ExTouch: Spatially-aware embodied manipulation of actuated objects mediated by augmented reality

As domestic robots and smart appliances become increasingly common, they require a simple, universal interface to control their motion. Such an interface must support a simple selection of a connected device, highlight its capabilities and allow for an intuitive manipulation. We propose "exTouch", an embodied spatially-aware approach to touch and control devices through an augmented reality mediated mobile interface. The "exTouch" system extends the users touchscreen interactions into the real world by enabling spatial control over the actuated object. When users touch a device shown in live video on the screen, they can change its position and orientation through multi-touch gestures or by physically moving the screen in relation to the controlled object. We demonstrate that the system can be used for applications such as an omnidirectional vehicle, a drone, and moving furniture for reconfigurable room

Second surface: multi-user spatial collaboration system based on augmented reality

An environment for creative collaboration is significant for enhancing human communication and expressive activities, and many researchers have explored different collaborative spatial interaction technologies. However, most of these systems require special equipment and cannot adapt to everyday environment. We introduce Second Surface, a novel multi-user Augmented reality system that fosters a real-time interaction for user-generated contents on top of the physical environment. This interaction takes place in the physical surroundings of everyday objects such as trees or houses. Our system allows users to place three dimensional drawings, texts, and photos relative to such objects and share this expression with any other person who uses the same software at the same spot. Second Surface explores a vision that integrates collaborative virtual spaces into the physical space. Our system can provide an alternate reality that generates a playful and natural interaction in an everyday setup

Fabrication of Bi2212 Cross Whiskers Junction

An intrinsic Josephson junction has been successfully fabricated without any micro-fabrication technique. Two Bi2212 whiskers were crossed with one another and joined by post-annealing. The inter-whisker electrical transport properties were measured by the four-probe method. The temperature dependence of resistance exhibited metallic behavior above TC. The resistance decreased to zero around 80K, corresponding to the superconducting transition. The current-voltage characteristics at 5K exhibited a small hysteresis and voltage jump, which can be explained by the intrinsic Josephson effect.Comment: 3 page PDF fil

A Cross-Whiskers Junction as a Novel Fabrication Process for Intrinsic Josephson Junction

A Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d cross-whiskers junction has been successfully discovered as a novel intrinsic Josephson junction without using any technique for micro-fabrication. Two Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d whisker crystals were placed crosswise on a MgO substrate and heated at 850C for 30 min. They were electrically connected at their c-planes. The measurement terminals were made at the four ends of the whiskers. The I-V characteristics of the cross-whiskers junction at 5K were found to show a clear multiple-branch structure with a spacing of approximately 15 mV that is a feature of the intrinsic Josephson junction. The critical current density Jc was estimated to be 1170 A/cm2. The branch-structure was strongly suppressed by the magnetic field above 1kOe.Comment: 4 pages, PDF fil

d-like Symmetry of the Order Parameter and Intrinsic Josephson Effects in Bi2212 Cross-Whisker Junctions

An intrinsic tunnel junction was made using two Bi-2212 single crystal whiskers. The two whiskers with a cross-angle were overlaid at their c-planes and connected by annealing. The angular dependence of the critical current density along the c-axis is of the d-wave symmetry. However, the angular dependence is much stronger than that of the conventional d-wave. Furthermore, the current vs. voltage characteristics of the cross-whiskers junctions show a multiple-branch structure at any cross-angle, indicating the formation of the intrinsic Josephson junction array.Comment: 4 pages PDF fil

Chloroplast acquisition without the gene transfer in kleptoplastic sea slugs, Plakobranchus ocellatus

Some sea slugs sequester chloroplasts from algal food in their intestinal cells and photosynthesize for months. This phenomenon, kleptoplasty, poses a question of how the chloroplast retains its activity without the algal nucleus. There have been debates on the horizontal transfer of algal genes to the animal nucleus. To settle the arguments, this study reported the genome of a kleptoplastic sea slug, Plakobranchus ocellatus, and found no evidence of photosynthetic genes encoded on the nucleus. Nevertheless, it was confirmed that light illumination prolongs the life of mollusk under starvation. These data presented a paradigm that a complex adaptive trait, as typified by photosynthesis, can be transferred between eukaryotic kingdoms by a unique organelle transmission without nuclear gene transfer. Our phylogenomic analysis showed that genes for proteolysis and immunity undergo gene expansion and are up-regulated in chloroplast-enriched tissue, suggesting that these molluskan genes are involved in the phenotype acquisition without horizontal gene transfer

First light demonstration of the integrated superconducting spectrometer

Ultra-wideband 3D imaging spectrometry in the millimeter-submillimeter (mm-submm) band is an essential tool for uncovering the dust-enshrouded portion of the cosmic history of star formation and galaxy evolution. However, it is challenging to scale up conventional coherent heterodyne receivers or free-space diffraction techniques to sufficient bandwidths ($\geq$1 octave) and numbers of spatial pixels (>$10^2$). Here we present the design and first astronomical spectra of an intrinsically scalable, integrated superconducting spectrometer, which covers 332-377 GHz with a spectral resolution of $F/\Delta F \sim 380$. It combines the multiplexing advantage of microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) with planar superconducting filters for dispersing the signal in a single, small superconducting integrated circuit. We demonstrate the two key applications for an instrument of this type: as an efficient redshift machine, and as a fast multi-line spectral mapper of extended areas. The line detection sensitivity is in excellent agreement with the instrument design and laboratory performance, reaching the atmospheric foreground photon noise limit on sky. The design can be scaled to bandwidths in excess of an octave, spectral resolution up to a few thousand and frequencies up to $\sim$1.1 THz. The miniature chip footprint of a few $\mathrm{cm^2}$ allows for compact multi-pixel spectral imagers, which would enable spectroscopic direct imaging and large volume spectroscopic surveys that are several orders of magnitude faster than what is currently possible.Comment: Published in Nature Astronomy. SharedIt Link to the full published paper: https://rdcu.be/bM2F

Development of Blood Analog Fluids Using Human Hair Protein Particles(<Special Issue>Bioengineering)

ArticleJSME international journal. Series C, Mechanical systems, machine elements and manufacturing. 48(4): 494-498 (2005)journal articl