This study aims to utilize information of aroma data from sensing technology for virtual reality space. We applied FF-2A sensor for discrimination testing of several fruits' aroma and investigated the discrimination accuracy of the installed sensors. Our results indicated that the aroma of apples can be distinguished from other fruits by analyzing standardized data from specific sensors, and then be divided into two groups by the inclusion of an apple flavor. Our discrimination system may be useful to share the aroma information with remote location in future.

This paper reports on olfactory amplifying systems and reviews related technologies. We have developed two types of olfactory amplifying systems that allow the user to sense smells with amplified sensitivities. In the first system, odor molecules drifting in the air are collected using an adsorbent material. The concentrated odor vapor is generated and presented to the user by thermal desorption of the collected odor molecules. The second system is a virtual odor concentrator. An odor with an amplified intensity is presented to the user when the presence of a volatile organic compound in the air is detected using a gas sensor. These systems can be viewed as olfactory versions of augmented reality systems. The user's perception of the world is altered by modifying the olfactory stimuli perceived by the user's nose. On-going research efforts toward the development of the olfactory amplifying systems are presented in this paper, and their potential applications are discussed.

It has been suggested that the Kansei Multi-Media Display (KMMD) is able to emit air flows and scents in addition to conventional audio-visual information through the display. This display is characterized as follows: the display has slits and pits to emit air flows from a position close to projected pictures due to a system where the display is equipped in the back with an air blower and an air flow direction controller. This study aimed to show the psychological effects of two content layouts for cool refreshment, which were produced based on the characteristics of this multi-media display. The possibilities for function and application of the KMMD were examined. An experiment of a virtual fan created as a three-dimensional CG assessed the effects of cool refreshment and the feeling of presence induced by the air flows, which was connected to the swing movement of the fan and emitted from a position close to the image of the fan. Further, an experiment with seasonal images was conducted, providing aromas, which have been reported to affect an individual's sense of cold, when showing video scenes of a cold region. This experiment revealed cross modal physiological effects, such as the decline of the feeling of temperature and the temperature of the skin surface, which were induced subjectively and psychologically by the attribute of this scene.

This paper describes that an inhalation of a personally localized scent of essential oils in a half minute affects psychophysiological behaviors. A personal scent of a lemongrass, even in the second time scale, significantly accelerates some subjects to respond to a task test when compared to that of a lavender. Personal and instantaneous scenting can be a tool for affecting psychophysiological status, or mood by choosing different kinds of scents.

In this paper, we investigate the fairness between two players in a networked balloon bursting game with olfactory and haptic senses. In the game, one player bursts a balloon in a 3-D virtual space and answers what is a smell included in the balloon, and the other player tries to make the answerer perceive the smell of another balloon by bursting the balloon. By QoE (Quality of Experience) assessment, we investigate the influence of network delay on the fairness. Assessment results show that the fairness deteriorates as the absolute difference in network delay increases, and the allowable range of the absolute difference is smaller than about 100 ms.

To develop high performance and low cost microfluidic devices, heterogeneous bonding with cyclo-olefin polymer (COP) and glass substrate was investigated by low pressure plasma using water vapor. COP and glass-like substrate were bonded at room temperature under its own weight, and the bonding strength reached the breaking point of base material strength. Water contact angle of the COP and glass surface after water vapor plasma was less than 1° (superhydrophilic) and showed stable hydrophilicity even after 30 days. Water vapor plasma and COP surface were analyzed by optical emission spectroscopy(OES) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) to study the reaction of room temperature bonding.

We have fabricated a silicon MEMS resonator aiming at multi-modal sensors, and evaluated vibration characteristics by electromagnetic drive and induced electromotive force detection. The resonance frequency of the driving voltage of 0.6 Vpp shows torsional vibration of approximately 87 kHz, and the resonance frequency is shifted toward the low frequency side as the driving voltage increases. Resonance characteristics due to temperature change and thin film stress were evaluated.

This paper reports on the demonstration of a novel autonomous dispensing system for point of care testing (POCT). Although existing dispensing systems generally employ external triggers, such as changing rotational speed or heating of a device, our dispenser is driven at steady rotational speed without external triggers by using siphons, water-clock based autonomous timing and metering, and capillary forces. It becomes possible to dispense reagents simultaneously into multiple reaction chambers, by using this dispensing system. Simplicity of reagent handlings and uniformity of reaction conditions can be improved. Therefore it is expected to realize highly reliable and low-cost analytical systems, which are suitable for POCT, by integrating the dispenser on analytical devices.

Semiconductor gas sensors have the drawback of poor gas selectivity, though they are sensitive to a wide variety of gases. A novel thin-film gas sensor with a gas adsorption and desorption part mounted on a rotation mechanism is developed to improve the gas selectivity. Activated carbon doped with noble metal catalyst is used as the adsorbent. The sensor exhibits different response to each isovaleric acid gas, ethanol gas and hydrogen gas after rotating the activated carbon to the place close to the sensing part and being heated by an implemented heater on it. Thus the sensor is able to discriminate the kind of gas by analyzing the sensitivity along with the adsorption and desorption response.

In this paper, we developed a compact microdroplet monitoring sensor. This sensor is capacitive sensor combined a microfluidic circuit and a crystal oscillator. We succeeded in the generation and monitoring of microdroplets with this sensor. We optimized the sensing capacitor to improve the sensitivity of the sensor. With optimized the sensing capacitor, the frequency response can be increased. We measured NaCl aqueous solution concentration with the optimized sensing capacitor. From the measurement result, the high dynamic range measurement can be made by using two frequencies.

Resonant MEMS sensors such as vibratory gyroscope require wafer-level high vacuum packaging to reduce air damping for enhancing a quality factor. Gettering materials such as titanium which adsorb residual gases in the sealed cavity are generally encapsulated inside a package to achieve higher vacuum. In this paper, we propose titanium thin-film for bonding frame as well as gettering material. Wafer-level high vacuum packaging was achieved by the Ti-Ti bonding when thickness of native oxide on Ti surface is well controlled.

This paper reports a method to encapsulate degassed working fluid in a vapor chamber type micro thermal diode. Degassing and sealing processes were sequentially done in a same vacuum chamber. The pressure in the device, measured by a zero-balance method, was as low as 7000 Pa, and the pressure was kept for at least 500 hours. The thermal resistance in the reverse heat flow mode was about 30% higher than that in the forward mode.