3-Axis fingertip force during playing the string instrument

In this paper, we propose a measurement method of 3-axis fingertip force which works when playing a string instrument. A small and thin 3-axis tactile sensor was fabricated to attach to the first finger. The force sensing elements were formed within 1 mm×1 mm on the sensor chip, and the thickness of the sensor was 3 mm. A guitar was used as a string instrument. Using the proposed method, the 3-axis fingertip force was measured in two cases; (a) when the guitar string was held down incorrectly; (b) when the guitar string was held down properly. The data of the 3-axis tactile sensor and the guitar sound were recorded simultaneously. Comparing both cases, it was indicated that the number of the guitar sound´s overtone spectra was increased when the string vibration did not propagate through the finger. This proposed method will develop a significant way to analyze the relationship between musicians´ fingertip force and instrument sounds.