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Takegawa Lab. - xFuture Lab.
Takegawa Lab. - xFuture Lab.
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  2. Lifestyle of the Future

Lifestyle of the Future

Greetings

We are living in an age in which information technology, such as AI, SNS, robots, and so on, have become naturally integrated into society. The spread of such technology has also changed the way we live, and this change will only continue to grow. Using sensor technology will enable us accurately to capture everyday events and predict future events. The promulgation of thin and flexible displays will make it possible to present information anywhere. Meanwhile, computers will become ever smaller and more lightweight.

So, what will our future lifestyle be like? What is important for creating a better lifestyle?

I believe that ‘personalization’ and ‘co-creation’ are key. As information technology subtly and flexibly blends into our daily lives, living solutions that are more tailored to individual circumstances will no doubt be found. While it is important to propose universal designs that are easy for everyone to use, I think that from now on what will be crucial is personal design that is completely tailored to the intense ego (selfishness) of a certain individual. When designing a UI/UX to fit individuals, shared creation is important. We must identify with a certain person’s ego, understand their values, and actively involve them, to jointly develop products and services. At times we may even actually create new values.

The works included in Lifestyle of the Future were all born of a focus on somebody’s ego. Your ego will build the future!

Prof. Yoshinari Takegawa

Project

(Click thumbnails for details)
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Communication

PerformEyebrow
Shape-changing eyebrows to convey any emotion
Digital Mask
Expressive face mask
Re: DigitalMask
DigitalVoice
Instantly changes your voice however you want!
Danmaranai
Turns even the quietest person into a chatterbox
Enmusubi
For more rounded online conversation
TranPlay
It can shapeshift!? A fully bendable, handy display

Life

Design of teaching methods for applications, systems and games that support learning

Wearable Projector
Projection Mapping anytime, anywhere
Diet Filter
A filter that enables you to eat less while still enjoying every mouthful
Voice Loudness Controller
A vocal volume dial
MusicalTyping
An instrument that enables you to input characters while playing sounds
Keyboard Cover
Realizing a curling stone that maintains a stable information display no matter how much the stone is spinning

© Future University Hakodate, Takegawa Laboratory, All Rights Reserved.

BrainOneParka



A Parka that combines brainwaves and vibration to share everyone’s excitement

Brain One Parka is a next-generation parka that increases the sense of unity in online and VR concerts. Utilising the technology of the preceding ONE Parka, we also install brainwave sensors to analyse users’ brainwaves in real time. The system estimates the level of excitement from the analysis results and shares the heightened emotion of other viewers through vibrations. This makes it possible to experience a sense of presence, as though in a real concert venue, while feeling the hype of the concert in one’s body. We introduced real-time feedback by brainwave analysis, which was not implemented in ONE Parka, and further increased the sense of unity between viewers. With Brain One Parka, you can get a sense of enjoying a concert together with everyone else, no matter where you are. Let’s use Brain One Parka to enjoy concerts that connect us to others, even when we’re alone.

Mobile Clavier



Enabling you to play varied harmonies with just a small number of keys

Many people who play musical instruments want to be able to perform for lots of people, whenever, wherever. However, ordinary keyboard instruments are large and heavy, making them difficult to carry around. While there are smaller keyboard instruments, the range of sounds that can be played is limited, making it difficult to achieve a satisfying performance. This is where Mobile Clavier, which is portable and enables you to play any piece of music, comes in handy. It is a small keyboard instrument, comprising just 15 white keys and 12 black keys, yet, by operating the foot pedal to alter the range as you play, it is possible to perform pieces covering three octaves, such as a Turkish March. In addition, to prevent any confusion for the player, the ranges played by the left hand and right hand, respectively, are distinguished by the way the LEDs light up. Looking foward, we think that incorporating ever-involving AI technology into Mobile Clavier will remove the need for the foot pedal. With Mobile Clavier, the performers of the future will be able to deliver satisfying performances to even more people, in even more places.

Accomplishment

Takegawa, Y., Terada, T., Tsukamoto, M., and Nishio, S., “Mobile Clavier: New Music Keyboard for Flexible Key Transpose,” Proceeding of International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME2007), pp. 82–87 (June 2007).

