Background

Approximately 15,800 Japanese children have a hearing impairment. In the past, music teachers have had some difficulty in properly communicating the concept of rhythm to hearing-impaired children. Every student hears in a different way and has differing levels of impairment, which means that one-on-one instruction is necessary. This requires a large investment in time. We have developed a device that helps children who hear in different ways to be simultaneously taught about rhythm, not through listening, but through sight and touch. Because it is able to communicate information in a tactile way, the device offers a new way of sharing information more accurately than is possible through a hearing aid. In this way, we hope to revolutionize the way music is taught at schools for hearing-impaired children.

Describe the creative idea

We developed a device that enables rhythm to be conveyed not through the sense of hearing but through the combined senses of sight and touch. It includes a digital conductor's baton for the instructor and egg-shaped devices for the students which—following the rhythm generated as the instructor waves the baton—use vibration to provide direct feedback to the students in the palms of their hands. By transmitting rhythm via sense of touch, PalmBeat creates an entirely new way to share information on a level much more precise than via hearing aids.

Describe the strategy

We visited an actual school for the deaf and hearing-impaired and had thorough discussions about what was lacking and what kind of opportunities would allow the children to better enjoy music. Through this process, we succeeded in creating a product that really does meet the needs of those involved.

Describe the execution

For one month, the students practiced a musical piece considered to be quite difficult by other classes, after which the school held an informal recital. Dozens of people attended the recital—the students' families included—and all participating classes sung beautifully, receiving rousing ovations from the audience.

List the results

Within the limited curriculum, students were able to learn a song they were previously unable to learn, and they performed the song in front of a large group of people. In addition, some of the users were able to learn to sing the songs even when not using the Palm Beat device. The aim of the device is to help hearing-impaired students learn the difficult concept of rhythm, and feedback showed that it fulfilled its purpose sufficiently.