Inspired by the FAO Schwartz piano, Piano Dance Revolution consists of a large piano keyboard projected onto the floor. The user interacts with the piano by stepping on the keys. At every step, the activated keys will light up and the corresponding note will play from the speakers. This is accomplished through three major components: the projectors, which project the image of the piano onto the ground and changes the color of the keys upon activation; the motion detection system, which detects the location of the player's feet and determines the key stepped on; and audio output, which plays the activated note.

There are two modes of operation playback and game mode. In playback mode, the user can play any notes he or she chooses. In game mode, the piano plays a pre-recorded song and the user must match his or her steps to the appropriate notes, represented by lit key projections. The timing and accuracy of the users steps are used to determine his or her score.