PerformEyebrow



Shape-changing eyebrows to convey any emotion

PerformEyebrow comprises artificial eyebrows adhered on top of the user’s eyebrows, the shape of which can be made to change using heat transmission, in order to express a variety of emotions. The shape of a person’s eyebrows largely affects the impression made by their facial expression. Accordingly, exaggerating the change of the eyebrows enables the user to convey their emotions to other people more clearly and comprehensibly. Also, PerformEyebrow is useful in situations where face masks are required. Wearing a mask limits the parts of the face that can be seen, but eyebrow transformation by PerformEyebrow makes it easy to convey emotions, even when wearing a mask.

Accomplishment
Masui, M., Takegawa, Y., Nonoka N., Tokuda, Y., Sugiura, Y., Masai, K., and Hirata, K., “PerformEyebrow: Design and Implementation of an Artificial Eyebrow Device Enabling Augmented Facial Expression,” Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (HCII2021), pp. 584–597 (July 2021).

Digital Mask




Expressive face mask

The Digital Mask has display screens, a camera and microphone attached. The display facing the user wearing the mask shows the face of the person to whom the user is talking. The display facing the other person shows the face of the mask-wearer, transformed into an avatar (character). At this time, the gaze and facial expression of the mask-wearer are reflected onto the avatar. In addition, thanks to the mask’s voice-changer function, the wearer can become even more like the avatar, by altering his/her voice to suit it.

Accomplishment
Takegawa, Y., Tokuda, Y., Umezawa, A., Suzuki, K., Masai, K., Sugiura, Y., Sugimoto, M., Plasencia, M. D., Subramanian, S., and Hirata, K., “Digital Full-Face Mask Display with Expression Recognition using Embedded Photo Reflective Sensor Arrays,” Proceedings of the 2020 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR), pp. 101–108 (Nov. 2020).

Re: DigitalMask



A fully-evolved Digital Mask

Re Digital Mask is the result of adding new components to the previous Digital Mask. The previous mask had issues such as that the wearer’s ‘field of vision is obstructed, making walking around difficult and dangerous’, ‘the operation of changing the avatar is difficult’, and ‘the mask cannot be used outdoors’. Therefore, we created Re Digital Mask, which comprises the existing mask with three new components added. The first component is AR glasses. Using AR glasses has improved the field of vision, enabling the wearer not just to walk around, but even to climb stairs safely, which makes it possible to wear Digital Mask in everyday life. What’s more, the position of the avatar face in relation to the wearer’s actual face has become more natural than before, giving the wearer a feeling of identification with the avatar, which allows them to converse without feeling awkward. The second new component is one-tap operation. With the previous mask, when the user wanted to change the avatar, it was necessary to perform complex operations. Therefore, with Re Digital Mask, we made it possible to change the avatar easily, with one tap, so that the user can enjoy conversation with no stress. The third component is facial-expression sensing using light sensors and a microphone. The previous mask estimated facial expression using only light sensors, but it was found that, when using the mask outside, the light sensors were strongly affected by sunlight, which prevented accurate facial-expression reading. Accordingly, light sensors and a microphone are used to enable more accurate facial-expression sensing. Why don’t you try looking at the world through this newly, fully-evolved digital mask?

DigitalVoice


 


Instantly changes your voice however you want!

DigitalVoice, which is used together with a digital mask that changes your face into an avatar, is an item that allows you to change your voice just as you would change your clothes. There were two issues in realizing DigitalVoice. The first was that, when people are conversing at close range, the listener can hear the speaker’s normal voice as well as their altered voice. To solve this problem, we introduced a sound-blocking microphone, which makes the speaker’s original voice practically inaudible. Also, by using an audio feedback method to play the speaker’s voice to them at an increased volume, we succeeded in making the speaker feel that their natural voice was too loud and thus speaking more quietly. The second issue was that the speaker has difficulty concentrating on speaking when they hear the artificial voice and their natural voice out of sync. This problem was solved by using bone conduction earphones, capable of picking up surrounding noises, to make the speaker’s natural voice sound loud and make the virtual voice difficult to hear. We think DigitalVoice could be used in a variety of situations. For example, if a man with a severe face who finds that children are afraid of him were to use an avatar wherever he went, not only would children stop being scared, but he might even become popular with children. Why don’t you try changing your voice and using an avatar to make communication and conversation more fun?

