UK Artists Invent 'Neurotic' Robot Band

Cybraphon mimics a neurotic indie band by obsessing over its online presence and knocking out tunes to express its fluctuating moods, Wired reports. Designed by three UK artists, Cybraphon is a musical robot stuffed with an organ, cymbals, a Macbook Pro—and a highly volatile emotion meter. "The Cybraphon has an almost egotistical desire for fame,” says one of its inventors.

Built into an antique wardrobe, Cybraphon combs the Web to assess its daily popularity and check comments on its blog. It also feels passersby with a motion detector and plays for them—but ultimately slips into despair when disillusionment sets in. Says another of its creators: “I’m surprised that the Cybraphon, a highly neurotic beast with some questionable electrical wiring, hasn’t hit self destruct yet."
(More indie pop stories.)