Passive Haptic Rehearsal for Augmented Piano Learning in the Wild

Passive haptic learning (PHL) is a method for training motor skills via intensive repetition of haptic stimuli while a user is focused on other tasks. For the practical application of PHL to music education, we propose passive haptic rehearsal (PHR) where PHL is combined with deliberate active practice. We designed a piano teaching system that includes haptic gloves compatible with daily wear, a Casio keyboard with light-up keys, and an online learning portal that enables users to track performance, choose lessons, and connect with the gloves and keyboard. We conducted a longitudinal two-week study in the wild, where 36 participants with musical experience learned to play two piano songs with and without PHR. For 20 participants with complete and valid data, we found that PHR boosted the learning rate for the matching accuracy by 49.7% but did not have a significant effect on learning the notes' rhythm. Participants across all skill levels in the study require approximately two days less to reach mastery on the songs practiced when using PHR. We also confirmed that PHR boosts recall between active practice sessions. We hope that our results and system will enable the deployment of PHL beyond the laboratory.