[ Perhaps strictly speaking, this interesting note is not about a
  [ self-playing instrument.  But it is a _self-tuning_ one.
  [ --Relief Editor.

In 2002 QRS announced the development of Don Gilmore's self-tuning 
piano mechanism.  The device electromechanically sounds piano strings,
reads their frequency optically, then supplies a small electric current
to each string to heat it, so the strings go flat as needed.  The process
takes 120 seconds each time the device is activated.

The latest news I could find is a two-year-old pianoworld.com chat room 
thread titled "Don Gilmore's thermal tuning system," where Don says:

    "I originally teamed up with Story & Clark (QRS) to produce the
    device in their pianos (Prelude grands).  Unfortunately, due to
    financial problems, etc., they sat on the contract for five years
    and never 'got around to it.'  That's why there has been a vacuum
    since 2003.  They were, however, paying me minimum yearly royalties
    the whole time.  I finally terminated the contract and now I am
    using that royalty money to build a production-quality prototype
    myself.  Steinway, Petrof, and Estonia have all expressed interest
    in it over the last year or so.  We'll see who picks it up."

None of the manufacturers he references make mention of Don or the
device on their websites.  Does anyone have more current information on
Don's efforts?

Karl Ellison