Trumpeting robot intensifies rivalry

The rivalry between automakers Toyota Motor Corp. and Chrysler intensified this week with the heraldry of a trumpeting robot at a Detroit event.

When Chrysler chief engineer Frank Klegon attempted to speak at the SAE World Congress, he was drowned out by a nearby Toyota robot armed with a trumpet, The Detroit News reported Saturday.

The musically adept robot reportedly was programmed to demonstrate its talent every two hours, but its version of singer Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You" was hard to ignore in the busy Cobo Center.

The annual event is typically reserved for discussions of pertinent industry issues such as global platform engineering and powertrain diversity rather than the trumpeting skills of a 4-foot-9 robot, the News reported.

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