In this study, conducted as basic research to develop a package design evaluation support system, our aim was to clarify the effects of design elements such as size, spacing, position, and color of patterns on consumers' kansei in transparent vegetable packages. Targeting tomatoes, a widely consumed product in the market, we created and presented various packages where these design elements were quantitatively manipulated according to visual characteristics. Subsequently, we conducted visual sensory evaluation experiments using five indices. The results revealed that changes in pattern size and appropriate color choices significantly influenced consumer kansei. Specifically, a larger pattern size positioned at the edge of the package, along with colors evocative of tomatoes, were identified as key design elements in the transparent tomato packaging that increase consumers' willingness to purchase the product.

In this study, we investigate the psychological changes before and after exposing five patients with migraine and five control patients to six sound sources. These sound sources include those identified in prior studies as pleasant for patients with migraine and specific sources preferred by each participant. The abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States 2 and a two-dimensional mood scale-short term are employed in the psychological assessment. The results indicate that, regardless of the sound source, the patients with migraine experience a more positive psychological state after listening to music than the control patients.

This study was aimed at expressing stretchability of various fabrics. The stretchability evaluation of various fabrics was quantified. For this, we defined “stretching sensation of fabric (SSF),” which quantifies the elasticity evaluation by humans. We compared the stretchability of fabrics with different fibers, weaves, and yarn thicknesses (test stimuli) and created a stretchability scale based on mechanical property values (comparison stimuli). The SSFs were calculated from the approximate curves created based on the results and compared to examine the tendency of humans to evaluate elasticity and factors that influence the evaluation. Consequently, we successfully calculated the SSFs and quantified the elasticity evaluation by considering human sensation. Furthermore, the relationship between SSF and each fiber indicated a reversed trend for woven and knitted fabrics. The difference between the evaluation trends of woven and knitted fabrics for the same fiber suggested a significant effect of the differences in fibers on the human inference of elasticity.

Researchers have discussed the impact of tactile stimuli on the embodiment within virtual reality environments. We conducted experiments under conditions akin to the rubber hand illusion, where tactile stimuli are known to enhance illusory bodily awareness, within an immersive virtual reality setting. Participants were required to touch spheres that appeared randomly under two conditions: with and without tactile stimulation. The condition incorporating tactile stimuli provided cotton balls at locations that were spatially congruent with the virtual spheres. Although we anticipated that tactile stimulation would enhance embodiment, no significant differences in reported embodiment were observed between conditions with and without tactile objects. The results imply that when visual stimuli alone are sufficient to generate embodiment, tactile stimuli do not significantly affect embodiment.

Temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) method is a method to record multiple sensory changes over time during an experience such as eating food. We recorded sensory changes and preference changes while eating strawberries by using TDS method. Dynamic sensory and preference changes were trained on a reservoir computing network model, which estimated preferences with high accuracy for untrained sensory data. Reservoir computing has attracted attention as a fast machine learning method suitable for time-series pattern recognition, and its application to the TDS method for handling multidimensional time-series data was demonstrated.

The use of video-call technology to enable families in different physical locations to build and maintain relationships is widespread in modern society. Because of this, it is important to know if this type of communication can appropriately facilitate relationship development. It may be that using different video-call technologies can improve relationship development. In this paper we present the initial results of a study comparing remote online communication between adults and young children using two different tools, video call software and a telepresence robot. Our results suggest a telepresence robot may better facilitate meaningful interaction and relationship building, but more work is needed to confirm this.

The proposed system calculates learners’ concentration levels from bioinformation and provides an evaluation of the “proactive attitude toward learning” during high school students’ self-study. The evaluation is conducted by teachers on the basis of submitted materials such as notes and prints. However, one of the challenges faced by teachers is the time-consuming nature of the evaluation process and another by students who could not understand which activities were positively evaluated. Through the system evaluation examinetipd in this study, teachers can obtain a “fair and quantitative evaluation index,” which can reduce the time spent on indecision in the evaluation process. Students can progress in their learning by having a better idea of the quality of their concentration during self-study. Herein, we have evaluated students’ learning attitudes by combining three types of data: blink frequency, head movement, and brainwaves. In a previous study, we constructed the Kaminan evaluation model based on 22 subjects, and 90% of the subjects found that the system evaluation values based on biometric information could be used as reference values for evaluations of learning attitudes. In this experiment, we further validated the evaluation model by adding 12 students from another school. As a result, 91.7% of the participants reported that the system evaluation values based on biometric information could be used to estimate the evaluation values by teachers.

