September 29, 2017
Keio University
Associate Professor Seiichiro Katsura of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University has successfully developed "ThermoGlove," a wearable interface that conveys thermal sensations such as warmth and coldness from the real world. By embedding multiple thermoelectric conversion elements and sensors inside the interface, it can transmit thermal sensations to the fingers and palms of a person at a distance. By simultaneously and bidirectionally controlling not only temperature but also heat flux, which represents the amount of heat transfer, the device can faithfully reproduce the conditions of a remote location in the user's hand, creating a sensation as if directly touching the object. As it is a wearable device, it can also be combined with other media such as sound, video, and haptics, leading to a further enhancement of the sense of presence in remote communication.
A live demonstration of this achievement will be held at CEATEC JAPAN 2017, which will take place at Makuhari Messe (Mihama-ku, Chiba City) from Tuesday, October 3 to Friday, October 6. We invite the press to cover this event.
Please see below for the full press release.