For my Industrial Design MFA Thesis at Rochester Institute of Technology, I set out to improve the experience of the modern-day musician, and I found that a major pain point was traveling with an 88-key keyboard.

I experienced the hassle of traveling with a keyboard first-hand. It was always awkward to go through doorways, walk up stairs, or transport the instrument in my car. 

When asked on a piano forum on Reddit.com, 43% of keyboardists said their biggest complaint about their instrument was "the size is too large", making it difficult to travel with.

I found that traveling by airplane is a major pain point.

Since the keyboard is so large and heavy, there are only 3 feasible options for keyboard-airplane travel: 

1. Buy an airline-approved (ATA) instrument case.

2. Buy another ticket to sit next to you.

3. Ship your keyboard. 

I studied & tested a variety of Key Resistance Mechanisms

(Weighted vs. Semi vs. Non-weighted).

Portable Modular Instrument & Folding Keyboard Concepts

Final solution: 24-key modules that easily slot together.

The Modular Travel Keyboard design easily slots to add keys, 

allowing for flexibility, portability, and creativity!