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No human controls any of the instruments—yet they play. KAP{F}ELA, created at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of West Bohemia (FEL UWB), is a one-of-a-kind band made entirely of autonomous robots. The entire system was designed, built, and programmed by FEL students. The team worked on everything from the mechanical design of the instruments to the control systems and software. The playing mechanisms were engineered to avoid damaging the instruments, making the entire setup completely non-invasive.

The band showcased its skills at the CO.CON festival, held on Saturday, June 14, at the DEPO2015 venue in Plzeň. The FEL team prepared an all-new playlist specifically for the event, which was themed around sci-fi and fantasy. The audience was treated to iconic tunes from movies and games, including Game of Thrones, Pirates of the Caribbean, DOOM, Super Mario Bros., and of course, the legendary Imperial March from Star Wars. The performance delivered not only technical marvels but also a musical experience built on familiar themes in a truly unusual format.

Participation in events like this provides the KAP{F}ELA team with a valuable opportunity to test the system outside the lab. It also offers essential audience feedback and demonstrates that technical projects can be fun, accessible, and inspiring. The CO.CON gig was also the team’s first experience with sound amplification of the robotic instruments on a larger stage—bringing many practical insights for further development.

The KAP{F}ELA project is supported by the Student Activity Grant (GRAS) and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Modeling at FEL UWB.