True Force Keyboard: Force-Reflecting Electronic Musical Instrument Interface

Capstone Design and Manufacturing Experience: Winter 2006Modern electronic musical synthesizers can accurately reproduce acoustic instrument sounds (audio), but they cannot replicate acoustic instrument feel (haptics). The mechanical interactions that a musician feels are important because they provide valuable information during performance. To address this, we have prototyped a motorized electronic piano keyboard capable of haptic feedback. This keyboard creates a programmable force feedback that can mimic the forces produced by a real piano action. When a user presses one of the keys, the keyboard measures the key motion and provides the user with haptic feedback via a voice coil motor. With this keyboard, researchers can test the importance of haptic cues during musical performance. Relevant metrics include note repeatability, smoothness of a musical phrase, or control of dynamics.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/49570/2/proj1_report.pd