Smart fretboard
AssigneeThe Johns Hopkins University
InventorsSerap Bastepe-Gray, Khanh Nguyen, Can Kocabalkanli, Zhiyi Ren, Chun-Cheng Hsu
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Abstract
A sensing fretboard for stringed instruments is described herein with respect to a guitar. The present invention includes custom frets and a modular sensing array that can be incorporated into a fretboard and coupled to the guitar. By measuring the dynamic forces applied by the players on the frets and strings of the guitar, musicians can be warned in real time during practice, when their grip is too strong, and to help musicians learn and recover from injuries.
Claims18
A device for measuring force used in playing a stringed musical instrument comprising:
- a sensing fret having a force detecting unit, wherein the force detecting unit comprises a touchpoint and a sensor, wherein the touchpoint comprises a flexure and a strip of viscoelastic rubber disposed underneath a crown of the flexure;
- a printed circuit wherein the sensor is disposed on a surface of the printed circuit and wherein the sensor is disposed between the surface of the printed circuit and the touchpoint;
- and
- wherein a force applied to the touchpoint is detected by the sensor.
A system for measuring force used in playing a stringed musical instrument comprising:
- a sensing fret having a force detecting unit, wherein the force detecting unit comprises a touchpoint and a sensor;
- wherein a force applied to the touchpoint is detected by the sensor and wherein the sensor is configured to transmit information related to the force applied;
- and
- a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to receive the information related to the amount force applied and to provide feedback to a user about the force applied.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.