Elsevier BVActa Medica Okayama2405-844011112025Suppression of defect in plated film on AMed metal products by electron beam polishinge43440ENTogoShinonagaFaculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityYukiMatsudaGraduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityAkiraOkadaFaculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityAdditively manufactured (AMed) metal products with high shape accuracy can be produced by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). However, the AMed metal products have large surface roughness due to the arrangement of bead shape. Surface irregularities such as spatter and small cavity are also generated on the surface. Furthermore, elemental composition of AMed metal products may be changed from that of original metal powder due to oxidation of surface. On the other hand, electroless plating has been applied to improvement of surface functions. However, defect is often generated in the plated film due to surface irregularities and oxidation of base material. Therefore, surface smoothing methods are required for suppression of defect in plated film.<br>
In this study, surface smoothing and surface repairing of AMed aluminum (Al) alloy were performed by electron beam (EB) polishing with large-area EB. After the EB polishing, electroless plating was conducted on the AMed Al alloy, and suppression of defect in plated film was proposed. Experimental results show that surface smoothing, surface repairing and removal of oxidization layer of AMed Al alloy can be done simultaneously by the EB polishing. Furthermore, the plated film without defect can be successfully formed on the EB polished Al alloy.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.Springer Nature SwitzerlandActa Medica Okayama0302-97432025Effects of Visual Stimuli on Perceived Sound Volume in Virtual Reality Spaces286299ENYukiMatsudaOkayama UniversityTomaKobayashiNara Institute of Science and TechnologyHirokiWatanabeFuture University HakodateKeiichiYasumotoNara Institute of Science and TechnologyWith the proliferation of affordable and high-performance virtual reality (VR) devices, VR content such as games and the metaverse is becoming increasingly widespread. In VR environments, users experience various sensory stimuli, primarily through visual and auditory cues. However, subjective perception of these stimuli varies based on user context. Existing studies have shown that auditory perception can be influenced by visual stimuli, however, most of them have focused on congruent audiovisual stimuli, leaving the effects of non-congruent pairings unexplored. This study investigates how visual stimuli, specifically color and crowdedness, influence perceived sound volume in VR. In the experiment that participants experienced VR environments with different room colors while listening to test tones, the results showed that warm colors led to higher perceived volume at low sound levels. Also, in the experiment that participants viewed VR scenes with varying crowd densities while hearing announcements, less crowded environments resulted in higher perceived sound volume. These findings suggest that visual context impacts auditory perception, providing insights for optimizing hearable devices and enhancing VR auditory experiences.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.九州工業大学ケアXDXセンターActa Medica Okayama2759-2871202412024Abacus Manipulation Understanding by Behavior Sensing Utilizing Document Camera as a Sensor2ENYukiMATSUDAFaculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology Okayama University The abacus (also known as Soroban) is a numerical calculation tool that is traditionally used in East Asian countries. With the advancement of information technologies, the abacus is no longer used as a standard calculation tool. However, abacus learning is garnering global attention due to the secondary skills it can foster, e.g., mental arithmetic ability. Numerical calculation using an abacus requires learning numerical expressions using the beads of the abacus and manipulating beads in multiple ways and in different orders. Due to this complexity, a long period of repeated learning is usually required to acquire the skill of using the abacus. However, the teaching method of the abacus mainly relied on lecturers' observation through finding errors and poor bead manipulations and pointing them out, and there is no other way but to rely on human labor at this moment. In this study, we aim to realize an ICT-based learning support system for arithmetic with a common abacus. This paper proposes a method of estimating input values on an abacus based on image recognition captured by a document camera. Through the evaluation experiments, we have confirmed that the proposed method showed an accuracy of 95.0% in the estimation of 7-digit number input on an abacus. Additionally, this paper will provide discussions to realize the proposed method with other cameras such as wearable camera devices, and to design the coaching system of abacus learning.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.情報処理学会Acta Medica Okayama1882-776465102024非特定テレビ視聴履歴データの放送局間統合手法14881500ENHirokiMatsudaNara Institute of Science and TechnologyTaichiSakakibaraYomiuri Telecasting CorporationDaikiMayumiNara Institute of Science and TechnologyYukiMatsudaOkayama UniversityTeruhiroMizumotoChiba Institute of TechnologyKeiichiYasumotoNara Institute of Science and Technology近年，各テレビ放送局において，個人を特定しない形式で，インターネット接続されたテレビから視聴開始時刻や視聴終了時刻等を含む非特定視聴履歴データを収集し，利活用する取り組みが進められている．しかし，各放送局は自局の非特定視聴履歴データしか利用できないため，膨大なデータを蓄積しているにもかかわらず，有用な知見を得るまでに至っていないのが現状である．さらに，非特定視聴履歴データの収集方式やデータ粒度は，各局各様となっており，各局が蓄積したデータを統合し，利用することもできていない．そこで本論文では，各局が独自の方式で取得している非特定視聴履歴データを放送局間で統合する手法を提案し，評価するためのシミュレータ設計と実装を行い，提案手法の評価を行う．<br>
