Poly Beat

Rhythm Exercises Toy for Zhejiang University

This innovative tool provides a fun and interactive approach to music education by exploiting the strong correlation between geometric polygons and rhythm. PolyBeat enhances children's understanding of the relationship between notes and rhythms, enabling them to master complex rhythmic patterns effortlessly. PolyBeat is an invaluable tool for children to learn music theory in an engaging and enjoyable way. It provides children around the world with a new and exciting method to learn and appreciate the universal language of music.

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Poly Beat by Zhou Leijing

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Rhythm Exercises Toy by Zhou Leijing

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Zhou Leijing Poly Beat

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Zhou Leijing Rhythm Exercises Toy

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Poly Beat Rhythm Exercises Toy Press Releases

Press resources for Poly Beat are offered in several languages: English.

Poly Beat Rhythm Exercises Toy Media Articles

Access our collection of Poly Beat articles, ready for use and offered in languages: English, Indonesian, Dutch, Spanish, German, Portuguese, French, Japanese, Hindi, Chinese (Mandarin), Turkish, Korean, Russian, Arabic (Standard) and Italian.

Unique Properties

PolyBeat is designed for children, aiming to help them learn music theory through a fun and interactive way. Geometric polygons have a strong correlation with music rhythm, which can visualize the sound of rhythm, help children understand the relationship between music genres and drum rhythm patterns, and figure out the rhythm pattern.

Tags

Music Interaction Tool, Multi-sensory, Children, Visualization, Rhythm Learning

Production Technology

The product is made of injection-moulded plastic and uses a camera on the top to identify the colour of the blocks that the child is building, so that the corresponding music can be played.

Design Challenge

PolyBeat offers children with a new multi-sensory way to learn rhythm and provides an easy-to-use tool for children to create music . However, the musical score also includes pitches and more complex advanced beats. We did not evaluate whether PolyBeat can have a long-term impact on children’s learning and interests. We will conduct a long-term follow-up study to further evaluate the practical effects of PolyBeat in music education. In the future, we could consider how to better integrate PolyBeat into real-world scenarios, such as home and school, to expand the possibilities of multi-player collaboration.

Project Duration

The project started in April 2023 in Zhejiang, China and finished in August 2023 in Zhejiang, China

Operation Flow

Children can assemble the blocks freely to create their own rhythms. The child inserts each music note block into the disc, and then puts the disc into the column base. After 4 discs are put into the column base, the child can press the "Play Music" button to play the corresponding rhythmic sound. When the child presses the "Switch Instrument" button, the rhythmic sound can be switched to different instruments, including drums, marimba, piano, guitar, and so on.

Research

Orff Schulwerk teaching method encourages that children should feel and express music with whole heart and improvisation. But understanding the abstract concept of musical notes is still very difficult. We propose PolyBeat, a toy that provides interactive rhythm practice and creation for children. The tool visualizes the abstract notes in a multi-sensory way to develop children’s musicality with a more interesting, gamified learning procedure. We designed 8 types of tangible blocks which can be stacked like a rainbow tower to represent basic notes, distinguished with different colors and block sizes. Children can play in two modes: a) learning mode and b) creation mode. We conducted a user study to evaluate children’s rhythmic control. The results show that PolyBeat significantly stimulated children’s interest in playing music, thus improving the efficiency of children’s rhythmic education and creativity in music.

Inspiration

For preschool children, they can try simple clapping and tapping exercises based on music. However, the current music education system requires learners to repeat the exercises many times, which is boring and tedious for them. Building blocks are always a favourite type of toy for children, so we wanted children to be able to learn and create music through the use of building blocks.

Image Credits

Haoye Dong Kecheng Jin

Project Overview

Poly Beat Rhythm Exercises Toy has been a Iron winner in the Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design award category in the year 2023 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.

Iron Recognition

Zhou Leijing was recognized with the coveted Iron A' Design Award in 2024, a testament to excellence of their work Poly Beat Rhythm Exercises Toy.

Zhou Leijing Press Releases

For journalists seeking engaging content: Explore our press releases featuring Zhou Leijing's work, freely available for incorporation into your stories. Journalists can access 5 press releases immediately, ready for your use.

Poly Beat: A Revolutionary Rhythm Exercises Toy for Children

Zhou Leijing Introduces Poly Beat, a Fun and Interactive Music Learning Tool for Children

Zhou Leijing Newsroom

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