Members
Research Director
Masahiko Inami
Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo
"What are the challenges in creating interfaces that allow a user to act intuitively and express his/her intentions?” Today's human-computer interaction (HCI) systems that include virtual/augmented reality are limited and exploit only visual and auditory sensations. However, in daily life, we exploit a variety of input and output modalities; in particular, modalities that involve contact with our bodies can dramatically affect our ability to experience and express ourselves in physical and virtual environments. Using our physiological understandings of sensations and perceptions and novel electronic devices and agile computational methods, we can design a new generation of "human-computer integrated" systems.
To enhance human I/O, we have determined several improvements that use multi/cross modal interfaces, including transparent cockpits, stop-motion goggles, galvanic vestibular stimulation, JINS MEME (electrooculography (EOG)-based smart glasses), and superhuman sports.
Our challenges include:
(1) Understanding human factors
(2) Enhancing human I/O
(3) Designing new body schema
(4) Experience engineering and entertainment computing
@drinami
JIZAI Body Implementation Group
Hiroyasu Iwata
GROUP LEADER
Faculty of Science and Engineering / Department of Modern Mechanical Engineering, School of Creative Science and Engineering
The Iwata Lab is currently conducting research and development in the areas of rehabilitation assistive robot technology (RT), medical care assistive RT, sports learning assistive RT, and voluntarily operative wearable robot arm (“third arm”) by focusing on the senses, the mechanism of movement, and the dynamic characteristics of humans with human assistive RT. Our goal is to commercialize these products in conjunction with hospitals and private businesses. Additionally, we are conducting cutting-edge research in the areas of Support System for Teleoperators of Disaster Response Robots and Application of Electronic Nanosheet, in collaboration with other research groups within the university.
Cognitive Psychology and Behavior Analysis Group
Michiteru Kitazaki
GROUP LEADER
Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology
We explore how humans perceive other humans and their environments, and how humans communicate with others using psychophysics, neuroscience, and VR. Our perception and social behaviors are significantly affected by body self-perception. Accordingly, our current research projects are (1) science for mobile observers (e.g., vection, driving, and body perception), (2) science for embodied reality (e.g., illusory body ownership, joint action, and materials’ perception), and (3) science for implicit social cognition (e.g., empathy for non-human agents and equity of infants). For Inami JIZAI body project, we plan to investigate how our perceptions, actions, and social behaviors change when bodies (ours and of others) are modified and augmented, and to measure this changes scientifically. As a further study, we would like to explore whether minds and society can be free from ordinary body or embodiments, and contribute to design a future society by utilizing various JIZAI bodies.
System Intelligence and Neural Mechanisms Group
Gowrishankar Ganesh
GROUP LEADER
Senior Researcher (CR1), CNRS-AIST Joint Robotics Laboratory, UMI3218/RL
How should rehabilitation, biomedical, and social robots behave so that an interacting human is comfortable, feels safe, and is willing to coexist and learn from them? The answer to this questions is not trivial because human interactions, both with their environment and other humans, involve complex dynamics that change not only with an interacting individual’s physiology, age, and pathology, but also emotional factors like fear and anxiety, as well as cognitive factors such as the theory of mind. We can intuitively interact with a fellow human because we understand his/her behavior in all these aspects and respond accordingly, and, correspondingly, he/she does the same. Our work aims at endowing machines and robots with similar capabilities through integrated research in robotics, motor neuroscience, and cognitive neuroscience, to understand humans and interact with them accordingly.
Yoichi Miyawaki
RESEACHER
Professor, The University of Electro-Communications
My research field includes human neuroimaging (fMRI/MEG/EEG), computational neuroscience, sensation and perception, psychophysics, and machine learning. I am interested in revealing neural mechanisms that can lead to human function augmentation.
Virtual Body Implementation Group
Maki Sugimoto
GROUP LEADER
Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University Professor
We develop fundamental technologies for JIZAI body using virtual reality and wearable sensing technologies. Our research goal is to build JIZAI body that takes into account the physical embodiment of users and devices in the physical environment while utilizing intelligent computational processes such as machine learning.
JIZAI Body Marketing Research Group
Shu Ishiguro
GROUP LEADER
Representative Director, S Care Design Lab.
In promoting research that takes into account social trends, in looking at the contact point between JIZAI body technology and society, it is important to obtain fundamental knowledge of the demand for JIZAI body in the real world, related technological trends and social acceptability. Through case studies and market researches based on fieldwork, we will investigate the social significance of JIZAI body. Our research is aimed at clarifying the requirements and the potential for social implementation.
Junki Nakagawa
RESEACHER
Director, S Care Design Lab.
Project Head Quater
Daisuke Uriu
Assistant Research Director
Project Lecturer, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo
Junki Nakagawa
Research Manager
Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo
