Godfried‐Willem Raes

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About

Godfried-Willem Raes is a pioneering figure in experimental music and robotic musicianship, best known as the founder and director of the Logos Foundation in Ghent, Belgium. His primary research areas encompass robotic musical instrument design, automated performance systems, and the intersection of human-machine interaction in live music. Raes’s most significant contribution is the creation of the "Man and Machine" robot orchestra, a collection of over 60 custom-built automata that play traditional and novel instruments with uncanny precision. His seminal 2011 paper, which has garnered 41 citations, offers a comprehensive overview of this orchestra, detailing the motivation behind each automaton and how they extend the expressive possibilities of acoustic instruments through automation. Beyond technical innovation, Raes’s work challenges conventional notions of performance and authorship, positioning machines as collaborative partners rather than mere tools. His achievements include numerous international performances and installations that have influenced both the fields of computer music and robotic art. With a career spanning decades, Raes remains a central figure in the development of autonomous musical systems, inspiring new generations of artists and engineers to explore the creative potential of robotics.