MaGKeyS: Magnetic Guidance Keyboard System

Craig Lewiston

MIT Media Lab
Hyperinstruments Group

Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology

 

The ability to execute a sequence of timed motor movements is fundamental to many human activities. Writing, speaking, music, and sports all require the ability to coordinate and execute a sequence of movements at specific moments in time.

We have developed a technology for facilitating sensorimotor learning through haptic guidance. MaGKeyS (formerly Trainer Technology) works by employing active magnetic force to guide finger movements during sensorimotor learning that involves sequential key presses, such as typing or playing the piano. By combining this haptic guidance with an audiovisual learning paradigm, we have created a core technology with possible applications to fields such as musical training, physical rehabilitation, and scientific investigation of sensorimotor learning.

 

MaGKeyS Prototype

The MaGKeyS Prototype is a five-key electromagnetic keyboard designed for a stationary right hand. Pilot studies have examined how our device facilitates the learning of ordinal and temporal properties of a rhythmic sequence. Initial pilot data indicates that this form of haptic guidance is more effective at teaching musically-naive subjects to perform a new rhythmic sequence, when compared with audio-only learning.

MaGKeyS Prototype.v3 (4/1/08)

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MaGKeyS Prototype.v2 (5/6/07)

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MagKeyS Prototype.v1 (10/16/06)

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Psychophysical Experiments

We have recently begun conducting a set of psychophysical experiments aimed at validating the efficacy of MaGKeyS in teaching rhythmic sequence performance to musically-naive subjects. Attached below is a poster documenting the inital pilot study (N=12) in this set of experiments.

 

MaGKeyS Trainer Piano

The MaGKeyS Trainer Piano is a player piano with magnets embedded into the keys. The user wears gloves with magnets in the fingertips, and "feels" the song being played as they are learning.

Trainer Piano (4/1/08)

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Trainer Piano (10/4/07)

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