ROLI Airwave uses AI and gesture control to transform music learning and production

Imagine if a piano, a Theremin and ChatGPT had a baby.

I distinctly remember seeing the music video for Swedish House Mafia’s Greyhound (and if you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend you do so). In the video, the three members of the EDM group stand in an empty room, wear headphones and control virtual objects that allow them to play music, while also racing robotic greyhounds on salt flats. The music video was released twelve years ago, but it painted a very different picture of how people would make music in the future – not with instruments, but rather with gestures. Today, the folks at ROLI unveiled the first step toward that future in the form of Airwave – an AI-powered device that uses advanced image recognition to help you not only learn to play music, but also perform music intuitively using unique gestures.

Known for its revolutionary Seaboard, ROLI broke the mold of traditional keyboards by allowing musicians to explore the microtonal spaces between notes, opening up a vast universe of expressive possibilities. Now, with the Airwave, ROLI will disrupt the industry again – this time by using AI to transform the way people learn to play music.

For decades, aspiring musicians have been limited to traditional learning methods such as in-person lessons, online courses, or YouTube tutorials. While each of these has its strengths, real-time, personalized feedback that adapts to the learner’s unique progress is often lacking. ROLI’s Airwave, powered by its Music Intelligence (MI) platform, changes this dynamic by acting as a bridge between instrument and instructor. It introduces a new era of ‘intelligent pianos’ that use cutting-edge AI, vision and voice technologies to deliver a truly immersive learning experience.

Designer: ROLI

“For too long, learning and playing music has been far too difficult: intimidating, expensive and one-size-fits-all,” said Roland Lamb, CEO of ROLI. “With recent advances in computer vision and AI, we are finally able to innovate beyond the keyboard and bring this human-centered technology to music students and creators alike.”

The Airwave works by using 3D infrared cameras that, together with ROLI’s new Vision technology, can ‘see’ your hands as they move across the keyboard, capturing complex finger movements and gestures. This allows the system to provide highly personalized feedback based on closely monitoring your playing technique. Whether you’re a beginner struggling with finger positioning or an advanced player refining your dynamics, Airwave tailors the accompaniment to your skill level.

At the heart of this breakthrough is ROLI’s MI platform, which includes five key sensory technologies: sound, sight, touch, vision and voice. This allows Airwave to not only track your hand movements, but also respond to voice commands. Ask him to show you a chord, suggest a new piece to learn, or even guide you through tricky parts of a song. This transforms the learning process into an interactive, conversational experience that feels less like traditional lessons and more like having a personal music coach by your side.

The magic really comes to life when Airwave is combined with ROLI’s Piano M (formerly known as LUMI Keys). The light-up keys of the Piano M combined with Airwave’s real-time feedback create an immersive, intuitive learning environment. Players can practice essential elements of piano technique, such as posture, hand position, rhythm and harmony, while receiving immediate, adaptive feedback. This system effectively builds better habits and accelerates the learning curve without the need for constant human instruction.

Creatively, Airwave doesn’t stop at teaching; it is also a powerful tool for composers and artists. Gesture-based controls allow musicians to manipulate sound in new ways. With a simple hand movement or wrist tilt, you can switch from a piano to a symphonic ensemble, combining different tones and effects in real time. Marco Parisi, a renowned musician and producer, emphasized the revolutionary potential of Airwave: “Every movement and gesture creates a new sound unique to the musician. It will make music much more expressive and could even lead to new music genres.”

Now available for pre-order, Airwave sets the stage for a new AI-powered era in human-led music technology. Whether you’re an aspiring musician looking for a smarter way to learn or a seasoned creator looking for fresh expressive possibilities, ROLI’s latest innovation promises to redefine what’s possible with music.