This paper proposes a new conceptual framework for modeling human action. There are too many aspects for describing human behavior, however, the paper proposes only seven dimensions that describe human experience. The first four dimensions describe physical characteristics consisting of 3D position and time. The remaining three dimensions describe physiological, psychological, and Social characteristics respectively. This model can be applied to the full range of human experiences. The methods for measuring each parameter of the seven dimensions are discussed. The process is exemplified in the Data Sensorium setup.

This paper proposes a new system architecture that includes human action. The system is composed of three parts; sensing, processing, and actuation. Based on the concept, a virtual museum with a spatial immersive display and a locomotion interface was developed. It provides a physical walking experience in the virtual exhibition space. We developed a digital twin of the Artizon Museum as the system’s content. The locomotion interface records the walking trajectory of the participant, which represents their action in the virtual exhibition space. The system was implemented and operated in public for four weeks.

This paper introduces Art Sensorium Project that is founded in Asia AI Institute of Musashino University. A main target of the project is to design and implement a system architecture of unified art collections for virtual art experiences. To provide art experiences, a projection-based VR system, called Data Sensorium, is used to stage art materials in a form of real-sized virtual reality. Furthermore, a system architecture of a multidatabase system for heterogeneous art collection archives is presented, so a set of integrated art data is applied to Data Sensorium for newly generated art experiences.

BigRobot Mk.2, which creates the body motion of a giant, is described. The robot has 10 actuated joints so that it can emulate the body motion of human. A pilot rides on the top of the robot and it moves according with walking action of the pilot. This function provides the pilot to the body sensation that is extended to an 8-m giant. The basic design, implementation, and performance evaluation of BigRobot Mk.2 are presented.

This paper describes about project “Data Sensorium” launched at the Asia AI Institute of Musashino University. Data Sensoriumis a conceptual framework of systems providing physical experience of content stored in database. Spatial immersive display is a key technology of Data Sensorium. This paper introduces prototype implementation of the concept and its application to environmental and architectural dataset.

This paper studies the characteristics of the human perception of a haptic shape-changing interface, capable of altering its size and rigidity simultaneously for presenting characteristics of virtual objects physically. The haptic interface is composed of an array of computer-controlled balloons, with two mechanisms, one for changing size and one for changing rigidity. We manufactured two balloons and conducted psychophysical experiments with twenty subjects to measure perceived sensory thresholds and haptic perception of the change of size and rigidity. The results show that subjects can correctly discriminate different conditions with an acceptable level of accuracy. Our results also suggest that the proposed system can present an ample range of rigidities and variations of the size in a way that is compatible with the human haptic perception of physical materials. Currently, shape-changing interfaces do not hold a defined position in the current VR / AR research. Our results provide basic knowledge for developing novel types of haptic interfaces that can enhance the haptic perception of virtual objects, allowing rich embodied interactions, and synchronize the virtual and the physical world through computationally-controlled materiality.

In this paper, we introduce LargeSpace, the world's largest immersive display, and discuss the principles of its design. To clarify the design of large-scale projection-based immersive displays, we address the optimum screen shape, projection approach, and arrangement of projectors and tracking cameras. In addition, a novel distortion correction method for panoramic stereo rendering is described. The method can be applied to any projection-based immersive display with any screen shape, and can generate real-time panoramic-stereoscopic views from the viewpoints of tracked participants. To validate the design principles and the rendering algorithm, we implement the LargeSpace and confirm that the method can generate the correct perspective from any position inside the screen viewing area. We implement several applications and show that large-scale immersive displays can be used in the fields of art and experimental psychology.

This paper summarizes the author's interest in haptic interfaces for Virtual Reality Musical Instruments. The current research focuses on finding interfaces that can improve physical interaction and presence with such instruments. Musical expression is a topic rarely addressed in the field of Virtual Reality. During the years, the author has explored different systems and concepts while finding the thesis topic for the Ph.D. research. They include the development and evaluation of deformable input surfaces and Shape-Changing interfaces. The results from these implementations led us to investigate Encounter-type haptics, a method that has never received a proper consideration in the design of virtual musical instruments. This represents the current stage of our research. However, the exact direction towards the Ph.D. thesis topic is still in search. Through this paper, we will describe the background and motivations behind this research together with the research hypothesis developed until now.

