Shigenori Ioroi

Equipment Operation by Motion Recognition with Wearable Wireless Acceleration Sensor

This paper proposes new system architecture for equipment operation based on the motion recognition using a 3-axis acceleration sensor. The small sensor is attached to the wrist with a band and is worn as a wearable device so as not to disturb body motion. The motion of the arm is detected by the acceleration sensor, and data are transmitted to the PC by Bluetooth signals. It has a wide detection range compared to video methods because the Bluetooth radio system has omni-directional characteristics. The data are analyzed using a DP matching method in the PC and the templates stored in advance are compared. Each template data correspond to the equipment operation. The IR signal is transmitted based on the results of matching and this signal operates the equipment. A television and a room light are selected for the system demonstration, and it is confirmed that turn on/off of each piece of equipment, changing channels and volume alternation can be performed through body motion.

Accurate Indoor Positioning System Using Near-Ultrasonic Sound from a Smartphone

This paper describes new concepts and techniques for an indoor positioning system that uses near-ultrasonic sound from a smartphone. The indoor positioning system can be used in many practical applications, for example, in detecting the location of moving objects, such as a person or a wheelchair, and navigation within a wide indoor area. Indoor positioning systems seem to require a higher positioning accuracy compared with systems for use in outdoor areas. The authors have previously proposed a solution for indoor positioning using ultrasonic sensors. However, these suffer from a shortcoming in that users have to possess a special ultrasonic transmitter. The system proposed here does not need such a transmitter, because a smartphone is used as the sound source. Smartphones are already widely used, so the proposed system seems to be easy to introduce for practical use. The sound transmitted from the smartphone has been investigated and confirmed, as has the validity of the developed receiving unit which makes use of the timer count values of a microcomputer, which gives an indication of the timing of the detection of sound from the smartphone. Positioning tests for static and moving objects have been carried out in both quiet and noisy environments. It has been verified that the positioning accuracy is sufficient for navigation for visually impaired persons and for other applications.

Implementation of a Smartphone-Based Platform for the Operation of Home Electrical Appliances and Verification of Its Feasibility

Today, to operate a home electrical appliance, the user needs to operate a remote control unit dedicated to it. As multi-functional mobile phones, i.e., smartphones, become widespread, it has become possible to exploit their processing power and built-in sensors. These enable them to serve as an interface for operating a variety of home appliances in a way suitable for the users particular state and preferences. This paper proposes a smartphone-based platform that provides a means of implementing a wide range of operations for home electrical appliances, and also describes verification of its feasibility. It first describes the design and implementation of a networked remote control unit, the key component of the platform, which receives operation commands from a smartphone, and transmits infrared signals that control the required appliance. It then presents a home appliance operation application that has been implemented on a smartphone to verify the feasibility of the proposed platform. The application works with either the touch screen or the built-in acceleration sensor of the smartphone, and also with an external sensor via Bluetooth communication.

Proposal and Demonstration of Equipment Operated by Blinking

This paper describes a new input method that makes use of eyelid blinking. We found that the electromyographic (EMG) signal generated by blinking can be detected using a commercially available brain sensor. Since it is impossible to distinguish between voluntary and involuntary blinks, we propose setting a specific time duration between eyelid closing and opening. This duration can be used as a trigger for signal generation and at the same time for selection of a particular operation. The blink pattern is interpreted as a signal pattern for operation and corresponding commands are assigned for the operation selected. We built a demonstration system to evaluate the proposed method. The validity of the method and the effectiveness of the system were confirmed by the experiment using the system.

Investigation and demonstration of local positioning system using ultrasonic sensors for wide indoor areas

This paper proposes an indoor positioning system for detecting the location of a moving object such as a person or a goods trolley in a wide indoor area. Conventional system requires synchronization between transmission and receiving unit. As a result, they include not only an ultrasonic part but also a radio part to maintain synchronization. We have developed a system that uses only ultrasonic waves, that is, an asynchronous system. The system configuration and sequence of operation are explained and the verification system which includes H8, PIC microprocessors and a PC for positioning calculation is described. It was confirmed that the proposed method is valid and the positioning error is within 100mm.

Map Matching to Correct Location Error in an Electric Wheel Chair

This paper presents a method of map matching that is a scheme for accurate guidance of an electric wheel chair. Indoor navigation seems to require more accurate guidance than outdoor areas, the location estimation by the rotary encoders embedded in the wheel chair cannot be satisfy the accuracy requirement, because estimation error is accumulated as the wheel chair travels. The authors propose the map matching that uses the building structure in order to compensate for accumulated position error. The corner detection and its position information are used for replacement as a correct position. The methods of the corner detection and the calculation model for the correct position are shown, and the validity of the proposed methods are confirmed by the experiment using a laser range finder.

Design and implementation of map system for indoor navigation - An example of an application of a platform which collects and provides indoor positions -

Many kinds of indoor positioning systems have been investigated, and location-based services have been developed and introduced. They are individually designed and developed based on the requirements for each service. This paper presents a map platform that accommodates any positioning system in order to utilize the platform for various application systems. The requirement conditions are summarized and the platform has been implemented using open source software. The software allows the required functions to be assigned into two servers, realizes the independence of each function and allows for future function expansion. The study has verified the basic functions required for a mapping system that can incorporate several indoor positioning systems including dead reckoning calculated by inertia sensors installed in a smartphone and an odometry system operated by the rotary encoders installed in an electric wheel chair.

Design and Trial of a Cell-phone-based Hazard Information Sharing System for Residents Living Close to an Incident

This paper presents a hazard/crime incident information sharing system using cell phones. Cell phone penetration is nearly 100% among adults in Japan and cell phones have functions which are sufficient as a telecommunication tool besides GPS positioning and camera functions. The open source software, Apache, Postfix and MySQL is installed on a system server, and, together with the information service provided by Google Maps, are used to satisfy system requirements that are determined for the local community. Conventional systems deliver information to all people registered in the same block, even if an incident occurred at a spot far from their house. The key feature of the proposed system is that the distribution range of e-mail messages which give hazard and location information etc. is determined by the geometrical distance from the incident spot to the residence of each registered member. The functions and operations have been confirmed by a trial conducted in cooperation with the members of the neighborhood community.

Discrimination of multiple objects and expanding positioning area for indoor positioning systems using ultrasonic sensors

This paper describes new concepts and techniques for an indoor positioning system that uses ultrasonic signals to enhance practicability. This indoor positioning system can be applied to the location detection of a moving object such as a person or a goods trolley over a wide indoor area. The proposed system works by means of ultrasonic signals. This makes it easy to avoid multipath effects because the propagation velocity of ultrasonic signals is much slower than that of radio waves. In addition, ultrasonic signals are not restricted by radio regulations that may differ from country to country. The main feature of our system, developed and presented last year, is that it does not require synchronization between the transmitting and receiving units. This paper describes a system for accommodating multiple moving objects and expanding positioning area. Two techniques, the allocation of a specific ID to each positioning object and the use of a virtual receiving point for ultrasonic signals, were investigated in order to realize the required functions and make the proposed system more practical. The effectiveness of these techniques was confirmed by experiments carried out using ultrasonic sensors installed in the ceiling and model railway trains acting as moving objects on the floor below.

Design and Operation of a Cell Phone-Based Community Hazard Information Sharing System

This paper presents a hazard/crime incident information sharing system using cell phones. Cell phone penetration is nearly 100% among adults in Japan, and they function as a telecommunication tool as well as a Global Positioning System GPS and camera. Open source software Apache, Postfix, and MySQL is installed on a system server, and together with the information service provided by Google Maps, are used to satisfy system requirements for the local community. Conventional systems deliver information to all people registered in the same block, even if an incident occurred far from their house. The key feature of the proposed system is that the distribution range of the hazard notification e-mail messages is determined by the geometrical distance from the incident location to the residence of each registered member. The proposed system applies not only to conventional cell phones but also smart phones, which are rapidly becoming popular in Japan. The new system functionality has been confirmed by a trial using members of the local community. System operation began after the successful trial and a training meeting for the local residents. System design, verification results, and operating status are described in this paper.