Revolutionizing Violin Playing: Maryland’s New AI Institute Enhances Musicianship with Cutting-Edge Technology

The University of Maryland has recently established a new institute dedicated to the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. One of the programs under this institute is VAIolin, which uses AI to help people learn how to play the violin by assessing their posture. Anna Kelleher, a Master’s student in Music Performance, has found that the AI technology has greatly improved her violin posture.

Snehesh Shrestha, a Ph.D. student in Computer Science, is part of the team that developed VAIolin. The software provides on-screen feedback to help players maintain proper posture. Cornelia Fermüller, a Research Scientist and Co-Director of the Perception and Robotics Group, explained that machine learning and neural networks are used to power the technology.

The VAIolin technology uses a computer’s built-in camera to recognize a player’s posture while holding a violin. 7News On Your Side’s Lindsey Mastis, who is just beginning to learn how to play the violin, tried out the technology and saw immediate improvements in her sound by simply adjusting her posture. She also tested a haptic wrist strap that simulates the sensation of a violin bow on strings, helping students with tempo and practice.

The development team aims to make the technology available at an affordable price so that more people can quickly and safely improve their violin skills using AI assistance. Anna Kelleher emphasized the importance of accessible tools like VAIolin for aspiring musicians when she shared her experience of helping her mother’s students practice the violin when she was younger.