ITE students develop device that's a hit for piano teachers and students

This article was contributed by the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

Syakira Bte Sahmawi
Nor Faraizara Asykin Bte Izam
Nur Shafiqah Bte Roslan
Dawson Lee Wee Kiat
Higher Nitec in Electronics Engineering @ ITE College Central
Lee Kuan Yew Technology Awards 2021 winning project for Piano Practice Monitoring

Music to the Ears of Piano Teachers

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Piano learners are expected to practise playing the piano at least 30 minutes daily.

Besides conducting checks on pianos to ensure they are in an optimal condition, music school teachers must also monitor their students’ practice rates to maximise their learning outcomes.

Now, piano teachers can rely on Piano Practice Monitoring, a remote monitoring device that can be installed in the piano, to track play time and record temperature and humidity levels.

Armed with sensors, this device will send signals to a controller which will in turn, transmit relevant data to a remote server via WiFi.

With this device, the piano teacher can view the practice time chart, and temperature and humidity logs on the server website.

If the device detects temperature and humidity levels beyond recommended limits, it can also trigger an email alert to the technician and owners of the pianos to take action promptly.

Tuning to the Beat

Syakira shared: "I’m so heartened that our device has already been implemented in 24 out of 38 branches of Cristofori Music School!

"The school even has plans to sell our device to parents who may wish to monitor their children’s piano practice at home.

"Looking back, I found that the most challenging part was project development.

"We went through many rounds of trial and error before deciding on using an infrared sensor.

"I also got to apply what I learnt in coding from my course, while programming this device."

What’s So Significant

  • This device allows remote monitoring of piano playtime so it is a highly useful feedback tool for piano learners and teachers.

  • Once the device detects unusually high levels of temperature and humidity of the piano, a service technician can be informed quickly to fix the piano. As such, music schools can stay up-to-date in the maintenance of their pianos.

  • Parents of children who are learning to play the piano can better track their children’s frequency and duration of practice through this device.

  • Before a learners start playing the piano, they can log in to the website to record their practice sessions. This encourages personal accountability in learners and relieves the burden of piano teachers who need to continually check on learners.

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