Spelling is a significant application ofbrain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Prior BCI spelling systems typically utilized LED stimulation interfaces, arranged either in the sequence of the 26 English letters or the Japanese Hiragana characters. This configuration, however, often leads to the presentation of numerous stimuli with varying frequencies during the spelling process, potentially resulting in spelling errors. In this paper, we introduce a novel stimulation interface that replicates the layout of a computer keyboard, utilizing groups of three letters as stimuli. The system enables the selection of the intended word after two rounds of stimulus selection. Furthermore, for each user, the most frequently used modules are enlarged after prolonged system use, thereby enhancing the spelling efficiency ofthe system.

In recent years, deep learning has been increasingly used for automatic analysis of artistic styles and authorship in paintings. However, in practical applications, it is crucial that humans interpret and trust the model decisions. In this study, artist classification models were constructed using explainable artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, such as ResNet-50, VGG19, and Vision Transformer models, to visualize classification factors using gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) and the attention mechanism. As an example, Vincent van Gogh’s masterpiece, The Starry Night was analyzed. The visualization results revealed that the regions of interest became progressively wider with the Vision Transformer, VGG19, and ResNet-50 models, in that order. This approach is expected to have practical applications, such as verification of authorship, painting style, and restoration, thereby enhancing Kansei modeling in the subjective appreciation of paintings.

English skills are important for college students when they submit papers to international conferences. We propose a method to practice speaking skills by using a voice changer and Interactive Differential Evolution, which makes English voices similar to users’ voices inside of their heads. This method should be useful when users try to imitate any English voices that are different from the users. 11 examinees participated in the experiments through 10 generations with 6 vectors of Differential Evolution in each generation. They kept choosing the better option in terms of the similarity of the voices compared to the examinees’ voices. Unfortunately, the transition of the parameters was not significant, and we could not observe any differences between the initial and final generations. However, we also conducted another evaluation experiment, and the results showed that the system could successfully make English voices similar to users’ voices inside of their heads. Besides, compared to our previous method, this method is so versatile that we can use any sound resources as a factor of the experiment since this system is voice-changing the PC’s output sound. In the future, we would reconsider the number of the parameters and check the effect of them.

Through this research, we aimed to investigate the effects of VR avatar breathing motions on how users feel by making use of the discrepancy between actual motions and visuals. Through experimentation, we found that VR avatar breathing motions change how users subjectively feel about their experiences. While the discomfort and concentration effects against brain waves were minor, we found that avatar breathing motions do have effects on fluctuations in heart rate. Based on these results, we believe it is possible to guide how users feel by controlling the intensity with which VR avatar breathing motions are portrayed.

The global prevalence of anxiety disorders has increased by 25% due to the impact of COVID-19. Unfortunately, only 6% of those affected are receiving psychotherapy. Various psychotherapeutic approaches to this situation, such as VR therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), are popular. VR therapy allows patients to immerse themselves in experiences that are difficult to replicate in the real world, with the added benefits of being low-risk and low-cost. CBT, on the other hand, focuses on modifying patients' negative thought patterns and behaviors to alleviate anxiety. We proposed a system that uses VR to allow users to confront and erase virtual representations of their anxiety triggers, which follows the CBT principles in reframing negative thoughts and behaviors associated with those triggers. From the preliminary experiment, it was found that the system could reduce anxiety symptoms, as measured by pre- and post-exposure both Questionnaires and Heart Rate Variability signals. Overall, this combined VR-CBT approach presents a promising, accessible, and effective method for reducing anxiety.

