Stimulated percussions: method to control human for learning music by using electrical muscle stimulation

In musical performances, it is important to produce rhythms correctly. However, when beginners play musical instruments, it can be difficult for them to understand rhythms using only visual and auditory rhythm information. To solve this problem, we propose the Stimulated Percussions (SP) system, which generates rhythms on a computer and transfers them to a user's muscles. In this study, we control the user's arms and legs using electrical muscle stimulation (EMS). We attach electrodes near certain arm and leg muscles, and provide stimulation in a manner that allows users to reproduce the correct movement when they play instruments. Our system enables a single player or multiple players to correctly reproduce generated rhythms. Experimental results show that our system is useful for beginners learning musical instruments, because it allows accurate rhythms to be mastered through bodily sensations.