Conducting the Future: How Mizzou Brought a Humanoid Robot to the Marching Band
At the University of Missouri, tradition and innovation met on the field at Memorial Stadium when a humanoid robot stepped up to conduct Marching Mizzou. The robot, named Grace after computing pioneer Grace Hopper, is a Unitree Robotics platform acquired through Stokes Robotics. Dressed in the band’s signature black-and-gold uniform, Grace led a halftime performance titled “Digital Heartbeat” — marking a first-of-its-kind moment for the 140-year-old ensemble.
Behind the scenes, the project was anything but simple. Students in the College of Engineering’s Autonomous Systems Lab — Van Grabner, Samantha Belano, and Martín Leija — were responsible for programming every movement. Grace arrived with limited capabilities, so the students built the motion sequences from scratch. Even simple gestures required breaking human movement into discrete poses, coding the transitions, testing, revising, and testing again.
Belano discovered the key while programming a “dab” dance move — learning to blend multiple joint poses into smooth, expressive motion. From there, more complex conducting motions took shape. Leija, a marching band member himself, adapted Grace’s stride and posture to ensure the robot marched in sync with the band — compensating for its shorter height and mechanical gait.
The performance didn’t just showcase technical achievement. It reflected what Mizzou calls the Missouri Method — learning by doing, solving real-world problems through collaboration. This is not the first time Marching Mizzou has performed with a robot — in 2021, the band featured Boston Dynamics’ Spot — but the humanoid conductor marks a clear evolution.
For the students who built Grace’s performance, this was more than an engineering challenge. It was a chance to shape a memory the university — and the marching arts world — will talk about for years.
As one student put it: “These are the moments we’ll tell people about. The ones that show what’s possible when creativity and engineering move in step.”
