Drum Performance Support Utilizing Vibrotactile and Electrical Stimulation

Accurate rhythm perception and coordinated four-limb control are fundamental for drum performance; however, beginners often struggle to maintain stable timing and independent limb movements.Conventional auditory or visual cues provide limited integration with bodily motion, reducing their effectiveness in supporting precise rhythm acquisition.To address this limitation, in this study, we investigated a training system that employs vibrotactile stimulation and electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) as embodied feedback.Vibrotactile cues provide clear beat timing through brief cutaneous pulses, whereas EMS induces muscle contractions that can guide limb movements that novices find difficult to execute.We developed a system that synchronizes tactile beat cues and EMS-based movement assistance with musical tempo, and conducted experiments to evaluate its training effectiveness.The results indicate that embodied feedback can enhance rhythm accuracy and motor coordination, demonstrating the potential of this approach for music training and related motor-learning applications.