JP2017146830A - Texture presentation device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a texture reproduction device and method that give hot and cold feelings of an object in a virtual space, which can improve the sense of reality corresponding to a raw material and an environment in which an observer is placed.SOLUTION: A texture presentation device presents a solid raw material virtually, and includes: a database that has recorded, for each solid material, information to generate video of the solid raw material and information including the thermal permeability of the solid raw material; means for accepting selection of a solid raw material; a mechanism that obtains information to generate video of the selected solid raw material from the database, generates video of the selected solid raw material, and displays the video; an air temperature meter; and a mechanism that obtains information including the thermal permeability of the selected solid raw material from the database, obtains air temperature from the air temperature meter, and reproduces and presents temperature that a human body feels when touching the selected solid raw material from the information including the thermal permeability of the selected solid raw material and the air temperature.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a texture presentation apparatus and method for presenting the texture of an object to be displayed in a virtual space to an observer.

  In the field of virtual reality, in order to improve the realism of the object presented to the observer in the virtual space, a tactile presentation device is prepared at the same time as the object video is presented so that the observer touches the virtual object. It is detected and a stimulus such as a feeling of unevenness of the object as if touching a real object is presented (for example, Patent Document 1).

  In addition, there is a device that prepares a device for controlling the temperature and presents a thermal sensation when the object is touched (for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent No. 5496032 JP 2000-338858 A

  However, the thermal sensation when touching an actual substance changes depending on the material and the environment where the observer is placed. For this reason, simply presenting the temperature determined for each object cannot sufficiently reproduce the texture received when touching a metal placed under a low temperature or wood placed under a high temperature.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and can provide a texture reproduction device that can improve the sense of reality according to the material and the environment in which the observer is placed, and can provide a thermal sensation of objects in the virtual space. And to provide a method.

  A first aspect of the present invention for achieving such an object is a texture presentation device that virtually presents a solid material, for each solid material, information for generating an image of the solid material, A database that records information including the thermal permeability of the solid material, a means for accepting selection of the solid material, and information for generating a video about the selected solid material are obtained from the database, and the selected solid Information from the database, including the mechanism to generate and display the video, the thermometer, and the heat penetration rate for the selected solid material, the temperature from the thermometer, and the selected It is a texture presentation apparatus including a mechanism for reproducing and presenting a temperature received by a human body when touching a selected solid material from information including a thermal permeability of the solid material and an air temperature.

  A second aspect of the present invention is a texture presentation method executed by a computer of a texture presentation device that virtually presents a solid material, the step of accepting selection of the solid material, and an image of the solid material for each solid material Information for generating an image of the selected solid material and information including the thermal permeability are obtained from a database in which information for generating the information and information including the thermal permeability of the solid material are recorded. Generating a video from information for generating a video of the selected solid material acquired from the database, displaying the video, measuring the temperature with a thermometer, and the selected acquired from the database Touch the solid material selected by the observer from the information including the thermal permeability of the solid material and the temperature measured in the step of measuring the temperature. And a step of reproducing the temperature of the body is subjected presenting a texture presentation method.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to present a more realistic virtual object by presenting a thermal sensation according to the material and the environment in which the observer is placed.

Overall configuration diagram of a texture reproduction device according to an embodiment of the present embodiment List of information managed by material database according to one embodiment of this embodiment Of the texture reproduction device according to an embodiment of the present embodiment, a conceptual diagram of a thermal sensation presentation device Flow chart of texture presentation processing according to an embodiment of the present embodiment The apparatus figure of the texture reproduction apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this embodiment. Example of use of texture reproduction device according to one embodiment of this embodiment The apparatus figure of the texture reproduction apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this embodiment. Example of use of texture reproduction device according to one embodiment of this embodiment

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a texture reproduction apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The texture reproduction device includes an image presentation unit 100 that displays an object and its surface material, a temperature presentation unit 101 that controls the temperature and presents a feeling of coolness to the observer, and a thermometer that measures the temperature around the observer. 102, a texture database 103 storing information necessary for presenting material images and a feeling of thermal contact, and a control unit 104 for controlling them. The video presentation unit 100 uses, for example, a display screen of a tablet computer or a head mounted display. The temperature presentation unit 101 uses, for example, a Peltier element.

  FIG. 2 is an example of a texture information list recorded in the texture database 103. The texture information list calculates a material name 200 as a search key of the texture database 103, a video generation parameter 201 for generating a video of the material to be output to the video presentation unit 100, and a temperature controlled by the temperature presentation unit 101. For this purpose, it is composed of a thermal sensation reproduction parameter 202 used for the purpose. The video generation parameter 201 is, for example, a 3D object, a reflection map of a material surface for mapping to an object, a normal map, or the like. The thermal sensation reproduction parameter 202 includes the thermal permeability of the material.

  FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of a thermal feeling presentation device. When presenting the thermal sensation, the skin 300 such as an observer's finger or palm is brought into contact with the temperature presentation unit 101. The control unit 104 calculates the contact temperature 302 based on the ambient temperature 301 measured by the thermometer 102 and the thermal sensation reproduction parameter 202 recorded in the texture database 103, and sets the temperature of the temperature presentation unit 101. Adjust and present to the skin 300 of the observer.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the texture presentation process performed by the control unit 104. When the designation of the material name 200 is received from the observer (S100), the control unit 104 acquires the image generation parameter 201 and the thermal sensation reproduction parameter 202 corresponding to the designated material name 200 from the texture database 103 (S101). ). A presentation video is generated from the video generation parameter 201 (S102) and output from the video presentation unit 100 (S103). On the other hand, the temperature 301 around the observer is measured by the thermometer 102 (S104). The contact temperature 302 is calculated from the thermal sensation reproduction parameter 202 and the air temperature 301 (S105), and the temperature is adjusted so that the temperature presentation unit 101 becomes the contact temperature 302 (S106). In step S100, the method for specifying the material name 200 can be realized by various user interfaces, and is not particularly limited. The material may not be selected by the observer, but a predetermined material may be determined in advance.

