Hiroo Iwata
iwata@kz.tsukuba.ac.jp
http://intron.kz.tsukuba.ac.jp
Hiroo Iwata is an associate professor in the Institute of Engineering Mechanics and Systems of the University of Tsukuba, where he is teaching human interface and leading research projects on virtual reality. His research interests include haptic interface, locomotion interface and spatially immersive display. He received B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degree in engineering from the University of Tokyo in 1981, 1983 and 1986, respectively. He is a board member of the Virtual Reality Society of Japan.
He exhibited his work at the SIGGRAPH 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, and 2001, as well as Ars Electronica Festival 96, 97, 99, and 2001. He won honorary mentions in Prix Ars Electronica 96 and 2001. He created long-term exhibitions at the Japan Science Museum in 1997, as well as at the Ars Electronica Center in 1999.
Floating Eye
Floating Eye is an interactive installation that separates vision from the body. The participant can only see wide-angle image floating in the air, he/she cannot see the real scene. Wide-angle image is taken by a specialized camera-head mounted in a air-ship. The image is displayed in a wearable dome screen. In order to realize wearable dome screen, a new technology named "Ensphered Vision" is employed in this installation.
Ensphered Vision is an image display system for wide-angle spherical screen using combination of flat and convex mirrors. Ensphered Vision has an advantage in displaying wide-angle video image. The camera-head employs a spherical convex mirror. The camera head captures a wide-angle image by a single video camera. The camera records a predistorted image. The spherical convex mirror is designed to minimize the distortion of the image on the spherical screen. In the Floating Eye installation, the camera-head is attached to an airship. The camera is equipped with a wireless transmitter. Thus, the image is transmitted to the wearable dome screen.
The camera-head is designed to capture look-down image from the sky. The participant can see his/her body in the captured image. This configuration simulates out-of-the-body experience. The airship can be maneuvered by towing the string. The participant can walk looking him/herself as well as surrounding scene. However, slight wind disturbs the airship. Thus, the participant is forced to interact with the atmosphere. This installation evokes new style of self-recognition and relationship between human and atmosphere.