Kouta Minamizawa

Gravity grabber: wearable haptic display to present virtual mass sensation

We propose a wearable haptic display to present the weight sensation of a virtual object, which is based on our novel insight that the deformation on fingerpads makes a reliable weight sensation even when the proprioceptive sensation is absent. This device will provide a new form of ubiquitous haptic interaction.

A Wearable Haptic Display to Present the Gravity Sensation - Preliminary Observations and Device Design

We propose a wearable, ungrounded haptic display that presents the realistic gravity sensation of a virtual object. We focused on the shearing stress on the fingerpads duo to the weight of the object, and found that the deformation of the fingerpads can generate the reliable gravity sensation even when the proprioceptive sensation on the wrist or arm is absent. This implies that a non-grounded gravity display can be realized by reproducing the fingerpad deformation. According to our observations, we had evaluation tests for device design. We implemented the prototype device which has simple structure using dual motors, and then evaluated the recognition ability of the gravity sensation presented on operators fingerpads with this method

Simplified design of haptic display by extending one-point kinesthetic feedback to multipoint tactile feedback

For designing a simple and more realistic haptic feedback system, we propose integrating an underactuated mechanism with one-point kinesthetic feedback from the arm with multipoint tactile feedback. By focusing on the division of roles between the cutaneous sensation in fingers and the proprioception in the arm. We have implemented a prototype system that provides kinesthetic feedback to the arm and tactile feedback to the fingers, examined the difference of weight recognition according to the applied point of kinesthetic feedback, and confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Haptic telexistence

Haptic Telexistence provides highly realistic haptic interaction among humans and objects located in remote places. We have developed innovative devices and constructed a master-slave system to realize Haptic Telexistence. Human interaction will be dramatically improved by this concept that perceives us the properties of an object.

ForceTile: tabletop tangible interface with vision-based force distribution sensing

Today, placing physical objects on a tabletop display is common for intuitive tangible input [Ullmer and Ishii 1997]. The overall goal of our project is to increase the interactivity of tabletop tangible interfaces. To achieve this goal, we propose a novel tabletop tangible interface named ‘ForceTile.’ This interface can detect the force distribution on its surface as well as its position, rotation and ID by using a vision-based approach. In our previous optical force sensors “GelForce” [Kamiyama et al. 2004], an elastic body and cameras are fixed together. Contrarily, on this system, users can place and move multiple tile-shaped interfaces on the tabletop display freely. Furthermore, users can interact with projected images on the tabletop screen by moving, pushing or pinching the ForceTiles.

GhostGlove: haptic existence of the virtual world

In the real world, we usually do not perceive haptic sensations consciously. However, if the haptic sensations are absent or if they are not of the desired quality, it would result in discomfort, and the existence of the world would be degraded. In order to eliminate the feelings of discomfort and represent genuine feelings of the existence of objects in virtual reality interactions, as shown in figure 2, we show that haptic sensations play a decisive role in inciting cognitive functions in a virtual environment. There are many researches on haptic displays for virtual reality interactions with the hand, such as CyberTouch and CyberGrasp [Immersion Corp.]. However, the represented sensation is still inadequate to provide us with the experience of feeling the definite existence of virtual objects or virtual creatures. Generally, it is considered that a complex and expensive device is required to provide realistic haptic sensations; many attempts to simplify the device would result in poor sensations, for example, simple vibrations. To merge the simplicity of the device and realistic sensation of existence, we propose a novel wearable haptic interface named “GhostGlove.” This device generates natural and realistic haptic sensations over the entire hand—on each finger and the palm—and integrates the perceptions on the entire hand along with the visual sensations to enables us to recognize the existence of the virtual world.

Ungrounded kinesthetic pen for haptic interaction with virtual environments

We proposed a pen-shaped handheld haptic display that provides kinesthetic sensations to the fingers of a user without the use of mechanical linkages. The users movements are not restricted since the device does not have mechanical linkages, and the user can enjoy haptic interactions with virtual environments. In order to downsize the device, we designed our device on the basis of a hypothesis that kinesthetic sensations on the users fingers alone are sufficient to represent the sensations of touch. We implemented a prototype device and performed an experiment to confirm the representational ability of our device. We also developed a prototype haptic augmented reality system, using which the user can see and touch a computer graphics object.

Transparent Cockpit: Visual Assistance System for Vehicle Using Retro-reflective Projection Technology

For safety and operability of drivers while operating a vehicle, it is very important to obtain a wide field of vision. However, the space available for setting up windows is limited. Therefore, we propose a ;transparent cockpit,; in which the image of a blind spot is displayed on the inner wall of the vehicle using a retro-reflective projection technology. In this system, the internal components of the vehicle, such as the doors and floor, are virtually transparent, and the blind spot is clearly visible, as observed from a window. In this paper, we describe the implementation of a prototype of the proposed system and demonstrate its effectiveness by an evaluation experiment.

Pen de touch

We propose a pen-shaped handheld haptic display that allows haptic interactions with virtual environments by generating kinesthetic sensations on the users fingers; the users movements are not restricted since the device does not have mechanical linkages. Unlike conventional haptic displays that provide vibrations, which are not representative of tactile sensation, our proposed device, named Pen de Touch (Figure 1), provides kinesthetic sensations to the muscles in the users fingers.

A Palm-Worn Haptic Display for Bimanual Operations in Virtual Environments

We propose a wearable haptic display that indicates the pressure and vibration on the palm for bimanual operations in virtual reality environments. This system aims to provide the touch and stroke sensations of virtual objects or virtual creatures. We constructed a prototype device that can reproduce vertical and shearing forces on the palm and evaluate the capability of the proposed method to recognize the existence of a virtual object in one-handed and two-handed operations.