The study explored the mixture of boba, food neophobia, and the impact of food characteristics on food experience. The study invited 61 participants to taste 6 kinds of food and evaluate them. The results indicated that the mixture of boba, food neophobia, food culture, particle size/number of ingredients all had impacts on the food experience. The food neophobia mainly influenced the attractiveness of food with boba. Food culture had an impact on the familiarity and attractiveness, while size/number impacted all indicators except for familiarity. In addition, there was an interactive effect between the mixture of boba and culture, where American food received the least negative impact from boba. This study would serve as a reference for subsequent boba food design, providing cases and paradigms for subsequent food Kansei Engineering research.

It has been conventionally assumed that synesthesia emerges during early childhood, indicating it is an innate trait, as supported by subjective reports. In contrast to this assumption, our investigation, focusing on grapheme-color/sound-color synesthesia, suggests possible acquired synesthesia among players of a Japanese card game. (In this game, players arrange the cards arbitrarily, and every time a reciter reads out a waka-style poem on the card, the players rush to find and touch the corresponding one. The players must memorize the card arrangement and, upon the start of recitation, discern which card is being chosen before they start reaching for the corresponding card.) Our investigation began with a questionnaire survey of experienced players, and the subsequent screening tests narrowed down the identity of synesthetes to 11, as they proclaimed themselves, all of whom were confirmed as synesthetes. The survey was followed by the scrutiny of their synesthesia, investigating whether the distribution of synesthetic colors among the players came in the same way as in a previous study, which indicated that synesthetic colors form clusters in a color space. The analysis of the distribution pattern of synesthetic colors of the 11 subjects revealed that the written/recited words elicit synesthetic colors that form clusters. The results are consistent with those in a prior study, and they also suggest that synesthesia can be acquired even after the onset of the training. Regarding some colors, at least, synesthetic associations are likely to occur, whether congenital or acquired.

A comparative study is conducted to understand the rPPG-based method's performance across various skin tones corresponding to different regions; Indonesian (Sub1), Thai (Sub2), and Japanese (Sub3). The rPPG-based methods such as PCA, ICA, PBV, CHROM, POS, LGI, GREEN are compared. The evaluation methods used for the comparison with the ground truth data are the dynamic time wrapping (DTW) and Pearson correlation (r) for the HRV signal, and mean absolute error (MAE), mean square error (MSE), and root mean square error (RMSE) for the BPM value. The results show that the CHROM method is able to generate HRV with high signal quality and BPM reliability.

This study focused on the evaluation of driver excitability and examined the utility of continuous deep body temperature variability analysis. It was suggested that the combination of ear temperature and heart rate could be used to objectively assess a driver's biological state to a certain degree. This study may contribute to improving traffic safety and promoting the psychological health of drivers, and future research and practical applications are encouraged.

The auditory steady-state response (ASSR) is measured clinically and experimentally for analysis of auditory processing characteristics, such as detection thresholds and conduction pathway activity patterns. This study investigated the impact of the right-to-left ear (R/L) sound intensity ratio on the ASSR to examine processing pathway lateralization. Ten right-handed individuals (five males and five females, aged 19-26 years) with normal hearing listened to sinusoidal amplitude-modulated tones at 40 Hz from a 500-Hz carrier signal generated by MATLAB. Power and phase spectral analyses were conducted for five R/L sound intensity ratio conditions, 0.74 (condition I), 0.88 (II), 1.00 (III), 1.13 (IV), and 1.35 (V), and the results were used to construct bilateral topographic maps. There was no significant dominance on either side in response to condition I, whereas clear right-side dominance was observed in condition V. Additionally, a more distinct difference was observed between conditions II and IV. These results support previous research suggesting that information from the right ear is initially processed in the left brain before being transmitted to the right brain, while information from the left ear is processed directly in the right brain. It was also suggested that approximately 70% of auditory information crosses over to the contralateral auditory cortex while traveling from ear to brainstem and remaining 30% on the ipsilateral side. Future research using finer gradations in sound intensity ratio may provide a more detailed description of sound processing lateralization.

