Blind people face persistent challenges in learning body movements such as exercise, dance, and rehabilitation routines. Verbal instructions are widely used but often ambiguous, while tactile graphics or 3D models can illustrate static postures but not transitions. Humanoid robots can present dynamic motions, suggesting potential to convey trajectories and simultaneous limb actions. We conducted an exploratory study with 11 blind participants comparing humanoid robot demonstrations with audio instructions. Quantitative evaluation assessed reproduction accuracy, learning time, and usability ratings, while qualitative interviews captured perceived benefits and challenges. Results show that simple movements could be conveyed through both modalities, but robots were particularly effective for complex transitions and concurrent limb coordination that audio could not easily express. These findings highlight design opportunities for integrating multimodal instruction to support movement learning for blind people.

Visual impairments create barriers to learning physical activities, since conventional training methods rely on visual demonstrations or often inadequate verbal descriptions. This research explores 3D-printed human body models to enhance movement comprehension for blind individuals. Through a participatory design approach in collaboration with a blind designer, we developed detailed 3D models representing various body movements and incorporated tactile reference elements to enhance spatial understanding. We conducted two user studies with 10 blind participants across different activities: static yoga poses and sequential calisthenic movements. The results demonstrated that 3D models significantly improved understanding speed, reduced questions for clarification, and enhanced movement accuracy compared to conventional teaching methods. Participants consistently rated 3D models higher for ease of understanding, effectiveness, and motivation.

Tactile picture books, which incorporate transparent embossed tactile graphics directly onto illustrations, allow visually impaired individuals to enjoy picture books.However, the complexity of converting illustrations into tactile graphics while preserving the original context limits the availability of such books.This study explores the potential of Generative AI (GenAI) by evaluating tactile graphics produced through a synergistic process involving GenAI and the expertise of tactile graphic designers, comparing them with graphics created using conventional methods.We conducted a comparative study with two totally blind participants, each with over 40 years of experience supervising tactile picture books, evaluating seven tactile graphics created by both approaches.Results revealed that some GenAI-generated graphics were rated as highly as conventionally produced graphics in terms of tactile interpretability and informative effectiveness.However, challenges were also identified in some GenAI outputs, such as extremely thin lines or unclear overlapping elements.Our findings suggest that while GenAI-assisted tactile graphics have the potential to generate contextually understandable illustrations through touch, a humanin-the-loop approach remains essential to address the unique design requirements of tactile perception.

Visually impaired individuals often face challenges related to physical inactivity, stemming from limited accessibility to sports activities. While assistive technologies and adaptive sports have made progress, high-intensity contact sports remain largely inaccessible. This paper presents an approach to improve the accessibility of kickboxing for visually impaired individuals. We prioritize simple, immediate solutions that maximize the use of residual vision, diverging from conventional assistive technologies that rely on auditory or tactile feedback. Employing a participatory design methodology, we involved visually impaired individuals throughout the development process of specialized kickboxing equipment. This approach enabled us to address user-specific needs and challenges directly. Our research contributes to expanding sports participation opportunities for the visually impaired and fostering a more inclusive sports environment. We detail the development process of our adaptive kickboxing equipment and discuss its effectiveness in enhancing the sports experience for visually impaired individuals.

Tactile interfaces such as embossment facilitate information transfer through touch in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Traditional embossing methods, while enabling the creation of intricate patterns, face limitations due to mold reliance and material thickness restrictions, hindering bespoke embossment creation. In this study, we propose High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) as an alternative technique to produce tailored embossed designs on acrylic without the need for traditional molds. We uncover specific HIFU parameters, such as amplitude, irradiation time, and distance that directly impact essential qualities of embossment including embossment height, transparency, and line generation. Additionally, the capability of embossing without the use of molds expands the applications for quick prototyping and customization of embossed designs within HCI. Furthermore, we introduce a user interface developed to streamline the design and application of customizable tactile graphics using HIFU, aimed at non-expert users. Preliminary user studies reveal positive feedback on the interface’s intuitiveness and the quality of the HIFU embossment. Our study indicates that HIFU embossment presents a viable approach for creating embossed features in interactive systems, with the potential to offer methods for personal customization in the design of tactile materials.

We have developed an Origami system in which we can fold a sheet of paper freely. In mathematical model, two held sides of paper can be overlapped flatly. However, in real paper, the sides often make a gap between them because of physical restrictions. In this paper, we formalize “folding” in Origami and discuss how to make such “gap” in 3D Origami simulation system to make it more realistic. We apply a biphase model, which consists of two models. One of them is mathematical model for managing folding, and the other is graphical gap-model for representing Origami with gaps. We show Origami figures made by the two models and discuss the effect of the method we applied and some problems to be solved.