Danmaranai



Turns even the quietest person into a chatterbox

In online video meetings, it has been observed that, when compared to face-to-face meetings, it is difficult to see the gaze, expressions, hand gestures and movements of the person or people to whom one is talking, which often prevents meetings from progressing smoothly. On top of this, for shy people who are passive when it comes to online communication, it is hard to speak in an online meeting environment, thus such people tend to turn off their cameras or mute themselves. Accordingly, we considered that by visualizing ‘gaze’, which is usually not conveyed online, we can enable discussions involving shy people to run more smoothly, and make it easier for shy people to speak. In this research, we had online participants conduct group work using Post-it notes, and measured the movement of their gaze when they looked at each of the Post-it notes, on which opinions had been written. As a result, we found that participants looked longer at notes on which opinions of agreement were written than at notes on which opposing opinions were written. Furthermore, by displaying the notes that were viewed for a long time with increased color saturation, we made non-speaking participants’ opinions of agreement easily noticeable, which reduced the length of silences between participants and enabled the meeting to proceed more smoothly and for a longer time. In online meetings, shy people worry too much about how others will react and hesitate to express their opinions, but we think that if we can turn shy people into chatterboxes by visualizing their gaze, we can surely have more enjoyable discussions in future!

Enmusubi



For more rounded online conversation

The Enmusubi is an installation that enables users in separate locations to have a casual online chat, just as people might gather round the office water cooler in real life. The major special features of the Enmusubi, which are a camera that films a 360 view, and a cylindrical display, make it possible to hold not only one-to-one conversations, but also simultaneous conversations between multiple groups. A single Enmusubi has microphones and speakers attached in all four directions, so that when you are actually conversing you can hardly hear the voices of anyone besides the person to whom you are talking. This means that, even when multiple people are holding conversations simultaneously, there is no need to worry about speech overlapping and becoming difficult to hear. However, as you can still faintly hear the conversations of other groups, it is also possible to join in with those conversations and all talk together.

TranPlay



It can shapeshift!? A fully bendable, handy display

The Tranplay is a display that allows you freely to alter the shape of the display and the direction in which it curves. Changing the shape of the display into forms such an S shape, V shape, or a flat surface makes it easier for the gaze and emotions of the avatar shown on the display to be conveyed to users. For example, you can change the impression of the avatar’s gaze by changing the shape of the Tranplay in accordance with the number of people around it. When there is only one person nearby, you can make the display into a Λ shape, so that the person can directly meet the avatar’s gaze and feel as though they alone are talking to it. In contrast, when there are several people surrounding the display, by changing the display to a V shape you can make it seem like the avatar is talking to everyone. You can even move the display in real time to make it seem as though the avatar is bowing or lying outstretched, to effectively recreate the avatar’s emotions.

Wearable Projector



Projection Mapping anytime, anywhere

The days when projectors were heavy and large are long gone. You can already buy a projector that fits in the palm of your hand; and surely projectors will just continue to get smaller and cheaper. Wearable Projector can be attached to your wrist, shoulder, waist and various other body parts, to display information on all kinds of surface, such as walls or floors. What’s more, you can display stable images even while walking, so there are countless ways to use it. For example, when walking through an unknown town with a friend, you can project a map while you walk, or even play games on the go.

Accomplishment
Ota, S., Takegawa, Y., Terada, T., and Tsukamoto, M., “A Method for Wearable Projector Selection that Considers the Viewability of Projected Images,” Proceeding of the 7th International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology (ACE 2010), Vol. 8, No. 3, Article 17, pp. 1–6 (Nov. 2010).

Diet Filter



A filter that enables you to eat less while still enjoying every mouthful

Many people find themselves beginning a diet after having gained weight due to overeating. However, keeping one’s appetite under control while eating a reduced amount or following an exercise regime is difficult to continue long-term, which is why many people rebound (return to their pre-diet weight once the diet is over.)
This is where Diet Filter comes in. It is well known that a person’s appetite decreases if their food looks blue. However, this also prevents them from enjoying the food. With Diet Filter, the blue filter grows gradually stronger as the user eats. This has the effect that the user chews the food an increased number of times and is less likely to eat a second helping. In addition, the system automatically recognizes what the user is currently eating and, if it is a healthy food such as vegetables, does not apply the filter, or even applies a filter to stimulate appetite. Because using Diet Filter enables you to control your appetite while still enjoying your food, it realizes both health management and rebound prevention.