A block machine has been proposed as effective systems to support attack practice in volleyball. A method for manipulating the system by tablet operation has been established, and the use of the system has been shown to improve practice effectiveness. However, due to the requirement of manual operation, it has been reported that the efficiency of practice decreases due to the error between the block position and the attack position. Therefore, in order to operate the block machine automatically, we propose a method to acquire the player position from monocular video in real time and predict the attack position.

This paper presents a system that consists of three robots to imitate the motion of top volleyball blockers. In a volleyball match, in order to score by spiking, it is essential to improve the spike decision rate of each spiker. To increase the spike decision rates, iterative spiking training with actual blockers is required. Therefore, in this study, a block machine system was developed that can be continuously used in an actual practice field to improve attack practice. In order to achieve the required operating speed and mechanical strength each robot has five degrees of freedom. This robot performs high speed movement on 9 m rails that are arranged in parallel with the volleyball net. In addition, an application with a graphical user interface to enable a coach to manipulate these robots was developed. It enables the coach to control block motions and change the parameters such as the robots' positions and operation timing. Through practical use in the practice field, the effectiveness of this system was confirmed.

A furniture-device is a device having the furniture appearance and physical input and output functions. The Escaping Chair is a furniture-device capable of having physical and dynamic interaction with a subject to create self-awareness toward the intent of their actions and personification of the furniture-device. The chair interacts with bystanders by trying to move away from nearby people. By fleeing this, the device tries to make a person unable to sit on it, stimulating their perception toward their sitting action, while also making the person consider the Chair's "personality." We exhibited the chair and collected feedback via conversation and observation. During exhibition the exhibit, the chair succeeded in making subjects perceive their own movements and to feel a semblance of will in the chair during their interactions, as we planned, and even making them sympathize with it. Exhibition also raised further challenges to explore in user interaction.

IrukaTact is an open source assistive underwater glove that translates ultrasonic range finding data into haptic feedback. This paper describes the development of new models for underwater haptic actuation and the ongoing prototype development process necessary for creating this tool. Our objective is to create a system that detects underwater topographies to assist the location of sunken objects in flooded areas by sending haptic signals to wearer's fingertips produced by micropumps that propel water of varying pressures. This feedback system extends current haptic technologies by providing hybrid actuation including pressure and vibration underwater, while preserving the wearer's natural ability to grasp objects. This technology has many potential applications beyond underwater echohaptic location, such as new interfaces for virtual reality object simulation in aqueous environments.

In this study, a haptic rendering method named indirect haptic feedback is proposed. In traditional haptic interfaces for the index finger, the contact point of the finger and the point of application of force are the same when touching a virtual object. As a result, in the augmented reality environment, a user is unable to touch a real object with his/her bare hand through traditional haptic interfaces. In this study, separate contact and reaction force points are selected for haptic rendering. To realize this, a prototype system, which consists of a motion tracker, a 2-DOF haptic interface that is equipped with a force sensor, and a visual display, is developed. The system measures the position of the fingertip of a user and produces an appropriate horizontal force on the thenar eminence (the group of muscles on the palm of the human hand at the base of the thumb) of the user. Through the visio-haptic interface, a user can perceive the surfaces of 3D virtual objects. In addition, the user can perceive the frictional force on the surface of the objects. Through two evaluation tests, it was verified that the subjects could effectively perceive the 3D virtual objects using this system.

CirculaFloor is a locomotion interface that uses a set of movable tiles. The movable tiles employ a holonomic mechanism that achieves omni-directional motion. Circulation of the tiles enables the user to walk in a virtual environment while his/her position is maintained. The user can walk in any chosen direction in the virtual environment. A prototype is implemented and its performance is evaluated thorough video analysis of mass participants and physical measurement of the walker.

This paper presents work carried out for a project to develop interface devices for haptics that includes finger/hand manipulation, locomotion. It is well known that sense of touch is inevitable for understanding the real world. The last decade has seen significant advance in development of haptic interface. However, methods for implementation of haptic devices are still in try-and-error. Compared to visual and auditory displays, haptic display has not been used in everyday life. In order to overcome this limitation, we have been exhibiting the interface devices as art work. This paper introduces issues and solutions in haptic device through 18-years history of our research activities.

