Smartphone Drum: Gesture-based Digital Musical Instruments Application for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People

ABSTRACT Smartphone applications that allow users to enjoy playing musical instruments have emerged, opening up numerous related opportunities. However, it is difficult for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) people to use these apps because of limited access to auditory information. When using real instruments, DHH people typically feel the music from the vibrations transmitted by the instruments or the movements of the body, which is not possible when playing with these apps. We introduce “smartphone drum,’’ a smartphone application that presents a drum-like vibrotactile sensation when the user makes a drumming motion in the air with their smartphone like a drumstick. We implemented an early prototype and received feedback from six DHH participants. We discuss the technical implementation and the future of new instruments of vibration.