SoftAR(ソフトAR)：空間拡張現実感における柔らかさの知覚を実験

日本のエンジニア２名が参加する視覚的疑似触感を実現する実験映像。柔らかい物質に刺激を与えることにより、その状態を視覚的に見せることを実現しているSoftAR(ソフトAR)。

SoftAR: Visually Manipulating Haptic Softness Perception in Spatial Augmented Reality from Parinya Punpongsanon on Vimeo.

Parinya Punpongsanon, Daisuke Iwai, and Kosuke Sato. "SoftAR: Visually Manipulating Haptic Softness Perception in Spatial Augmented Reality", IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (Proceedings of IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality 2015), 2015.

* Visit: http://www.sens.sys.es.osaka-u.ac.jp/users/punpongsanon/projects/SoftAR/index.html for more details.

We present SoftAR, a novel spatial augmented reality (AR) technique based on a pseudo-haptics mechanism that visually manipulates the sense of softness perceived by a user pushing a soft physical object. Considering the limitations of projection-based approaches that change only the surface appearance of a physical object, we propose two projection visual effects, i.e., surface deformation effect (SDE) and body appearance effect (BAE), on the basis of the observations of humans pushing physical objects. The SDE visualizes a two-dimensional deformation of the object surface with a controlled softness parameter, and BAE changes the
color of the pushing hand. Through psychophysical experiments, we confirm that the SDE can manipulate softness perception such that the participant perceives significantly greater softness than the actual softness. Furthermore, fBAE, in which BAE is applied only for the finger area, significantly enhances manipulation of the perception of softness. We create a computational model that estimates perceived softness when SDE+fBAE is applied. We construct a prototype SoftAR system in which two application frameworks are implemented. The softness adjustment allows a user to adjust the softness parameter of a physical object, and the softness transfer allows the user to replace the softness with that of another object.