Understanding and designing the body schema based on human factors and physiology

Overview

Based on physiological, cognitive, and physical knowledge, we pursue the mechanism of the body as a system, and conduct the following research on "body informatics," which extends and compensates the innate sensory, motor, and intellectual processing functions of humans physically and informatively.
　
(1) Universalization technology: It is necessary to appropriately sense the user's intention and to appropriately feed back information on the work object to the user's body. We conduct research and development to extend human input/output by integrating technologies for sensing biometric and environmental information such as eye gaze and electromyography, estimating intentions and predicting actions using machine learning, etc., and actuation technologies such as myoelectric stimulation.
　
(2) Human augmentation engineering: Research and development to engineer a new view of the body, such as a super-body, a de-body, a transformation, an alter ego, and a combined body, by extending human abilities with the help of virtual reality, augmented reality, wearable technology, robot technology, and tele-existance, etc., and to implement them in society, such as in response to a super-aging society. We aim to implement them in society, for example, to cope with a super-aging society.
　
(3) Technology for sharing and transmitting subjective experiences: We aim to construct a system that records, reproduces, and transmits subjective experiences and experiences as visual, auditory, and tactile sensations spread over the body and space, and to realize technology to enrich the quality of daily life (QoL), such as supplements. Research and development will be conducted in areas such as entertainment computing, superhuman sports, and the transmission of skills.
　
(4) Design of perceptual and emotional experiences: The human body and mind are inseparable, and subjective experiences such as perceptions and emotions are mediated by the bodies of self and others. Based on the findings of psychology and physiology, we will design a method that makes it possible to construct arbitrary perceptual and emotional experiences by transforming our perception of our own and others' bodies through information technology.

(5) Wireless Interaction: Drawing on the concept of distributed parameter systems, our objective is to facilitate users' perceptual and behavioral capabilities without impairing their physical experiences. This is achieved by employing a broad range of wireless technologies to control diverse waves and fluids, such as microwaves, terahertz waves, and ultrasonic waves, allowing for the contactless transmission of information, energy, and matter.