In recent years, robots have been taking on a number of tasks previously considered impossible, and along the way proving us wrong about the extent of their capabilities. Well, last night the humanoid robot known as YuMi--a clever combination of the words'you and me'--did just that when he conducted the Lucca Philharmonic Orchestra at the Verdi Theatre in Pisa, Italy. Also present was Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Rehearsals were allowed for the robot to memorize and incorporate the precise hand movements and gestures used by resident conductor Andrea Colombini. This was assuming, no doubt, that the musicians were able to maintain a consistent tempo.

On Tuesday evening a robot took the stage of the Verdi Theater in Pisa, Italy. The robot was there to conduct the Lucca Philharmonic orchestra for three of the 18 arrangements that night. The event was part of the International Robotics Festival there. The robot was created by the Swiss company ABB and its name, YuMi, stands for "You and Me." The description of the bot says it's "working together to create endless possibilities." It was introduced to the market in 2015.

Just a month after humanoid robot Pepper conducted a Buddhist burial ceremony, a robo-contemporary has conducted the world-renowned Lucca Philharmonic orchestra alongside operatic greats such as Andrea Bocelli. Do robots need a heart to complete tasks of passion? As shown by YuMi, the robotic maestro designed by Swiss Firm ABB, maybe not. Under the fresco-covered ceiling of a theatre in Pisa, Italy, the two-armed YuMi directed a program titled "A breath of hope: from the Stradivarius to the robot" for guests attending the first International Festival of Robotics. YuMi's movements are incredibly fluid and nuanced -- as you'd expect the gestures of a world-class composer to be -- with the orchestra's resident conductor Andrea Colombini saying that "everything was perfect, especially in the length and in the speed of the gesture, which is very important."

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli's voice soared to the rafters of a Tuscan theatre, but all eyes were on YuMi, the automated conductor beside him. The robot with the apparent penchant for Verdi took part in a world first, using its two mechanical arms to direct the orchestra. The Swiss-designed system swept its baton skywards with one hand, while the other curved around in a caress spurring on the strings as the operatic La Donna E' Mobile, or Woman Is Fickle, reached its climax. Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli's (front of stage) voice soared to the rafters of a Tuscan theatre on Tuesday, but all eyes were on YuMi, the automated conductor beside him (foreground of image) during a world first performance by a two armed robotic maestro YuMi, whose name is derived from the phrase'you and me', was taught all the movements by conductor Andrea Colombani. He held its arms in rehearsals so the computer could memorise the correct gestures.

PISA, ITALY – Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli's voice soars to the rafters of the Tuscan theater, but all eyes are on the orchestral conductor beside him -- a robot with an apparent penchant for Verdi. The concert in the heart of Pisa is a world first, with two mechanical "arms" conducting live music at the grand finale of the first International Festival of Robotics. The Swiss-designed YuMi sweeps its baton skyward with one hand, while the other curves around in a caress that spurs on the strings as the operatic "La Donna E' Mobile" ("Woman Is Fickle") reaches its climax. But music lovers beware: YuMi can conduct set pieces, but cannot improvise, react or interact with the musicians. "It was extremely difficult to train," says Andrea Colombini, the conductor of the Lucca Philharmonic Orchestra, which performed with Bocelli and soprano Maria Luigia Borsi on Tuesday.