This study aims to develop and validate a measurement system that assesses drowsiness and concentration levels based on facial information and eye movements. The system utilizes the front camera of a smartphone and employs ARKit to measure face sway and saccades, converting these measurements into facial and eye angles for output in the comma separated values format. We validated the effectiveness of the system through the automatic classification of the relationship between face sway and saccades during simulated driving scenarios and comparing these results with manual assessments. Two male participants in their twenties, one wearing glasses and the other bare-eyed, were involved in the experiment to consider the potential impact of eyewear on measurement accuracy. The results demonstrated the feasibility of automatic classification using the measured data, with precision and F1 scores surpassing the minimum threshold for binary classification. This study establishes a foundational approach for integrating everyday technology in psychophysiological measurements, opening avenues for practical applications in monitoring concentration and drowsiness in real-time scenarios, such as driving.

In this study, we developed applications that leverage AR and MR for the purpose of supporting shaping operations in catheter-based endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms. In addition, we proposed auxiliary functions that take advantage of the unique attributes of MR such as zooming into 3D models and shaping simulation, and we had healthcare professionals use the applications in clinical practice. The results of the trial indicated that AR could be implemented on simple devices, with the occlusion function allowing catheters to be smoothly incorporated into 3D models. MR also allowed for intuitive manipulation of 3D models by means of hand-tracking while supporting shaping operations with its auxiliary functions.

Psychological studies of art appreciation have mainly involved fixed presentation times for visual stimuli. However, participants were restricted to passively observing stimuli through experimental methods, as they could not actively engage in determining the duration of viewing. In this study, we used two types of experimental tasks, labeled ‘pay-per-view’ and ‘prolonged viewing,’ in which participants could determine how long they viewed each visual stimulus. In the pay-per-view task, participants could extend their viewing time by pressing a key repeatedly, whereas in the prolonged viewing task, they could determine the viewing time using a keypress only once per trial. For both tasks, participants continued to view each stimulus for as long as they wanted. When participants stopped viewing, they provided ratings indicating how beautiful each painting felt, using a visual analog scale (VAS). The results revealed a positive correlation in viewing time between the pay-per-view and prolonged viewing tasks; however, the average viewing time in the pay-per-view task was shorter than that in the prolonged viewing task. Interestingly, there was a high correlation in beauty ratings between the two tasks, but there was no difference in average ratings between the two tasks. In addition, both tasks showed positive correlations between the viewing time and ratings of the beauty of the paintings. Moreover, the log-transformed regression for both tasks suggested that the overall viewing time had a significant impact on the ratings, particularly in the pay-per- view task, where participants actively engaged in viewing the stimuli, relative to the prolonged viewing task.

As the digital landscape transforms the way individuals plan and embark on their travels, the need for personalized travel recommendations arises. This paper outlines a text-focused approach for the development of a personalized travel recommendation system, leveraging affective analysis of Google reviews and users Social Networking Service (SNS) data. The proposed system aims to provide user-centric recommendations by using the social footprint users leave on the internet. The paper details the data collection, preprocessing, database creation, and user preference matching methods to create a personalized text recommendation model.

Watching TV with family and friends makes the experience more enjoyable. We have been conducting research and development of a communication robot ("TV watching companion robot") that can give the joy and pleasure of watching TV with multiple people, even when watching TV alone. Herein, we investigate how emotions are conveyed to the viewer when the viewer watches TV with a robot, using a TV watching companion robot with nine types of emotional body movements developed. Consequently, we confirmed that the presence of a TV program facilitated the transmission of seven types of emotions. It was also confirmed that emotional body movements improved empathy for the program.

Obesity and overweight have drastically increased in developed countries, notably due to the widespread belief that unhealthy foods taste better than healthy ones. In this study, we investigated what kind of relationship do Japanese people hold between health and taste, using a classic IAT paradigm. Results indicate that participants hold the opposite implicit intuition, that is healthy = tasty. This intuition was stronger when pictures of universal (vs. domestic) foods were used, suggesting different perception of the two cuisines. These results shed new lights on the use of IAT with food, and may contribute to public health cares and to the food industry.