Voice Loudness Controller



A vocal volume dial

From the way they hear their own voices with their own ears, humans judge how far their voices are carrying. Accordingly, if the voice sounds quiet the speaker will adjust by trying to talk more loudly, while if the voice sounds too loud the speaker will try to talk more quietly. A person cannot tell how someone to whom he is speaking actually hears him, thus he judges by his own voice. Voice Loudness Controller is a device for changing voice loudness by adjusting the user’s `voice volume dial’. This is done by capturing the user’s voice with a microphone then altering the loudness of the voice that is fed back to the user’s ears. Turning the voice volume dial changes the loudness of the voice heard through the headphones, allowing the user’s voice to be controlled. Vocal volume is displayed on a voice volume monitor, so that the user can see the loudness of his voice with his own eyes.

Accomplishment
Hara, F., Takegawa, Y., and Hirata, K., “Design and Implementation of a Voice Feedback Device for Voice Loudness Control,” Proceeding of International Conference on Entertainment Computing (ICEC2017), pp. 76–82 (Sept. 2017).
Noguchi, K., Takegawa, Y., and Hirata, K., “Pseudo Human Sense in the Loop: Proposal of a Presentation Support Method by Pseudo Feedback of Audience Sense,” Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (HCII2021), pp. 389–407 (July 2021).

Musical Typing



An instrument that enables you to input characters while playing sounds

MusicalTyping enables you to input characters using a piano keyboard. However, when combining sounds and letters, if one letter of the alphabet is simply assigned to each key of the keyboard, for example, so that the ‘do’ sound inputs ‘a’ and the ‘re’ sound inputs ‘i’, inputting characters will probably sound discordant and not sound like playing a song. Besides which, there are not nearly enough keys on the keyboard. This is why MusicalTyping proposes an algorithm to make it sound like you are playing a song when you play the words that you want to input. By performing accompaniment with the left hand in the left range, and pressing the keys specified by the input letters with the right hand, in the right range, the result does not like disparate notes used to input letters, but like a coherent piece of music. Also, letter input is set so that the first key pressed inputs a vowel and the second key pressed inputs a consonant. For example, playing ‘do mi’ ‘re♯ mi’ inputs the Japanese sounds ‘o’ and ‘to’ on the screen. In this way, even with a small number of keys, you can input letters as though you are playing music. With MusicalTyping, even tedious computer tasks can be made fun by creating music as you type.

Accomplishment

Takegawa, Y., Terada, T., and Nishio, S., “TEMPEST: A Text Input System for Musical Performers,” Proceeding of International Conference on Entertainment Computing (ICEC2006), pp. 322–325 (Sept. 2006).

Takegawa, Y., Terada, T., and Nishio, S., “A Text Input Interface using a Portable Clavier for Pianists,” Proceeding of IEEE International Symposium on Wearable Computers (ISWC2007), pp. 99–102, (Oct. 2007).

Keyboard Cover



Turns even the quietest person into a chatterbox
A computer keyboard is a multi-functional device that can be used not just for typing, but also for operations involved in gaming, music, design, and so on. However, most applications largely involve operations using specific keys or mouse buttons, which are different for each application, meaning that operation is counter-intuitive and takes time to get used to.
This is where Keyboard Cover comes in handy. Keyboard Cover comprises a plastic sheet with small extrusions, which is fitted over a computer keyboard. Attaching Keyboard Cover enables you to add new interfaces, such as dials or sliders, to the ordinary keys, transforming a single keyboard into various types of controllers. Keyboard Cover can reduce instances of accidentally pressing the wrong key and make operation more intuitive, thus improving operational efficiency. Also, as the layout of the cover can be customized to suit the purpose of an application, you can create the optimum operation environment for you. If you’re struggling with keyboard operation, why not let Keyboard Cover inhabit your keyboard?