Table of Contents
Preface v
1 Virtual Reality and Telexistence 1
1.1 What is Telexistence and What is Virtual Reality 1
1.2 Telexistence in the Real World and in Virtual Worlds 2
1.2.1 Telexistence in the Real World 3
1.2.2 Telexistence in Virtual Worlds 5
1.2.3 Applications of Telexistence 6
1.3 Organization of Telexistence and/or Virtual Reality Systems 7
1.4 Virtual Reality as a Human Tool for 3Cs and 3Es 9
1.4.1 Control 9
1.4.2 Communication 10
1.4.3 Creation 11
1.4.4 Experience/Education 11
1.4.5 Elucidation 11
1.4.6 Entertainment 11
1.5 Virtual Reality Convergence 12
2 Generations and Design Philosophies of Robots 15
2.1 Generations of Robots 15
2.2 Design Philosophies in Robotics 19
3 Telexistence 24
3.1 Short History of Telexistence 24
3.2 Augmented Telexistence 29
3.3 R-Cubed 31
3.4 Humanoid Robotics Project: HRP 34
4 Fundamental Technologies for Telexistence 42
4.1 Telexistence Visual Display 42
4.1.1 Design Concept of Telexistence Visual Display 42
4.1.2 Design Method and Procedures of Telexistence Visual Display 45
4.1.3 Visual Display Prototypes 49
4.1.3.1 Visual Display Unit 49
4.1.3.2 Experimental Visual Display System 49
4.1.4 Evaluation of the Visual Display 53
4.1.4.1 Horopters and Their Expression 53
4.1.4.2 Experiment 57
4.1.5 Summary 61
4.2 Mobile Telexistence System 61
4.2.1 System Configuration 62
4.2.2 Experiments 64
4.2.3 Summary 70
4.3 Design and Quantitative Evaluation of Telexistence Manipulation System 70
4.3.1 Telexistence Manipulation System 70
4.3.2 Manipulation Experiments 75
4.3.3 Summary 82
4.4 Construction of Virtual Haptic Space 82
4.4.1 Construction Method for Encounter-TypeVirtual Haptic Space 83
4.4.1.1 Active Environment Display 85
4.4.1.2 Shape Approximation Device 86
4.4.2 Test Hardware 87
4.4.3 Summary 90
5 Retroreflective Projection Technology (RPT) 92
5.1 Principle of Retroreflective Projection Technology 93
5.2 RPT-Based Head Mounted Projector 97
5.3 RPT Applications 99
6 Mutual Telexistence Using RPT 104
6.1 Mutual Telexistence 104
6.2 Experimental Hardware System 107
6.2.1 Preliminary Mutual Telexistence Hardware System 108
6.2.2 Summary 112
6.3 Mutual Telexistence Master-Slave System for Communication 113
6.3.1 Telexistence Surrogate Anthropombrphic Robot II 117
6.3.1.1 Slave Robot Arm 117
6.3.1.2 Slave Robot Hand 119
6.3.2 Telexistence Cockpit 121
6.3.2.1 Master Arm 121
6.3.2.2 Master Hand 123
6.3.2.3 3D Display System 128
6.3.3 RPT Viewer System 128
6.3.4 Feasibility Experiments 129
6.3.5 Summary 135
7 Telexistence Communication Using Twister: Telexistence Wide-angle Immersive STEReoscope 137
7.1 Face-to-Face Communication 137
7.2 Concept of Mutual Telexistence Using Twister 139
7.3 Development of Twister 140
7.4 Principles of Twister 141
7.4.1 Movable Parallax Barrier 141
7.4.2 Rendering 144
7.4.3 Image Capture 145
7.4.4 Capture and Display 147
7.4.5 Robotic Mutual Telexistence Using: Twister 152
7.4.6 Omnistereo Camera System for Twister 153
7.5 Summary 159
8 Future Perspective 160
8.1 Out-of-the-Body Experience 160
8.2 Impact of Telexistence on Daily Life 162
8.3 Open Problems of Telexistence 164
8.4 Telexistence in the Future 167
8.5 Telexistence and Society 170
Appendix A Color Figures 173
Bibliography 181
About the Author 189
Index 191