An electrostatic frictional tactile display is used to present softness on a rigid flat-panel display. The display controlled the friction force of a finger sliding on it. However, the effects of representative stimulus parameters, those are, the finger’s sliding velocity and wavelength which determined the spatial change of friction on the panel, are unknown, whereas the low-frequency fluctuation of surface friction is known to be important for softness presentation. This study experimentally specified the response surface of subjective softness as a function of the stimulus wavelength and finger’s sliding velocity, involving ten participants. Consequently, the response surface was established, with a local maximum at the wavelength and sliding velocity of 10.55 mm and 198.6 mm/s, respectively. This stimulus condition was considered effective for the softness presentation.

In the present study, 13 different colors were prepared to paint clothes of a male characters and 39 characters were constructed as stimuli. Participants were requested to rate their impressions for the stimuli using 25 semantic differential scales. The results of the analysis showed that the impression space was spanned by activity, potency and evaluation factors. The stimuli with warm colors were perceived as active. In contrast, cool colors and achromatic colors were perceived as passive. Red and black clothes were perceived as powerful. In contrast, green-yellow, green and red-purple clothes were perceived as powerless. Among the achromatic colors, black was powerful, white was powerless and grey was intermediate. This implies that the brightness of the color affects the potency. On the evaluation factor, blue-green and white clothes were perceived as pleasant but purple-blue and purple were perceived as unpleasant. These results of the evaluation factor may reflect the cultural background.

We investigated the effects of pajama silhouette and design details on the associated sense of luxury. We created three- dimensional simulated images of pajamas with different dimensions that affected the silhouette, as well as details such as pockets and different colored piping. We began with a standard pajama design for Japanese men in size large. By changing the dimensions of the pajama pattern and features, we created a total of 18 sample images (top and bottom sets). Men in their 40s-50s were assumed to be the main customer target, and the model was designed accordingly. We recruited 64 Japanese participants who evaluated the pajama images using 10 evaluation items (luxurious - not luxurious, cool - not cool, elegant - vulgar, flashy - plain, new - old, mature - childish, beautiful - not beautiful, fitted - not fitted, wrinkled - not wrinkled, like - dislike) using a 7-point semantic differential scale. Samples with smaller dimensions than the standard pajama design were more likely to be evaluated as luxurious. Regarding design features, the sample with white piping was evaluated as the most luxurious. These results will facilitate the design of luxurious pajamas.

In contemporary corporate management, employee engagement is a crucial element. The purpose of this study is to propose a method for activating the overall purpose of a company by enhancing cohesion within each business unit through 'unity of heart' based on the vision statements of projects in each department. This is done as a practical approach to purpose-driven management. By introducing new intentions into the company's management philosophy, we aim to deepen employees' involvement with the company's management philosophy and share its purpose, thereby improving engagement. Furthermore, based on the above theory, we suggest a system where project teams reflect their team vision, allowing team members to engage in tasks more proactively and autonomously.

This study examines how Japanese university students from science and arts disciplines perceive IT companies amid global digital transformation. Using a database with 63 responses from science students and 29 from arts students gathered in 2021, the research investigates the impact of educational background on students' views of the IT industry. The methodology entailed a structured questionnaire given to third-year university students, focusing on their impressions of IT companies and their career inclinations. This approach allows for a comprehensive analysis over several years, providing insights into changing student impressions. The study utilizes t-tests, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis to uncover differences between science and arts students' perspectives. Results indicate that science students, with their technical orientation, resonate more with categories like SNS, Content, and Service. This preference is attributed to their familiarity with IT terminologies and concepts. Conversely, arts students exhibit a broader understanding, linking IT companies to a wide array of business practices, suggesting a more generalized view of the IT sector. This research highlights the significance of diverse educational backgrounds in shaping impressions of IT companies. It reveals a contrast between science students' technical-focused viewpoints and arts students' more expansive perspectives. The study offers valuable insights into workforce dynamics in the IT sector, emphasizing the need for a multifaceted approach in understanding the role of IT in modern society. Additionally, it sheds light on the evolving nature of student impressions in a digitally advancing world.

