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The haptic sensation is crucial for virtual reality, as it gives the presence of objects in a virtual world and thus gives a greater sense of immersion. To provide a sense of the shape of handheld objects, a haptic device that changes weight distribution is proposed. It is known that the visual feedback enhances the haptic sensation of shape, and it is also known that it does for morphing shape as well. Our previous publication presented a perception model for the static shape of a virtual object. In this article, we extend the model to produce a plausible sense of the morphing shape of handheld objects. Our stochastic model predicts the proper weight actuation for the weight-shifting haptic device, which users can plausibly feel while reducing hardware effort. We evaluated our perception model and resulted in the model accuracy average of 8.1% error. Using this perception model, the amount of weight actuation at 75% probability of plausibility is reduced up to 37%.

Virtual reality (VR) is a promising tool for motor skill learning. Previous studies have indicated that observing and following a teacher's movements from a first-person perspective using VR facilitates motor skill learning. Conversely, it has also been pointed out that this learning method makes the learner so strongly aware of the need to follow that it weakens their sense of agency (SoA) for motor skills and prevents them from updating the body schema, thereby preventing long-term retention of motor skills. To address this problem, we propose applying “virtual co-embodiment” to motor skill learning. Virtual co-embodiment is a system in which a virtual avatar is controlled based on the weighted average of the movements of multiple entities. Because users in virtual co-embodiment overestimate their SoA, we hypothesized that learning using virtual co-embodiment with a teacher would improve motor skill retention. In this study, we focused on learning a dual task to evaluate the automation of movement, which is considered an essential element of motor skills. As a result, learning in virtual co-embodiment with the teacher improves motor skill learning efficiency compared with sharing the teacher's first-person perspective or learning alone.

The main contribution of this study is realization of a method that enhances the effect of touch in remote communication between persons of the same gender by changing the gender impression with a voice changer during telecommunication. Although psychological studies have revealed that touch has various positive effects such as triggering altruistic behavior and persuading others, these effects are restrained in some cases, especially in same-gender communication, because a touch between persons of the same gender tends to cause unpleasant feelings. However, “Transcendent Telepresence,” which enhances positive psychological effects and suppresses negative effects by modifying the information transmitted via telecommunication, enables us to overcome this problem. We hypothesized that telepresence that modifies people’s gender impression reduces this unpleasantness and enhances the effect of touch. We tested the effectiveness of this method in a situation in which a male operator asked male participants to perform a monotonous task. The results showed that a touch by a male operator whose voice was changed to female-like could reduce the boredom of the task and improve the friendliness toward the operator. We believe this method realizes effective communication in various fields including telemedicine, crowdsourcing, and remote education.

In this study, we aim to construct a perception-based shape display system to provide users with the sensation of touching virtual objects of varying shapes using only a simple mechanism. Thus far, we have proved that identified curved surface shapes or edge angles can be modified by displacing the visual representation of the user's hand. However, using this method, we cannot emulate multifinger touch, because of spatial unconformity. To solve this problem, we focus on modifying the identification of shapes using two fingers by deforming the visual representation of the user's hand. We devised a video see-through system that enables us to change the perceived shape of an object that a user is touching visually. The visual representation of the user's hand is deformed as if the user were handling a visual object; however, the user is actually handling an object of a different shape. Using this system, we conducted two experiments to investigate the effects of visuo-haptic interaction and evaluate its effectiveness. One is an investigation on the modification of size perception to confirm that the fingers did not stroke the shape but only touched it statically. The other is an investigation on the modification of shape perception for confirming that the fingers dynamically stroked the surface of the shape. The results of these experiments show that the perceived sizes of objects handled using a thumb and other finger(s) could be modified if the difference between the size of physical and visual stimuli was in the -40% to 35% range. In addition, we found that the algorithm can create an effect of shape perception modification when users stroke the shape with multiple fingers.

The authors are used to riding a train in their daily life. If one could ride a train virtually without physical movement of the train, one could travel and see the world much more. Thus, the authors made a virtual train with a container. When you enter the virtual train, you can see various kinds of scenes through train windows and can also hear a sound of train movement. You can see scenes of foreign countries, such as Japan, Korea, France, and so on. In this paper, the authors propose a new experience-based system using a container to resemble to a train. The authors have implemented this system as a media art artwork named “Train Window of Container”. The authors discuss the system implemented in the container that provides us to feel a sense as if they were in a train. The authors use visual and auditory information that provides you a new sense of moving of a train car. The authors exhibited the artwork “Train Window of Container” for five days and had about 13,000 audiences and got feedbacks from them.

