- function to guide hand placement

- assist in actually pressing the keys

From left to right:

Prosthetic Hand used to play the piano, created by Georgia Institute of Technology

- wearable technology

- sleek, not bulky, allows for sufficient movements but is still powerful, physically strong 

From left to right:

MusicGlove used to help stroke patients regain motor skills

VR Glove made by Plexus Immersive Corp.

AirMouse - Spark Innovations

Elbow Brace - Mayo Clinic

- different ways the material can be utilized to create a wearable form that is structurally sound

From Left to Right:

The idea for this product originated with my own struggle to sight-read new pieces while playing the piano. New piano players typically have trouble with this skill because they lack the muscle memory that allows you to play specific notes on the keyboard without having to look at your hands. This is the same struggle that people who have never typed on a computer keyboard go through. In other words, their sense of proprioception is not yet developed, so they constantly have to switch between looking at the sheet music and their hands, making the learning process a lot longer. The product I'd like to produce would eliminate the need to look at your hands while playing piano. 

One of the proposed visual  solutions that I have for now includes wearable hand and arm pieces that physically direct your hand movements. Pieces would be attached to the fingers, applying pressure to them when a note needs to be pressed. Additional pieces would be placed along the wrist going up the entire arm to physically direct hand placement on the keyboard. Physical movements and sheet music would have to be pre-programmed into the device to produce accurate movements. The second design concept involves a main component that would attach to the piano itself, and would include pieces that the player would insert their arms into. It would function similarly in that it would direct hand placement on the keyboard. 

In theory, this gadget would also eliminate the need for sheet music all together, seeing as it would essentially just be playing the song for you. People who have never touched a piano before would be able to put it on and immediately play a song. However, I intend for it to be used as a tool to rapidly speed up the learning process, allowing new players to quickly associate notes on sheet music to physical movements, thus developing muscle memory and the sense of proprioception.