2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
A study of sensation evaluation and biological measurement on perception of softness
| Project/Area Number |
13410027
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
実験系心理学
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| Research Institution | Kochi University |
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Principal Investigator |
FUJITA Naofumi Kochi University, Faculty of Education, Professor, 教育学部, 教授 (10165384)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
NAKANISHI Hideo Kochi University, Faculty of Education, Professor, 教育学部, 教授 (90294818)
IRIE Takashi Kochi University, Faculty of Education, Associate Professor, 教育学部, 助教授 (70253325)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2001 – 2003
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| Keywords | Discrimination / Softness / Proprioception / Elasticity / Virtual |
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| Research Abstract |
(1)Using the Semantic Differential Method, we investigated how many dimensions were needed to express the quality of softness. Factor analysis revealed that two dimensions were necessary. (2)We investigated what kinds of physical cues affected the perception of softness. Two candidates were elasticity and viscosity. We found out that elasticity had the main cause to perceive softness. (3)The stimuli used could be described by Five-Factor-Maxwell Model. The question was if all of these five factors were effective to evaluate the softness of the stimuli. The multi-regression analysis with two populations revealed that three factors were sufficient to describe the evaluations of the stimuli. (4)Both mechanoreceptors and proprioception may have major roles on evaluating the softness of the stimulus. If we indent the soft object by a stick, the use of mechanoreceptors will be greatly deduced. Using two kinds of sticks whose areas are either bigger(φ15mm) or smaller(φ10mm) than that of fingerpad, we compared the evaluation of softness. The evaluated values were φ15mm>fingerpad>φ10mm, suggesting that the contribution of mechanoreceptors would be restricted. (5)A man applies load on a soft object with his fingers to evaluate its hardness and detect a force, deformation and touch sensation. As soft objects in our environment are finite, the boundary conditions have a significant effect on our evaluation. Hardness evaluation of soft objects with different kinds of thickness was examined and its accuracy was confirmed. The result suggests that the accuracy of the thickness and the size of object severely affect the hardness evaluation in a virtual environment.
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Research Products
(2 results)