The contact temperature 302 when touching the solid material in S105 of FIG. 4 is the method disclosed in Umehara Hanji, “Walking around Ergonomics” (Ergonomics, Vol. 11, (1975), No. 4). Can be sought. That is, the temperature T ₀ immediately after the contact between the two solid objects is expressed as T ₀ = (b ₁ * T ₁ + b ₂ * T ₂ ) / (b ₁ + b ₂ ), where T and b are the materials before the contact, respectively. Temperature and heat permeability. Let b ₁ be the thermal sensation reproduction parameter 202 of the material, T ₁ be the air temperature 301, b _{2 be} the thermal permeability of the human skin 300, T ₂ be the body temperature, and the calculated T ₀ be the contact temperature 302.

  The heat permeability of the material is measured in advance by an existing method, for example, a thermophysical property measuring apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4980147. The heat permeability of the human skin 300 is also measured, for example, by the method (contact method) disclosed in the above “walk around ergonomics”. The observer's body temperature may be, for example, 36.4 ° C., which is the standard human body temperature.

  Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram of the texture reproduction device used in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the texture reproduction device is configured such that in the tablet computer 500 in which the control unit 104 is incorporated, the video presentation unit 100 is provided on the front side and the temperature presentation unit 101 is attached on the back side. Moreover, the thermometer 102 is attached to the back surface or the surface. The texture database 103 may be stored in the tablet computer 500 or may be acquired from the outside via a network.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of use of the texture reproduction device of FIG. The observer 600 grasps and lifts the back surface of the tablet computer 500. The surface video presentation unit 100 displays a surface image of the material selected by the user. The temperature presentation unit 101 on the back side is adjusted to the contact temperature 302 and transmits the thermal feeling of the material to the skin 300 of the hand of the observer 600 holding the back of the tablet computer 500.

  By using the texture reproduction device in this way, the observer 600 can obtain a texture as if holding a real material plate.

  FIG. 7 is an apparatus diagram of the texture reproduction apparatus used in the second embodiment. In the present embodiment, the texture reproduction apparatus is configured by connecting a head mounted display 701 and a globe 702 to a computer 700 in which the control unit 104 is incorporated, wirelessly or by wire. The head mounted display 701 is the video presentation unit 100, and the temperature presentation unit 101 is attached to the fingertip of the globe 702. The thermometer 102 is attached to the head mounted display 701 or the globe 702. The texture database 103 may be stored in the computer 700 or may be acquired from the outside via a network.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of use of the texture reproduction device of FIG. The observer 600 wears a head mounted display 701 and a globe 702. Through the head mounted display 701, the observer 600 sees a real object 800, for example, a table. The head mounted display 701 presents an image in which the surface of the object 800 is superimposed on the designated material surface image. When the globe 702 touches the object 800, the temperature presentation unit 101 attached to the globe 702 outputs a contact temperature 302, and conveys the thermal sensation of the object 800 to the fingertip of the observer 600.

  By using the texture reproduction device in this way, the observer 600 can obtain a texture as if touching an object different from the material of the actual object.

  The texture reproduction device of the present invention, for example, in a housing exhibition hall, presents a texture of a material different from the original interior or furniture material installed on the spot, thereby allowing a plurality of actual houses and furniture to be displayed. Even without preparation, it is possible to perform a simulation combining various materials.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Image | video presentation part 101 Temperature presentation part 102 Thermometer 103 Material database 104 Control part 200 Material name 201 Image | video production | generation parameter 202 Thermal sensation reproduction parameter 300 Skin 301 Temperature 302 Contact temperature 500 Tablet computer 600 Observer 700 Computer 701 Head mounted display 702 Globe 800 objects

Claims (6)

A texture presentation device that virtually presents a solid material,
For each solid material, a database that records information for generating an image of the solid material and information including the thermal permeability of the solid material,
Means for receiving selection of the solid material;
Information for generating a video about the selected solid material is acquired from the database, a video of the selected solid material is generated, and the video is displayed.
A thermometer,
Information including the thermal permeability for the selected solid material is obtained from the database, the temperature is obtained from the thermometer, the information including the thermal permeability for the selected solid material, and the temperature. And a mechanism for reproducing and presenting the temperature received by the human body when the selected solid material is touched.   The texture presentation device according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for reproducing and presenting the temperature on a back side of a display which is a mechanism for displaying the video.   The texture presentation device according to claim 1, wherein a mechanism for reproducing and presenting the temperature is provided at a fingertip of a glove. A texture presentation method executed by a computer of a texture presentation device that virtually presents a solid material,
Receiving a selection of the solid material;
In order to generate an image of the selected solid material from a database in which information for generating an image of the solid material and information including the thermal permeability of the solid material is recorded for each solid material Obtaining the information of and the information including the thermal permeability,
Generating an image from information for generating an image of the selected solid material acquired from the database, and displaying the image;
Measuring the temperature with a thermometer;
The temperature received by the human body when touching the solid material selected by the observer from the information including the thermal permeability of the selected solid material acquired from the database and the temperature measured in the step of measuring the temperature. The method of presenting a texture, including the step of reproducing and presenting.   The texture presentation method according to claim 4, wherein the means for presenting the temperature in the step of reproducing and presenting the temperature is provided on the back side of the display on which the image is displayed in the step of displaying the image.   The texture presentation method according to claim 4, wherein means for presenting the temperature in the step of reproducing and presenting the temperature is provided at a fingertip of a glove.

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