NicoInt2020

1. Kansai University
Yuriho Higuchi, Mitsunori Matsushita
Investigation of Method Presented
Nonverbal Information
Using Tactile Sensations of Real Objects

2. §A large number of visually impaired
people
§People cannot get sufficient visual information.
Introduction
color, facial expression,
figure, atmosphere
temperature, texture

3. temperature: hot
Be careful not
to get burned.
situation: many people
Events may be held.
Avoid this road
atmosphere: enjoy
Visual information is useful to understand and predict a situation.
Introduction
Problem: Visually impaired people cannot get
these information.

4. Presenting nonverbal information
using tactile sensations to get it
for visually impaired people
Purpose

5. Definition
• Nonverbal information is visible by sighted
people but not verbal.
• Feature
• With multiple elements that cannot be expressed
in a word
• ex) atmosphere: the person looks like kind and active.
What is nonverbal information

6. To present nonverbal information
People receive multiple elements as stimulus
simultaneously with sense of touch.
ex) Braille：bumpiness and position
Nonverbal information includes multiple elements.
→To need to present multiple elements simultaneously.

7. Presenting tactile sensations combined
multiple elements.
Proposed method
the material features of real objects

8. The material features consist of five main dimensions.
§fine-roughness/smoothness
§macro-roughness（bumpy/flat）
§hardness/softness
§coldness/warmness
§friction（moist/dry）
Presenting these three
dimensions
as tactile sensations
Proposed method – tactile sensation
【Okamoto:2013 Psychophysical Dimensions of Tactile Perception of Textures】

9. Implementation

10. Implementation
the Servo Motor(a)
the Servo Motor(b)
the 1st Layer
the Hard and Bumpy Object
the 3rd Layer
the 2nd Layer

11. Implementation
the Servo Motor(a)
the Servo Motor(b)
the 1st Layer
the Hard and Bumpy Object
the 3rd Layer
the 2nd Layer
hard state
soft state
a hard and
bumpy object
the 3rd layer
the 2nd layer
the 1st layer

12. Implementation
hard state
soft state
the Servo Motor(a)
the Servo Motor(b)
the 1st Layer
the Hard and Bumpy Object
the 3rd Layer
the 2nd Layer
the 3rd layer
the 2nd layer
the 1st layer
a hard and
bumpy object

13. Implementation
rough state (cloth1) smooth state (cloth2)
cloth1
cloth2
the Servo Motor(a)
the Servo Motor(b)
the 1st Layer
the Hard and Bumpy Object
the 3rd Layer
the 2nd Layer

14. §the state of not pushing up
a hard and bumpy object
and
§When using a cloth with a
not uneven surface
Implementation
flat state bumpy state
§the state of pushing up a
hard and bumpy object
or
§When using a cloth with
uneven surface
the Servo Motor(a)
the Servo Motor(b)
the 1st Layer
the Hard and Bumpy Object
the 3rd Layer
the 2nd Layer

15. Implementation
§Eight patterns of tactile sensation by combining softness,
smoothness, and flatness

16. Experiment
Propose: Evaluation the differences between the tactile
sensations presented by the system and the tactile
sensations users perceive
Experiment participants : 16 college students
Participants touched the system with their eyes closed.

17. Experiment
Questionnaire for evaluation

18. The match rate: Rate of matching the presented tactile
sensations with the tactile sensations felt by the experiment
participants
Results
Smoothness:
more than 65%

19. The average value: average of evaluation results
Results
smooth
rough
flat
bumpy
It was difficult to distinguish bumpiness and roughness
by flatness and smoothness

20. • It is difficult to distinguish the rough
state and the bumpy state
・Pattern ⑦ is evaluated that it’s
little rough and little flat.
Presenting rough and bumpy
separately
Discussion - roughness/smoothness

21. Discussion – hardness/softness
Pattern ① - ④ (smooth state)
• The average value : 2.0 or less
→little soft
Pattern ⑤ - ⑧ (rough state)
• The average value : 3.5 or more
→little hard
The experiment participants recognized hardness/softness of
the clothes more than the hard object.

22. • The action of stroking the surface of the
system
The induction of touch motion
to judge the hardness is insufficient.
People may not recognize a hard
and bumpy object
Need to push to feel the hardness
Discussion – hardness/softness

23. It is difficult to present bumpiness/flatness using only
bumpy objects.
It is the best way to use a combination of cloth
and bumpy objects.
Discussion – bumpiness/flatness

24. Findings and Difficulty
Findings
• Presenting tactile sensations at the same time in a
specific combination
• For presenting roughness it is effective to use clothes.
Difficulty – using only material aspects
• Presenting the differences between bumpiness and
roughness
• To induce the tactile movement with their eyes closed

25. Summary
Purpose:
Presenting nonverbal information using tactile sensations to get it
for visually impaired people
Proposed method：
Presenting tactile sensations combined multiple elements of real
objects.
Findings & Difficulty：
• Presenting tactile sensations at the same time in a specific
combination
• Presenting the differences between bumpiness and roughness