This paper analyzes the differences in impressions of IT companies between Japanese and Chinese university students. We conducted a questionnaire survey regarding typical business activities of IT companies. In the analysis, in addition to classical methods, we also introduced Bayesian estimation in our analysis. As a result, we found the followings: (1) Both have a good impression of IT companies. but (2) There are differences in what business types of companies are considered as IT companies. (3) we could demonstrate the differences numerically specially by use of Bayesian estimation. This result can be considered as one way to analyze the characteristics of Chinese IT companies' strengths from a global perspective.

Violin has remained unchanged for five centuries until the present day, and its traditional artisanal philosophy has been passed down to the luthier and has attracted many researchers to conduct various scientific research. In recent years, there have been examples of luthier's participation in scientific research using visualization techniques, and such scientific research methods using visualization techniques may affectively support luthiers. Accordingly, a survey was conducted to determine the impact of research methods using visualization technology on luthiers. The survey results indicated that the visualization data presented in this study may assist in integrating luthier practice and science, suggesting the possibility of affectively supporting the luthier.

This study investigates the user onboarding experience in electric vehicle (EV) charging services, focus on the challenges encountered by new users, especially in comprehending and navigating the charging process. Employing a combination of questionnaires and principal component analysis, the research explores the cognitive and emotional aspects of initial interactions with EV charging technology. The experimental setup featured a simulated EV charging station interface, where participants completed tasks mirroring real-life scenarios. Data analysis unveiled pivotal factors impacting user experience, including the clarity of instructions, cognitive load, and the overall intuitiveness of the charging process. The findings indicate that while instructions are generally clear, addressing user confusion and the overwhelming nature of information presented is essential. This study underscores the importance of simplifying user interfaces and providing intuitive guidance to enhance onboarding experiences. By pinpointing areas for improvement, this research contributes to enhancing the adoption and usability of EV charging services through human- centered design. The objective is to reduce apprehension and cognitive load for new users, making the transition to EV technology more accessible and less daunting, thereby promoting broader electric vehicle adoption.

Recently, a genre of streaming known as working streaming has emerged on video-streaming platforms like YouTube. Although working streaming has the potential to improve work productivity through self-explanation and viewer reactions, it faces challenges, such as confidentiality and the need for a significant number of viewers. To address these challenges, we previously proposed a new method to simulate real-time interaction by automatically generating viewer comments in response to user utterances. However, the experiment was conducted with four undergraduate students, leaving room for further verification. In this study, we conducted a large-scale experiment using crowdsourcing to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

For motorcycle riders, the sound is said to be an important key point to consider when choosing a model to buy. In the present study, a professional rider drove six sports-type model motorcycles on a chassis dynamometer with acceleration conditions. In the experiment, the impressions of the acceleration sounds were rated by motorcycle riders and non-riders, using semantic differential method. The results showed that the riders were more sensitive for the activity than non-riders. Moreover, the results of the experiment implied that the perceptual roughness was almost entirely determined by the architecture of the engine. Then, two psychophysical models of roughness and dissonance were tested for estimation of the impressions of the riders. The results showed that the dissonance matched to the impressions, rather than the psychophysical roughness. The riders may enjoy the acceleration sounds like musical tones rather than traffic noise.

In this study, we modeled and evaluated the state of mind when a person listens to a playlist that makes them feel mood positive. We compared models of four different playlists and found that listening to a Positive Mood Playlist changed a personal state of mind. This is consistent with the results of a previous study, which showed that playlists with gradually changing song activation levels positively affect personal moods. These results suggest that the model proposed in this study may be able to reproduce a personal state of mind.

