PERKINS VISIT

+ SECONDARY RESEARCH

While visiting Perkins School for the Blind, we learned that Perkins students had the option of attending music lessons as well as music therapy sessions. While they had examples of tactile music sheets, we wanted to create a different assistive tool for playing music while having sight and/or hearing impairments.

PROJECT STATEMENT

؜The Tactile Tuner is an assistive device for hearing and visually impaired musicians. Similar to a regular tuner, the device uses tactile feedback instead of visual and audio cues to indicate pitch.

ASSISTIVE TECH PRECEDENT

Vibrating metronome

Soundbrenner

BEHAVIORAL PRECEDENT

Metronome/Tuner

SOFT ROBOTICS PRECEDENT

Expressive Robot

Cornell University Engineers

PRECEDENTS

SKETCH

EXPLORATION

PROTOTYPE 1

؜A prototype for a tactile metronome that inflates on the sides of the head with physical controls at the front.

PROTOTYPE 2

؜A test for an inflating bubble that would be used for haptic feedback in either the metronome or the tuner.

PROTOTYPE 3

؜A looks-like prototype of a device that would mount around the neck and work like a metronome.

PROTOTYPE 4

A prototype for the tuner in which a bubble moves from left to right on the back of the neck to indicate the pitch of the instrument being played.

PROTOTYPE 5

A second iteration of Prototype 4.

1. Neck mounted
2. Inflating bubbles is the best mechanism
3. Tuner is better

؜WHAT WORKED

؜FEATURES

1. Neck mounted device
2. Gives tactile tuning feedback
3. Has casings that act as control centers and weights
4. Uses pneumatic (air powered) bubbles
5. Has tactile controls

FUNCTIONAL

REQUIREMENTS

؜Have enough space to fit electronics, such as pumps and batteries.

؜Must be comfortable to wear.

؜Cannot be too heavy.

SKETCH

EXPLORATION

SKETCH

EXPLORATION

؜INSERT FULL BLEED IMAGE OF

FINAL PROTOTYPE HERE

(TAKEN ON WHITE BACKDROP IN PHOTOBOOTH)

USE DIAGRAM

MOLD DIAGRAM

Silicone Mold

؜Wall

؜

Base

Internal disks

Removable poles

؜WORKS-LIKE MODEL

؜Silicone Actuator

؜Silicone Chassis

Solenoid Valve

Pump

؜INSERT VIDEO HERE

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

؜Improving tactile controls

؜Combine works-like and looks-like model

؜Making actually detect pitch

1

2

3

؜4

؜Get feedback from Perkins, and hearing and visually impaired people.

THANK YOU!