It may seem as though in-store robot scenarios need to be deployed at scale and at great cost, but even independent retailers can benefit from innovative solutions on an individual level. Toronto-based 2unify has created the 2unify Stand, a fully automated, hands-free robotic guitar tuning device.
“Our customers have been amazed because they’ve never seen anything for tuning that’s fully hands-free,” says 2unify Co-founder Michael Jobity, when speaking to Dealerscope at the recent Collision Conference. “Existing solutions for guitar tuning require integration into the guitar itself or active participation by a human, and human guitar tuners can be expensive.”
At around $1,000 Canadian ($810 U.S. dollars), the Stand is priced well for guitar stores, music studios, and schools. Powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to listen for tones and sense where it is, the Stand’s robotic hands strum and individually turn each peg until the guitar is tuned. The device can tune several guitars of differing sizes and styles in five to 20 seconds at most, depending on how out of tune a guitar is, which is faster than many humans.
“We’ve been selling mostly to music businesses because they generally have a large volume of guitars,” says Jobity, “but also STEM companies and schools, as well as parents who like to get them for their kids.” Given the interest in robotics in education, 2unify is also now offering the robotic arms that are attached to the Stand as a standalone kit that kids can use to learn the Python programming language.
2unify is still a young company and its sales so far have been entirely in Canada, but interested U.S. retailers are welcome to reach out or reserve future shipments of the Stand. “We’re definitely looking to expand to the United States,” says Jobity.
