Honda's Asimo robot has conducted the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at a special performance with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Asimo performed The Impossible Dream from the Broadway musical Man of La Mancha to a packed hall of music lovers and students.

Before starting the piece, Asimo greeted the audience with a friendly wave saying "Hello everyone."

The robot then conducted the orchestra, gesturing with one or both hands and nodding its head as appropriate, and taking a bow at the end of the performance to applause and shouts from the crowd.

"It is absolutely thrilling to perform with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. This is a magnificent concert hall," said Asimo after the performance.

Although an impressive feat, Asimo cannot actually respond to the orchestra. The performance was achieved by mimicking the actions of a video of Detroit Symphony's education director Charles Burke performing the same piece six months earlier.

Asimo stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility and has been developed by Honda to help advance robotics to the point where it can someday assist the elderly and disabled in their homes.

Honda is also using Asimo to encourage and inspire young students to consider studies in maths and science.

The company is also providing the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with a gift of more than $1m to create The Power of Dreams Music Education Fund to promote and support music education and promote diversity in the field of orchestral music.