Thad Starner, PhD

 

Ever try to learn a musical instrument only to give up because it took too much time? What if a wearable computer could teach the "muscle memory" needed to play a melody without the endless practice at the piano?  The Mobile Music Touch (MMT) is a wireless glove that enables users to learn to play piano melodies while performing everyday tasks.  The MMT device looks like a fingerless workout glove with a small box on the back containing a Bluetooth radio and microcontroller. Vibration motors are embedded in the glove at the base of each finger and the thumb.  The song being learned can be loaded onto a user’s mobile phone and is played as they go about their business.  As each note is played, the glove taps the finger corresponding to the appropriate key on a piano keyboard.  The result: in as little as 30 minutes, the user learns the "muscle memory" of the first phrases of the song, even if their attention has been devoted to another task. We call this effect "Passive Haptic Learning" and have shown that it can also be used to learn Braille and Morse code. Working with Dr. Debbie Backus of the Shepherd Center, we have also investigated whether the MMT glove might help people with tetraplegia due to partial spinal cord injury improve sensation and dexterity in their hands.  Significant improvements were seen after eight weeks of use.