Been hoping to pick up a musical instrument, but can’t seem to find time to practise? Here’s some good news for you. There is currently a new device under development that can take control of your hand and teach you how to play a tune. Sounds supernatural? Well no worries there, as you can be assured that no spirits of dead musicians are present.
PossessedHand is currently being developed jointly by the University of Tokyo, Japan and Sony Computer Science Laboratories, also situated in Tokyo. In short, it electrically stimulates the forearm muscles that move your fingers. A belt is worn around these muscles of the test subject’s arm with some 28 electrode pads. These pads flexes the joints between the three bones of each finger and the two bones of the thumb, in addition provides two wrist movements. The test subjects were able to actively detect movement of their hands even with their eyes closed. “The user’s fingers are controlled without the user’s mind,” says Emi Tamaki of the University of Tokyo, lead scientist of the research.
While this is not the first of its kind, devices that stimulate people’s fingers are based on electrodes embedded in the skin, which are invasive, or came in the form of glove-like devices that are rigid and reduces ability to manipulate objects. Tamaki says that her device is by far more comfortable. “The electric stimulations are similar to low-frequency massage stimulations that are commonly used.” she says.
Given their success in hijacking a hand, the researchers have tried to “teach” it how to play the koto, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument. Basically Koto users wear different picks on three fingers, while plucking the strings with all five fingertips, producing a distinct sound with each finger. In addition koto scores instructs the users on the movement of their fingers with timing, creating the opportunity for Tamaki and her team to program the required instructions in their device. No doubt PossessedHand does not generate enough force for the users to pluck the koto strings; it does guide novice users on the correct finger movements. Tests results indicate beginner users of koto made far fewer mistakes by using PossessedHand than without.
While there is no dependence on supernatural forces, users of PossessedHand found it troubling to have their fingers moved by the device. “I felt like my body was hacked,” said one. Nevertheless Tamaki is confident of its potential benefits: “We believe convenient technology will overcome a feeling of fear.”
The potential benefits of PossessedHand certainly goes beyond assisting beginner musicians, for it can be used to aid in rehabilitation patients who have suffered a stroke or any injuries that impairs their muscle control. In fact therapists are already using electrical muscle stimulation to aid these patients, though the existing non-invasive devices are only able to produce crude movements like contraction of the entire arm.
Henrik Gollee, rehabilitation device researcher at the University of Glasgow, UK, says PossessedHand can aid patients achieve a greater range of movements. “I was surprised by the level of fine moment they can actually achieve,” he says.
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