Theremin with AI 📡
31:18 Autonomous Navigation: Bruno the Mars Rover 🚀
43:10 Swarm Intelligence: Pixelbots and Collective Motion 🐝
49:15 Solving Latency: How to Sync a Robot Ensemble ⏱️
54:20 The Finale: The Robot Orchestra Performs Doctor Who 🌌🎶
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