Traditionally, empirical aesthetics assumed that the appreciation of art was contextually impermeable. Recent evidence challenges this notion, indicating that environmental factors significantly influence aesthetic experiences. While studies have ventured into real-world settings, challenges in controlling variables persist. This study is based on Yang & Kawabata's (2023) work by simulating a gallery experience in the laboratory, allowing participants to freely determine their viewing duration. Employing multiple sensors, including measures of viewing behavior, movement, and physiological indicators, we aim to create a model predicting the aesthetic experience. Our approach seeks to strike a balance between the ecological validity of real-world settings and the controlled conditions necessary for empirical aesthetic research. This study contributes to refining research paradigms, enhancing our understanding of how behavior and physiological manifestations intersect in time and space in art appreciation.

In virtual reality (VR) systems, particularly in practical applications such as simulators, enhancing the sense of embodiment is crucial to minimizing the disparity between virtual and real-world experiences. This study investigated the effects of viewing the operator's own body parts, either clearly or translucently, on embodiment. For this purpose, we employed a VR drone simulator, in which the operator rode on a drone and enjoyed flying over natural landscapes. The operators compared three conditions regarding the visual representation of their own hands on a grip. In one condition, they could see their own hands overlaid on the VR scene. In another condition, the overlaid hands were made translucent. These conditions were achieved by using the video-see-through function of a VR headset. In the last condition, the hands were not visible. Through a user study, we compared the sense of embodiment experienced in the three conditions. Embodiment was marginally enhanced when the actual forearms appeared translucently on the computer graphics images, compared to the condition where the operators’ forearms were not visible. Viewing one’s own body parts in a translucent form can improve user experiences in VR environments.

This study focuses on the environmental sensitivity of individuals, which measures the perception and processing of both positive and negative environments and stimuli. Individuals with high sensory processing sensitivity, a component of environmental sensitivity, are more prone to depression and stress. Although genetic testing and psychological indices measure environmental sensitivity, this study focused on behavioral indices. Previous studies have suggested that brain regions related to vision and attention are activated in people with high scores on the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS), and that they are more sensitive to subtle changes in facial expressions of happiness and sadness. Therefore, we measured facial reaction time to stimuli that changed expressions from neutral to happy or sad, and the percentage of gaze fixation in the face region. We compared these results with the HSPS, HSPS-J19, and the Japanese version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI-J). Results showed a negative correlation between HSPS-J19 scores and responses to happiness (happiness: r = −0.24) and sadness (sadness: r = −0.25). A negative correlation was also found between HSPS scores, HSPS-J19 scores, and the percentage of nasal fixation in sadness (HSPS: r = −0.24), (HSPS-J19: r = −0.24). A negative correlation was also found between the HSPS scores and the percentage of left eye fixation in sadness (r = −0.30). Thus, people with higher environmental sensitivity may be more sensitive because they respond more quickly to happiness and sadness and see their nose and left eye less often in sadness.

Focused on the visualization of fatigue detection using a sitting pressure sensor, especially through the variation of human ischium in different age groups. The subjects were 10 healthy people. Sitting pressure data was acquired at 5Hz, and a heat map was created and visualized. Comparison of sitting pressure patterns by age revealed age dependence. This study contributes to the understanding of and countermeasures against fatigue in different age groups.

In this study, a recommendation system was constructed based on exercise questionnaires of 100 subjects (20-80 yo) using the ForecastFlow system (GRI Incorporated, Japan). The questionnaire was created using Google Forms, and a simulation model and prediction algorithm were developed to predict exercise withdrawal and recommend optimal timing. Results showed that the recommendation system is applicable to various health conditions and age groups, but on the other hand, revealed concerns about the extensive search space before sufficient data has been accumulated

When people listen to music, vibratory stimuli that are synchronized with sounds enhance the affective effects of music. We investigated the effects of vibratory stimuli on relaxation. Vibratory stimuli were delivered to the cymba concha, an auricular part, concentrating on the vagus nerves. Five vibration patterns were prepared based on music that evoked relaxation. A user study involving nine participants found that they felt more relaxed under the condition in which a vibration stimulus was generated from sounds lowered by one octave than under the condition with no vibratory stimuli applied. This effect was more prominent for one of the two musical sounds tested.