This article proposes a method of enabling users to share the sensation of walking with each other in a virtual environment (VE). Achieving this shared sensation requires physical equipment, with algorithms to control it. As an example of such physical equipment, a new footpad type of locomotion interface (LI), named GaitMaster2, has been developed and physiologically evaluated. An algorithm for the positional control of users' feet has been proposed, enabling the users to share various aspects of the sensation of walking. As an evaluation, two footpad type LIs were connected via a network. Using the proposed control algorithm, there followed the construction of a master-slave walking environment and a synchronized walking environment. These experiments demonstrated that this method is effective for sharing the sensation of walking in a VE.

Abstract A locomotion interface (LI) is a piece of equipment that can give a user the sense that he/she is walking while his/her actual position remains localized in the real world. We developed an LI system (GaitMaster2) that has two footpads, which can move to represent a virtual terrain for each user's foot. In this research, we applied our LI to gait rehabilitation. The footpads on our LI follow a pre‐recorded motion sequence to move the user's feet. We conducted evaluation tests with the assistance of hemiplegic patients. The effectiveness of our system was verified through EMG, video analysis and the measurement of physical values such as average velocity. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper presents work carried out for a project to develop a new interactive technique that combines haptic sensation with computer graphics. The project has two goals. The first is to provide users with a spatially continuous surface on which they can effectively touch an image using any part of their bare hand, including the palm. The second goal is to present visual and haptic sensation simultaneously by using a single device that doesn't oblige the user to wear any extra equipment. In order to achieve these goals, we designed a new interface device comprising of a flexible screen, an actuator array and a projector. The actuator deforms the flexible screen onto which the image is projected. The user can then touch the image directly and feel its shape and rigidity. Initially we fabricated two prototypes, and their effectiveness is examined by studying the observations made by anonymous users and a performance evaluation test for spatial resolution.

The Gait Master is a locomotion interface that creates a sense of walking on an uneven surface. The device employs a turntable on which two motion platforms (one for each foot) are mounted. The motion platforms track the feet and carry them back to their neutral position. The user can physically walk in a virtual space while their position is maintained. The motion platforms move vertically, which simulates an uneven surface. The walker can climb up or go down a virtual staircase while their position is maintained. The turntable rotates the two motion platforms, so that the walker can walk in any direction. We have developed two prototypes and have evaluated them through user studies.

By sharing data regarding the sensations experienced by individuals, as well as by sharing their knowledge, we are readily able to communicate with each other, and there are possibilities to further evolve this communication method. The different sensations experienced during voluntary walking and enforced walking give us different feelings. Also, the number of individuals involved can create a different feeling when walking. Networked computer-assisted walking can support and enhance these different experiences. In this paper, we introduce another walking style, the shared power-assisted voluntary walk, which is realized by a prototype networked locomotion system. This system can be used in tele-rehabilitation, which allows remote patients to share the sensation of walking. Also, it can be used to teach a group of patients rehabilitative walking. We developed two locomotion interfaces and connected them via a network. We developed enforced and semi-voluntary walking training systems using the shared walk environment and evaluated them with a series of experiments. operation integration process. In the second algorithm, thanks to deferred broadcast of operations to other sites, this process becomes even more simplified.

This paper presents a new configuration of locomotion interface for walking about virtual space. Traveling on foot is the most intuitive way for locomotion. Infinite surface driven by actuators is an ideal device for creation of sense of walking. We selected a torus-shaped surface to realize the locomotion interface. The locomotion interface employs twelve sets of treadmills. These trendmills are connected side by side and driven to perpendicular direction. Infinite surface is generated by the motion of the treadmills. The walker can go to any direction while his/her position is fixed in the real world. Effectiveness of the device is tested by motion analysis and study on sense of distance.

Describes a method of representing volume data with haptical sensation. Recently, volume visualization has been used to analyze a large amount of data. However, volume-visualized images use the color or intensity of the pixels; thus it is hard to display high-dimensional volume data. The authors proposed to give force feedback to the volume model in several ways. They construct a test virtual volume model with force feedback provided by a force display system. The performance of the model is exemplified for a volume classification task.

A new configuration of Human Interface for "artificial reality" is discussed. This paper describes a method of implementing force-feedback in a virtual space manipulation system. The system is composed of two subsystems, a real-time graphic display system and a tactile input device with reaction force generator. A specialized graphics computer (Stardent TITAN) provides a realtime image of the virtual space. A 9 degree-of-freedom manipulator has been developed as a tactile input device. The manipulator applies reaction forces to the fingers and palm of the operator. The generated forces are calculated from a solid model of the virtual space. The performance of the system is exemplified in manipulation of virtual solid objects such as a mockup for industrial design and a 3D animated character.