Haptic Affordance Without Touching: Verification and Application of Environment Understanding During Walking via Modality Conversion from Visual to Haptic Information

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K12881
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90150:Medical assistive technology-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Denki University
• Principal Investigator: Nakamura Akio 東京電機大学, 未来科学部, 教授 (00334152)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 武川 直樹 東京電機大学, システムデザイン工学部, 教授 (20366397) ; 小林 春美 東京電機大学, 理工学部, 教授 (60333530)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 空間知覚 / 光学的流動 / モダリティ変換

Outline of Final Research Achievements

According to studies on ecological optics, optical flow, which represents dynamical visual variation, is important for human environmental understanding and spatial perception.
In this study, we confirm that even if the modality is converted from visual and distance information to haptic and vibration stimuli, spatial information is transmitted by dynamical visual variation, and is effective for environmental understanding during walking. We have developed a head-mounted wearable device equipped with a 2-dimensional distance sensor and five vibro-motors arranged around the head. Through the subject experiments, we have confirmed the possibility of distance localization to a wall, contact with a wall, understanding of wall arrangement, and aperture localization and passage.
We have also obtained knowledge on the integrated analysis of various sensor data, and we are getting ready for more advanced verification of the process of human environmental understanding and spatial perception.

Free Research Field

コンピュータビジョン

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的意義は，視覚・距離情報から触覚・振動刺激へのモダリティの変換を伴いつつ，人間の環境理解・空間知覚の成立過程の検証と解明を目指す点にある．光学的流動を模擬し，モダリティを変換しても変化・差分情報が有効であることを示す．工学的には，環境情報を機械に解釈させずに直接人間が取得し解釈することで，人間の認知特性に合致する知覚支援が可能となる点である．これにより，視覚障がい者，特に中途失明者の支援システムの開発に貢献できる可能性がある点が社会的意義である．