提案手法では，各局の視聴履歴データのうち，共通しているIPアドレス・郵便番号・メーカID・ブラウザメジャーバージョン・ブラウザマイナーバージョンの5項目でテレビ受像機を分離処理する．そして，分離された中でこれらの5項目が一致するテレビのうち，さらにチャンネル遷移時刻が一致するテレビを同一テレビと推定する．また，視聴者行動を再現するシミュレータを設計し，そのシミュレータから合成された視聴履歴データに対して，本手法を適用した結果，生成された250万台分のデータのうち約241万台のテレビIDのマッチングに成功し，再現率96.5%であることを示した．No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)Acta Medica Okayama2169-3536122024Aromug: A Mug-Type Olfactory Interface to Enhance the Sweetness Perception of Beverages7836678378ENDaikiMayumiGraduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and TechnologyYugoNakamuraFaculty of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu UniversityYukiMatsudaFaculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityShinyaMisakiGraduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and TechnologyKeiichiYasumotoGraduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and TechnologySugary beverages are a significant contributor to sugar consumption, and their excessive consumption is associated with increased risks of elevated blood glucose levels and diabetes. Many individuals have a strong preference for sugary beverages and often find beverages with lower sugar content to be less satisfying. Attempts to switch to less sugary options are frequently short-lived, leading to a return to higher-sugar beverages. Recognizing that 75 – 95% of taste perception is influenced by scent, we investigated a scent-based approach to reduce sugar intake while preserving the perception of sweetness. This study introduces an olfactory interface in the form of a mug named “Aromug,” designed to emit a sweet scent in sync with the drinking action. Aromug incorporates motion sensing and scent presentation functions to enhance the perceived sweetness of a beverage, thereby encouraging a gradual reduction in sugar intake. Our experiments, involving 33 participants, demonstrated that the combined scents of sugar-free coffee and chocolate increased the perception of sweetness (p =1.641×10−2 ). The study also found that the simultaneous presentation of scent and visual cues improved taste satisfaction and sweetness perception. Additionally, we observed variations in sweetness preference related to age and frequency of coffee consumption. It was particularly observed that people in their 20s and those who frequently drink coffee tend to perceive the taste of beverages as sweeter. This suggests a potential for Aromug to customize the scent experience based on individual preferences, offering a novel way to encourage healthier beverage choices.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.MYU K.K.Acta Medica Okayama0914-493536102024Mobile Augmented Reality Interface for Instruction-based Disaster Preparedness Guidelines45854606ENSergio De LeónAguilarGraduate School of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science and TechnologyYukiMatsudaFaculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityKeiichiYasumotoGraduate School of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science and TechnologyDisaster preparedness guidelines help citizens protect themselves against disasters. Nonetheless, the general public has been found not to read them. Augmented reality (AR) interfaces are known to improve knowledge transfer in studies of education, industry, and elderly assistance. However, this is achieved this by creating specific interfaces for users, not the general public. To test the performance of these interfaces for general public guidance, we designed and implemented a novel AR-assisted disaster prevention guideline that leverages object detection models to identify targets of disaster preparedness advice. We then had a diverse-age audience compare our design against a real traditional paper-based preparedness guide in a room arranged as a common remote work bedroom. By testing their usability, task load, and capacity to make users aware of their environmental hazards, we gained important insights into the performance of different age groups following media developed for the general public. Regardless of different age groups achieving similar usability scores, we found minors improving their performance scores with our novel interface and adults from 20 to 49 years old seemingly performing better than other age groups. In this study, we highlight the importance of guidance alternatives for the young and the less-technology-aware population, contributing to the under-explored area of AR interfaces for the general public.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.