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Noncontact and high-precision sensing system for piano keys identified fingerprints of virtuosity

View ORCID ProfileTakanori Oku, View ORCID ProfileShinichi Furuya
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.17.480858
Takanori Oku
1Sony Computer Science Laboratories Inc., Tokyo, Japan
2NeuroPiano Institute, Kyoto, Japan
3Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan
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  • For correspondence: t.oku0222@gmail.com
Shinichi Furuya
1Sony Computer Science Laboratories Inc., Tokyo, Japan
2NeuroPiano Institute, Kyoto, Japan
3Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan
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ABSTRACT

Dexterous tool use is typically characterized by fast and precise motions performed by multiple fingers. One representative task is piano playing, which involves fast performance of a sequence of complex motions with high spatiotemporal precision. However, for several decades, a lack of contactless sensing technologies that are capable of precision measurement of piano key motions has been a bottleneck for unveiling how such an outstanding skill is cultivated. Here, we developed a novel sensing system that can record the vertical position of all piano keys with a time resolution of 1 ms and a spatial resolution of 0.01 mm in a noncontact manner. Using this system, we recoded the piano key motions while 49 pianists played a complex sequence of tones that required both individuated and coordinated finger movements to be performed as fast and accurately as possible. Penalized regression using various feature variables of the key motions identified distinct characteristics of the key-depressing and key-releasing motions in relation to the speed and accuracy of the performance. For the maximum rate of the keystrokes, individual differences across the pianists were associated with the peak key descending velocity, the key depression duration, and key-lift timing. For the timing error of the keystrokes, the interindividual differences were associated with the peak ascending velocity of the key and the interstrike variability of both the peak key descending velocity and the key depression duration. These results highlight the importance of dexterous control of the vertical motions of the keys for fast and accurate piano performance.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • Conflict of Interest: We have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
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Posted February 22, 2022.
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Noncontact and high-precision sensing system for piano keys identified fingerprints of virtuosity
Takanori Oku, Shinichi Furuya
bioRxiv 2022.02.17.480858; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.17.480858
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Noncontact and high-precision sensing system for piano keys identified fingerprints of virtuosity
Takanori Oku, Shinichi Furuya
bioRxiv 2022.02.17.480858; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.17.480858

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