Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.

Japan Science and Technology Agency

Nippon Mektron Limited

Osaka Heat Cool Inc.

Katsunari Sato

Kouta Minamizawa

Susumu Tachi

Kunio Sato

Hiroyuki Kajimoto

Masashi Nakatani

Daisuke Takai

Yuzuru Kawana

Hajime Shikata

Toshihiko Saito

Kazuyuki Ozaki

Taisuke Kimura

Shintaro Izumi

Shingo Muromoto

Yuichi Itoh

Kenzo Ibano

Tohru Sugahara

A hot-cold tactile presentation device includes a plurality of thermoelectric elements which are arranged in a matrix by placing the thermoelectric elements side by side along x and y directions respectively, a plurality of row_heat lines each extending in the x direction, and a plurality of column lines each extending in the y direction. The plurality of row_heat lines are each connected to one end of each of the plurality of thermoelectric elements that align in the x direction, and the plurality of column lines are each connected to the other end of each of the plurality of thermoelectric elements that align in the y direction.

Hot-cold tactile presentation device, wearable terminal, itch-suppressing device, icing device, massage device, oral retainer, and tableware

The purpose is to provide a tactile information conversion device, a tactile information conversion method, and a tactile information conversion program, which are usable for general purposes by presenting or sensing an arbitrary tactile feeling. In order to provide tactile information to an output unit capable of outputting physical quantities including electricity, force, temperature, vibration, and/or time and space, at least two or more of the physical quantities are selected according to a tactile feeling to be presented, tactile information for presenting the predetermined tactile feeling is generated based on the physical quantities that have been selected, and the tactile information that has been generated is output to the output unit.

Tactile information conversion device, tactile information conversion method, and tactile information conversion program

A controller controls a temperature sensation provider that provides temperature sensations to an object contacting a contact surface of the temperature sensation provider. The controller includes a database including control information that associates values of a temperature of the contact surface with values of a controlled variable of the temperature sensation provider for each of the temperature sensations, and a temperature controller that controls the temperature sensation provider based on a measured temperature of the contact surface, a temperature sensation to be provided, and the control information.

Controller, temperature sensation providing apparatus, temperature sensation providing system, control method, and storage medium

A control apparatus for controlling a thermal sensation providing device that provides a thermal sensation to an object coming in contact with a virtual material includes a database configured to store first information indicative of a relationship between a type of virtual material and a speed of a temperature change during a first period that starts at a commencement of providing the thermal sensation and that ends at a lapse of a first time length from the commencement, and a temperature control unit configured to control a temperature provided by the thermal sensation providing device during the first period based on the first information.

Control apparatus for thermal sensation providing device

A tactile sensation providing apparatus includes a contact region to be touched by an operating body, a thermal sensation providing element that is disposed in the contact region and provides at least cold sensation information, and a warm sensation providing element that is disposed in the contact region and provides warm sensation information. The warm sensation providing element is disposed at least in regions that sandwich the thermal sensation providing element.

Tactile sensation providing apparatus

A tactile sensation presenting device includes a vibrating element configured to present vibration information, a heater configured to present heat information, and a first heat insulating member disposed between the vibrating element and the heater. The heater is provided above the vibrating element and is provided at a contacting region which can be touched by an operating body.

Tactile sensation presenting device

The purpose is to provide a device, method and program for tactile information conversion, and an element arrangement structure for presenting a plurality of types of stimuli that are capable of presenting a plurality of types of stimuli at one point in a concentrated manner from different points. One of the features is to determine a first stimulation point at which a first type of tactile stimulus is generated or generate the first type of tactile stimulus at the first stimulation point via the output unit and output tactile information for generating a second type of tactile stimulus via the output unit to the output unit at a second stimulation point separated within a temporally and/or spatially predetermined threshold value from the first stimulation point of the first type of tactile stimulus that has been determined or generated by a first stimulation unit.

Tactile information conversion device, tactile information conversion method, tactile information conversion program, and element arrangement structure

A tactile sense presentation device is provided which is simple in structure, and is able to give a real tactile sense to a human body by causing electrical stimulation to effectively act thereon, while holding original human tactile sense. The electric tactile sense presentation device includes an electrode substrate adapted to be worn on a human body so as to be in contact with a skin, and a multitude of electrodes formed on a contact surface of the electrode substrate for contact with the skin to present a tactile sense by means of electrical stimulation, wherein the electrode substrate is composed of a flexible circuit body which is flexible to enable a portion thereof in contact with a real object to flexibly deform so as to conform to deformation of the skin, and it is configured such that electrical stimulation by the electrodes is superimposed on the tactile sense of a human being, while maintaining the human tactile sense.

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Katsunari Sato