Sigeru Sato

Multimodal mouse: A mouse-type device with tactile and force display

A mouse was modified to add tactile and force display. Tactile feedback, or display, was added via a solenoid driving a small pin protruding through a hole in the mouse button. Force feedback was added via an electromagnet and an iron mouse pad. Both enhancements were embedded in the mouse casing, increasing its weight from 103 to 148 g. In a target selection task experiment, the addition of tactile information feedback reduced target selection times slightly, compared to the no additional feedback condition. A more pronounced effect was observed on the clicking time—the time to selection once the cursor entered the target. In this case, we observed a statistically significant speed-up of about 12% in the presence of tactile feedback. The modified mouse was also used in a test of virtual texture. The amplitude and frequency of solenoid pulses were varied according to the movement of the mouse and the underlying virtual texture. Subjects could reliably discriminate between different textures.

A system for simultaneously measuring grasping posture and pressure distribution

This paper describes a measurement system that can simultaneously measure the distribution of grasping pressure, grasping posture and wrist position synchronously with grasping action video image data. A sensor designed to measure the distribution of grasping pressure was developed, for use with this system, and when employed, it is slipped onto the hand the same way as an ordinary glove. It has 15 load detection points on each finger and a total of 81 such points for a single hand. A sensor that can detect finger movements at 18 joints was used, for the measurement of the grasping posture and wrist position. This paper discusses the configuration of the system and presents an experimental result.

Measuring system for grasping

A measuring system for grasping function is developed. The purpose of this system is to measure and analyze the grasping function of human hands. In this report, the structure of the system is introduced. The sensor glove which is the main device of the system, developed by the authors to measure the operation force distribution in hands, is also explained in detail. Using this system, the operation force distribution, joint angles of hands and fingers, wrist position and direction in the operation space and the view of the operation can be simultaneously measured and recorded in real time. The system consists of 5 subsystems: 1) the sensor glove for operation force distribution; 2) the Cyber Glove (by Virtual Technologies) for 18 joint angles in hand; 3) a magnetic sensor to detect the wrist position and direction; 4) a video equipment for the observation of the operation view; and 5) a personal computer to control the system.

A proposal of grasping information interface for remote pointing task

Grasping-and-moving are fundamental hand operations necessary for performing tasks using modern man-machine interfaces. However, behavioral information associated with grasping, such as force, posture, etc., has not been utilized for traditional interfaces. Although behavioral information should have potential utility in developing task-adaptive and operator-adaptive interfaces; it is known that how people grasp devices is dependent on the purpose of these tasks. This paper describes a computer mouse as a typical pointing device, whose approaching speed, or gain, is adjusted depending on the nature of the task. This paper suggests that the grasping-and-moving tasks should consist of two phases. The first or approaching phase is when the operator moves the mouse pointer close to the target with a small grasping force. The second or positioning phase follows when the operator makes a fine adjustment of the pointer to locate it within the target area using a larger grasping force. This proposed new computer mouse has a sensor to detect the operators grasping force and uses it to control the gain of the mouse. Two sets of experiments were conducted; one for confirming the assumption that the grasping force should be small while approaching the target and large while positioning it; and the other for confirming that the proposed mouse should be effective in reducing the time necessary for pointing various kinds of objects.

Development of a New Hand-Grasp Measurement System

Summary We have developed a system which can synchronously record and reproduce data of four different types: hand position and angle, individual finger joint angles, image data on hand operation, and the distribution of grasping pressure, combining position and angle sensors, finger joint angle sensors, video, and the Sensor Glove. Since this system can synchronously record multiple physical variables involved in the hand and finger operation (recording mode), synchronous reproduction (playing mode) and/or the multiphase evaluation of data (data processing software), previously not possible, have been made possible. We expect this system to contribute to the establishment of a method for designing comfortable man-machine interfaces.

The multi-modal integrative mouse: a mouse with tactile display

In natural situations, we can obtain sensory information in different modalities such as visual, auditory and tactile from an object. The human-computer interface with a mouse can give us both visual and kinesthetic information. However, the tactile information that occurs when we touch an object in a natural situation is not available from a mouse. In psychophysical studies, it has been shown that tactile information added to visual information helps to increase the velocity of finger movements and reduces the dependence on vision [1]. It is, therefore, expected that an interface device capable of presenting tactile information would improve the efficiency of operation and reduce the visual load. Thus, we have developed a human-computer interface device based on a mouse that gives tactile and force sensations to the operator in addition to visual information. This interface device can be defined as a multi-modal integrative mouse.

Development of training games of physical posture for people with developmental disorders

This paper describes two prototypes of training games of physical posture adaptive for people with developmental disorders. Two types of games are developed and their prototypes are produced. One is a game for exercise users body posture control. The other is a simulator of holding some object horizontally. Though it is said that ASD people generally have resistance against new, inexperienced items, all of the ASD subjects are interested in the games without refusal. This fact is considered to be an effective utilization of attraction and diffusing potential that games have.This paper describes improvements for training game of physical posture adaptive for people with developmental disorders, which is developed and already reported by the authors. The Game is a game for exercise users body posture control. Though it is said that ASD people generally have resistance against new, inexperienced items, all of the ASD subjects are interested in the games without refusal. This fact is considered to be an effective utilization of attraction and diffusing potential that games have. Through this improvement, the Game has been improved to the level that it can be used in the classes of schools by teachers.