In this work, we objectively compared various Kawaii fashion styles that can be observed in Japan. We compare 5 styles of Kawaii that we have collected in previous works: “Classic Retro Doll,” “Orthodox Pretty and Cute,” “Street Kawaii,” “Harajuku- type Kawaii,” “Lolita,” Additionally we also include the Japanese luxury brand Tomo Koizumi because the brand often uses puffy clothing designs. To compare these styles objectively, we compare the relative puffiness of the outfit when compared to the wearer’s body figure and we define this value as an outfit’s puffiness index. In our comparison we found that it correctly identifies “Lolita” and Tomo Koizumi as being significantly puffier than the other styles, and correctly identifies the similarities between the “Classic Retro Doll” and “Orthodox Pretty and Cute” styles. However, we also discovered unexpected lack of variance when comparing “Harajuku-type Kawaii” to “Street Kawaii.”

This study focused on the use and analysis of 6-DOF accelerations measured from humans. Data obtained mainly from smartphones were visualized to visualize the movement and body acceleration changes of several individuals. In our experiments, we visualized 6-DOF acceleration data of a healthy individual obtained from a smartphone and compared it to 3-axis acceleration data used in conventional wearable sensors and medical devices. As a result, we were able to visualize the swaying that cannot be captured by 3-axis acceleration while riding in a car. This information could provide useful insights in health monitoring and motion assessment.

The purpose of this study is to analyze what impact participatory design makes for the practice of community disaster management plan. In detail, a banner was created for a vehicle evacuation guidance in the Nishikino district of Kuroshio Town, Kochi Prefecture. In this process, it was analyzed what attitudinal changes occurred in participants by applying Participatory Design methods. As a result, it was observed that the high school students who collaborated in this practice changed their attitudes to the tsunami evacuation. In addition, through dialogue with residents about the banners, some changes were observed in discussions about the district's disaster preparedness plan.

Thin-bezel designs have rapidly penetrated the market for panel monitors, such as personal computers (PCs). However, surprisingly, little scientific evidence exists on the impact of thin bezels on consumer value. Therefore, this study examined the following hypothesis, targeting Japanese PCs; Thin-bezels enhance the product attractiveness of PCs. There are three main problems when using existing product designs for evaluation: (1) The knowledge obtained is limited to the attributes and their combinations included in existing designs; (2) Brand image biases may affect survey responses; and (3) the high number of design samples required to cover all combinations of attributes places a heavy burden on respondents. Therefore, we adopt an approach that generates a new design using orthogonal arrays. We extracted armrest, track, color, keyboard, and bezel as attributes and generated 18 design sample patterns. Attractiveness responses were obtained from an online survey and the above hypothesis was validated using a chi-square test. The effect of thin bezels was stronger among younger age groups and those with more frequent PC use. This is because consumers who are more familiar with the recent trend of thin bezels are more likely to find them appealing. Therefore, developing products with a higher emphasis on thin bezels is important for products targeting such consumers. Additionally, we confirmed that the evaluation of the red color was remarkably low in PCs. Practitioners tend to use chromatic colors to make products stand out; however, they should refrain from haphazardly using chromatic colors.

This study focuses on osteoporosis prevention - which strongly relates to longer healthy life expectancy - and examines the effects of prevention activities in community-dwelling people. In the study, the subject activity was an intervention program held twice and using multidisciplinary collaboration - disseminating knowledge, acquiring feedback from questionnaire analysis, and measuring and visualizing bone density and skeletal muscle mass. The activity resulted in 60% of participants being made aware of osteoporosis prevention in their daily lives for 2 months after the program’s first session, and approximately 50% able to take action and continue pursuing osteoporosis prevention. Open-ended responses revealed many opinions expressing the desire to participate in regular measurements to check their health, and to receive more lectures on nutrition, exercise, and medication related to osteoporosis prevention. Many of the study participants were in their 70s; however, from a preventive standpoint, we will consider expanding the age range, refining contents to be suitable for each age group, and providing strategic programs that help enhance self- image.