While practicing a new piece on the piano, you may find that some parts are challenging and keep tripping you up. No matter how many times you attempt to play them, your fingers just won’t move fast enough. In such instances, wearing a special device that resembles a robot hand can be helpful. This device has a motor that can move your fingers faster than you can on your own. After using the device and then playing without it, you may find that your fingers are able to perform at a higher speed, even in the previously difficult parts.
In a recent series of experiments, professional piano players experienced similar benefits from using a wearable robot hand, also known as an exoskeleton. Shinichi Furuya and his team shared the results of these experiments in Science Robotics on January 15th.
“Many people use this type of robot for rehabilitation and virtual reality games,” explained Furuya. “I thought this could also be beneficial for music education.” Furuya works at the Neuropiano Institute, part of Sony Computer Science Laboratories in Tokyo, Japan.
Nicholas Hatsporos, a neuroscientist who studies sensorimotor control at the University of Chicago, found the research very intriguing. Although he did not directly participate in the study, he was impressed by the results.
New Ways to Practice
Once a professional musician himself, Furuya practiced the piano intensively for about 10 hours a day. This extensive practice led to a movement disorder in his hands, prompting him to transition from a pianist to a scientist. Despite this, Furuya continues to play and teach piano. A few years ago, he started contemplating innovative ways for musicians to practice effectively. He envisioned a robot that could assist in teaching finger movements to enhance musical performance.
Furuya, not being an engineer, shared his idea with a colleague who then proceeded to build such a robot. These robots were designed to fit on one hand. In the experiments conducted with professional pianists, the number of subjects involved was notably high.
In one particular experiment, 60 pianists were tasked with practicing a complex finger movement pattern. This pattern involved alternating between pressing the index and ring fingers together and the middle and pinky fingers together as quickly as possible. Even though the motion was challenging to execute at first, after practicing, the pianists noticed significant improvements in their finger speed.
The pianists were divided into five groups for further experimentation. The group that used the robot hand to assist in practicing the finger pattern showed the most improvement. They were able to play the challenging piece much faster than before, with an average increase in the time between keystrokes by about 6%.
Overall, Furuya and his team found that using the robot hand during practice sessions helped musicians enhance their finger speed and coordination. This improvement was evident even in the musicians’ non-dominant hand, which was not directly trained with the robot.
Despite the promising results, Furuya acknowledges that the effects of robotic training may not be long-lasting and would likely require regular use to maintain performance improvements.
In conclusion, the research conducted by Furuya and his team opens up new possibilities for incorporating robotic devices in music education and training to enhance musicians’ skills.
Therapy, Sports, Games, etc.
Similar robotic devices have been used in medical treatments to aid patients in regaining movement skills, such as for stroke rehabilitation. However, the development of exoskeletons capable of intricate finger movements remains challenging due to the complexity of finger mechanics.
Furuya envisions that robotic training could be beneficial not only for musicians but also for individuals in other fields requiring precise hand movements, such as professional gamers, surgeons, and athletes. By utilizing robotic devices to practice complex finger movements, individuals can potentially enhance their skills more efficiently and creatively.
Source: www.snexplores.org
