Kiyoshi Tomimatsu

Freqtric drums: a musical instrument that uses skin contact as an interface

Freqtric Drums is a new musical, corporal electronic instrument that allows us not only to recover face-to-face communication, but also makes possible body-to-body communication so that a self image based on the sense of being a separate body can be significant altered through an openness to and even a sense of becoming part of another body. Freqtric Drums is a device that turns audiences surrounding a performer into drums so that the performer, as a drummer, can communicate with audience members as if they were a set of drums. We describe our concept and the implementation and process of evolution of Freqtric Drums.

Visualization of Dyeing based on Diffusion and Adsorption Theories

This paper describes a method for simulating and visualizing dyeing based on weave patterns and the physical parameters of the threads and the dye. We apply Ficks second law with a variable diffusion coefficient. We calculate the diffusion coefficient using the porosity, tortuosity, and the dye concentration based on the physical chemistry of dyeing. The tortuosity of the channel was incorporated in order to consider the effect of the weave patterns on diffusion. In this model, the total mass is conserved. We describe the cloth model using a two-layered cellular model that includes the essential factors required for representing the weft and warp. Our model also includes a simple dyeing technique that produces dyeing patterns by interrupting the diffusion of the dye in a cloth using a press. The results obtained using our model demonstrate that it is capable of modeling many of the characteristics of dyeing.In geometric computing, a shape is typically viewed as a set of points and then represented accordingly, depending on the available data and the application. However, it has been known for a long time that simple shapes may be treated more elegantly by viewing them as points in a higher-dimensional space. Examples include line and sphere geometries, kinematical geometry and Lie groups. Recently, fundamental mathematical properties of spaces of more complicated objects have been studied and applied to certain problems in image processing.

Freqtric drums

Today, telecommunications penetrate our daily life, like the telephone, e-mail, chat on the Internet, etc. Certainly it is convenient and necessary to use these electronic ways of communication, which offer a certain proximity in distance. However, face-to-face, moreover, body-to-body communication is also necessary for human life to recover its inherent sensitivity. Especially, skin contact and sounds have an original power of communication. This kind of primordial communication is characterized by the corporal presence of each other and an interaction of bodies through skin contact, auditory contact like voice, singing, music, and body’s movement in presence like gestures or dance etc., which are absent from a virtual space communication. Freqtric Drums is a new musical corporalelectronic instrument, which enables us not only to recover the faceto-face communication, but also to enhance the possibility of our body-to-body communication, so that our self-consciousness based on our closed proper body can receive significant change, being open to another body and becoming a part of another body. This electronic device is also a sort of toy providing a place for the encounter and the play of bodies known or unknown to each other, and for the discovery of the materiality of our existence in relationships with each other.

SMA motion display: plant

Recently there has been demand for display equipment capable of advanced expressions in spatial design. For example, there is the Adobe Interactive Wall at Union Square (New York City, 2007), and the Zero Energy Media Wall of greenPIX (Beijing, 2008) using LEDs placed on the whole facade. The simple display of information contents is becoming insufficient, and more appealing spatial designs combining information content with interactive art expression are becoming more important. In this paper, we propose a shape memory alloy motion display (SMD), a novel piece of display equipment taking advantage of the existence of an actual object. Then, we introduce an interactive art work plant based on SMD technology.

Video game that uses skin contact as controller input

In this paper, we present the first stage of our video game prototype which treats skin contact as controller input. Skin contact is communication which has special emotion. Video game also has elements of communication, for instance, Family Computer [Nintendo 1983] has two controllers in order that family or friends can play the game together. We use these two features and propose the interaction that players can enjoy video games with skin contact. We implemented the game controller and two video games. The controller has the mechanism which enables to detect skin contact. One of games of our prototype is a shoot-em-up game. Another is a rhythm action game. Our goal of this research is to show the increase of enjoyment and intimacy at the game with using skin contact.

Interaction design teaching method design

Recently, Interaction Design became popular. We found that, if we want to improve interaction design, an interaction design education method is indispensible. Especially, interaction design usually consists of two or more different fields of discipline. When members with different backgrounds are working together, there are always cause many problems, mainly during brainstorming processes. In the final, we tried to find out the main cause of the problem and tried to figure out a method for interaction design education. In the end, we also propose the possible solution to improve interaction design teaching design. We except this research can help to improve interaction design education.

Using Color Guidance to Improve on Usability in Interactive Environments

In this paper, we examine the need for usability methods for game design and argue that within the level design discipline in game design there is a distinct lack of usability methods for users with low game literacy. Therefore, we propose that there is a need for guidance methods to properly accommodate players of all levels of game literacy in the game world. With the player having to spend the majority of its time in digital game environments and color being a basic component of any environment, we have decided to use color contrasts to determine whether color is suitable for player guidance. The goal of this paper is to determine whether player behavior, both in decision making and in viewing behavior, can be influenced through color contrasts.

Research of Interface Composition Design Optimization Based on Visual Balance

In this paper, a metric for visual balance computation is presented, and some optimization models for interface composition design are constructed. The interface composition is exhibited through the minimum bounding rectangle of the elements, four basic parameters of the element—x, y coordinates of the starting point, width and height are used for describing the element positioning. Visual moment is used to represent the product of element size and centrifugal distance, and calculate the balance extent of the opposite sides off the centerline. Three optimization models are constructed towards practical design problems such as layout adjustment, attribute selection and scheme optimization. The case study results show that, the quantitative method is effective in user-interface design process, and provides a theoretical basis for designers’ subjective assessment and future computer-aided design.

Design of a wearable haptic vest as a supportive tool for navigation

We propose an alternative way to display haptic feedback in ubiquitous computing. We develop a haptic vest that can display detailed haptic feedbacks by utilizing 5x12 arrays of vibrotactile actuators. We conducted a preliminary user testing on 34 stimuli (with four different directions) to measure the effectiveness of various vibrotactile patterns. We have discovered that each stimulus within a given direction has different properties in terms of their apprehensibility and comfort.

Himawari plant robot: creature expression using shape-memory-alloy actuator crowd robots

The goal of this project is to use shape-memory-alloy actuators to realize a wriggling creature. Normally, a shape-memory-alloy actuator generates a well-defined action (robot appendages grip something or walk). But in this project, precisely controlled actuators express wriggling and creature expression. It demonstrates that an assembly of actuators can be applied to shape display of 3D objects by increasing the number of actuators and the resolution.