We describe the development of a new visualization method, called the expression imbalance map (EIM), for detecting mRNA expression imbalance regions, reflecting genomic losses and gains at a much higher resolution than conventional technologies such as comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). Simple spatial mapping of the microarray expression profiles on chromosomal location provides little information about genomic structure, because mRNA expression levels do not completely reflect genomic copy number and some microarray probes would be of low quality. The EIM, which does not employ arbitrary selection of thresholds in conjunction with hypergeometric distribution-based algorithm, has a high tolerance of these complex factors. The EIM could detect regionally underexpressed or overexpressed genes (called, here, an expression imbalance region) in lung cancer specimens from their gene expression data of oligonucleotide microarray. Many known as well as potential loci with frequent genomic losses or gains were detected as expression imbalance regions by the EIM. Therefore, the EIM should provide the user with further insight into genomic structure through mRNA expression.

In this paper, we discuss possible applications of virtual reality technologies, such as immersive projection technology (IPT), in the field of genome science, and propose cluster-oriented visualization that attaches importance to data separation of large gene data sets with multiple variables. Based on these strategies, we developed the cluster overlap distribution map(CDCM), which is a visualization methodology using IPT for pairwise comparison between cluster sets generated from different gene expression data sets. This methodology effectively provides the user with indications of gene clusters that are worth a close examination. In addition, by using the plate window manager system, which enables the user to manipulate existing 2D GUI applications in the virtual 3D space, we developed the virtual environment for the comprehensive analysis from providing the indications to further examination by referring to the database on Web sites. Our system was applied in the comparison between the gene expression data sets of hepatocellular carcinomas and hepatoblastomas, and the effectiveness of the system was confirmed.

Abstract.: Multisensory scientific data sensualization methods that utilize virtual reality technology permit the use of several human sensations, such as visual, acoustic, and tactile sensation to display numerical data. The purposes of multisensory data sensualization can be classified as follows: (a) representing the relationships between different kinds of data; (b) displaying data utilizing sensory integration; and (c) representing conditions using the compound image. By using multisensory information, computers increase the ability to express data. However, these methods lead us to the question of which sensation should be used to display data most effectively. In this study, a multisensory data sensualization environment was developed in which color, loudness, sound frequency, and air flow pressure could be used to display scientific data. In particular, a wind sensation display prototype using air flow pressure was developed to generate tactile sensation. A basic experiment was conducted on sensory interference when subjects used two kinds of sensations simultaneously. From these results, guidelines for the usage of multisensory information for each purpose is proposed.

The sand play technique (Sandspiel) has often been used in psychological treatments. The primary purpose of this study was to construct a practical virtual environment to support the application of this technique with computers. The prototype application called “Virtual Sand Box” was developed to test the Sand Play Technique in the diagnosis and treatment of autistic patients. The display system and input device are discussed. A detailed description is also provided for how a virtual environment was constructed to cater input systems into output systems in order to facilitate manipulation tasks for the user. Experimental results gave insight into the feasibility and advantages of applying virtual reality technology to clinical medicine, particularly with respect to the diagnosis of the people with psychological and psychiatric sicknesses such as autism and neurosis.

During recent years, the use of virtual reality technology has become widespread and popular. However, to further broaden the application of virtual reality, more sophisticated and realistic virtual worlds need to be developed. Traditionally, most virtual worlds are generated using three-dimensional (3D) computer graphics incorporating 3D geometric models and various rendering software. However, if 3D models become very complex, the delay time caused by rendering calculations makes it difficult for the user to be able to interact with the virtual world. Also, the production of realistic 3D computer graphics is very cost and labor intensive. From a very practical point of view, it is clear that we need some alternate approaches to realize a truly realistic virtual world. In this paper, the authors introduce an alternate method of generating virtual worlds other than 3D computer graphics. The method discussed here is to generate virtual worlds by processing 2D real images taken by video cameras. For this purpose, a special video camera system that can record image data indexed by position data was developed. Using recorded image data indexed by position data we are able to experience the virtual image world interactively. This method has become realistic due to advances in multimedia computers capable of handling large image data. A tested prototype of this kind of system is discussed in some depth, along with the capability and limitations of this prototype system.

The sensations of touch and force have come to be recognized as essential factors in virtual reality, and many efforts have been made to develop display devices that reproduce these sensations. Such devices are divided into two categories: wearing and nonwearing. In this paper, a method is proposed for representing virtual objects of arbitrary shapes using a nonwearing device. Based on this method, a device was fabricated to describe our approach. Our prototype device was designed to approximately represent part of the surface of a virtual object as a tangential surface (i.e., partial surface) to the user's fingertip. The device was implemented as a mechanism with five degrees of freedom that are commonly used to measure the fingertip position and to present the partial surface to the fingertip. The mechanism was controlled through two calculation loops: a model loop that gives a tangential surface from the fingertip position and the shape of objects, and a servo loop that manages the mechanism to represent the given tangential surface by the partial surface. Also, a stereoscopic, head-tracking visual system was implemented to realize the combined presentation of visual information and the partial surface.

In this paper, a method to detect the vocal activities of the fetus is reported. An estimation of the intensity and frequency of the voice was made on the assumption that the fetus can vocalize. Based upon these results, experiments to detect the voice were made. From the analysis of the results, it was made clear that the voice seemed to be buried in the noise and difficult to detect.