SBIR Phase II: Virtual Music helper, next-generation educational social platform for conservatory music practice and performance empowered by AI and AR

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will be in providing a unique, engaging and collaborative augmented reality (AR) environment for users to create, practice and performing music together. Research suggests that music enhances learning. Children who learn or practice music have shown better STEM proficiency. However, studies also suggest that children opt out of music education based on the false belief that they lack ability or find the practice non-engaging and ultimately stop. The proposed project addresses this with a mobile application and platform for users to create, practice and perform music independently in an engaging, collaborative Augmented Reality environment. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase II project lies in the unique polyphonic pitch detection technology that can help users detect and correct their mistakes. It also provides a collaborative AR environment to remain engaged in creating or playing music in "situated learning" methodology. The platform is designed initially for English, Spanish, or Chinese communication for training on piano and several other instruments. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.