Yes, robots are taking over. We all know that. Just look at recent presidential primary results.
And now they are taking over shamisen:
http://atelier.tkrworks.net/controller2794
Careful! Was the Roomba reading over your shoulder?
Oh No!! Another version has been built - faster, higher and stronger than ever before:
Oh my… I know who will be all over this thing. Hey BH!!!
It kinda reminds me of a button accordion! Personally, I think the giant ice scraper would be easier to adapt to, but the potential magic is up to the person behind it!
Interesting and fun to see that Yumiko Tanaka had a part in it. It’s true that she’s a gidayu shamisen player (as it says), but she’s actually much more than that. Probably the most eclectic, avant garde and open-minded players I know (right up there with Kevin). Makes sense that she had a hand in that project! 
Yeah she seems to be an awesome woman now I also have to look up “Kitchen Drinkers” and her japanese improv cd for starters . . .
Pauline Oliveros collaborated with several builders over the years to make instruments that could be played by folks who couldn’t play standard instruments, either because of physical or mental impediments. The robot shamisen falls in that spectrum of adaptive instruments. I’m all for folks making music anyway they can.