TokyoMetropolitanUniversity
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TMU's virtual body simulates most senses from the comfort of your seat (video)
A lot of virtual reality, quite simply, isn't. It replicates the visuals and sounds, but not much else. Tokyo Metropolitan University's Ikei Laboratory is taking a shot at filling in more of the experience with a new exhibition. Its virtual body seat goes beyond a 3D screen and headphones to include vibrating foot pedals, for recreating the ground, as well as a fan that both produces wind and wafts scents. The demonstrator is currently being used to impress guests with the scents of a Milanese market or the rush of an Usain Bolt sprint, but it could eventually serve a practical purpose for some of the population: TMU sees its chair replacing an environment for those who can't be there in person. About all that's missing is taste, although we don't really need to lick our virtual worlds. Yet.
Gocen optical music recognition can read a printed score, play notes in real-time (hands-on video)
It's not often that we stumble upon classical music on the floor at SIGGRAPH, so the tune of Bach's Cantata 147 was reason enough to stop by Gocen's small table in the annual graphics trade show's Emerging Technologies hall. At first glance, the four Japanese men at the booth could have been doing anything on their MacBook Pros -- there wasn't a musical instrument in sight -- but upon closer inspection, they each appeared to be holding identical loupe-like devices, connected to each laptop via USB. Below each self-lit handheld reader were small stacks of sheet music, and it soon became clear that each of the men was very slowly moving their devices from side to side, playing a seemingly perfect rendition of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." The project, called Gocen, is described by its creators as a "handwritten notation interface for musical performance and learning music." Developed at Tokyo Metropolitan University, the device can read a printed (or even handwritten) music score in real-time using optical music recognition (OMR), which is sent through each computer to an audio mixer, and then to a set of speakers. The interface is entirely text and music-based -- musicians, if you can call them that, scan an instrument name on the page before sliding over to the notes, which can be played back at different pitches by moving the reader vertically along the line. It certainly won't replace an orchestra anytime soon -- it takes an incredible amount of care to play in a group without falling out of a sync -- but Gocen is designed more as a learning tool than a practical device for coordinated performances. Hearing exactly how each note is meant to sound makes it easier for students to master musical basics during the beginning stages of their educations, providing instant feedback for those that depend on self-teaching. You can take a closer look in our hands-on video after the break, in a real-time performance demo with the Japan-based team.%Gallery-162022%
Peltier elements power thermal gaming, warm backsides
Technology's all about touch and movement nowadays, isn't it? A team from Tokyo Metropolitan University doesn't think so: it's exploring the possibilities of thermal gaming. Using Peltier elements (which are hot one side and cold the other), it's built three experimental uses for the gear. Thermodraw sits an element beneath a screen that changes temperature based on the colors painted -- an icy tundra will find the image cold to touch, Hawaii holiday snaps the opposite. Thermogame places the elements inside the controller, helping you navigate fire and ice hazards and Thermochair, which changes temperature if you get a message -- although we think it would make a handy backside warmer (and a great way to prank people into thinking they'd just lost bladder control). You can watch the trifecta in action after the break, explained in the warm, soporific tones of Diginfo's narrator.
Compact Stress Meter provides checkups from the comfort of your cubicle (video)
Chances are you don't need a machine to know that the office stresses you out, but if you've ever felt an urge to actually quantify the toll your boss takes on your body, the Compact Stress Meter could be your new best buddy. Developed by researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University, this system uses a pulse wave sensor and infrared reflective probe to measure the blood flowing through a user's fingertips, which serves as a relatively accurate stress index. All you have to do is place your finger on the sensor for ten seconds, and an accompanying computer program will automatically display your stress levels in real-time by analyzing variations in blood flow. At this point, the software and sensor are still separate, though the meter's developers have already completed a new prototype with the sensor built in to a mouse, allowing users to continuously gauge their stress while diligently working in front of their computers, or while furiously searching for a new job. Click past the break to see the meter in action for yourself.
