Vibrotactile guidance for drumming learning: Method and perceptual assessment

In this paper, we introduce a haptic guidance system for learning how to play a drum using vibrotactile cues generated by multiple actuators embedded in a vibrotactile vest and ankle bands worn by the learner. A natural egocentric mapping of our system from the body site of vibrotactile stimulation to a target percussion instrument (PI) in a drum set enables intuitive guidance for striking movements. The current system also informs the learner of two levels of PI striking strength by varying both the intensity and duration of vibrotactile cues. An initial perceptual assessment of the system showed 95.0% of accuracy in delivering the information on the target PI (9 levels) and striking strength (2 levels). The experiment also allowed us to estimate the mental processing times of our guidance cues: 0.30 s for detection, 0.46 s for identification, and 0.15 s for decision. These results provide basic guidelines for designing vibrotactile guidance cues for a series of fast coordinated movements of multiple limbs.