arXiv subjects

Taisei Mogi

Publications and source records attributed to Taisei Mogi.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Cybernetic Android Avatar "Yui": System Integration, Field Deployment, and Evaluation

Remote communication technologies have become widely used; however, supporting a sense of shared physical space and conveying rich non-verbal cues remain challenging in many social interaction scenarios. This study presents "Yui," a full-body cybernetic android avatar designed to integrate operator-side immersive teleoperation with interlocutor-side human-like social signaling. Yui combines a 55-degrees of freedom full-body mechanism with a previously developed android head, facial expression and gaze control, upper-body and arm motion, hand actuation, and a mobile platform. It can be operated through either the immersive mode using a head mounted display-based interface or desktop mode using a webcam-based interface. We evaluated the system through three real-world deployments: a long-term public exhibition at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan; a remote educational exchange between elementary school students; and a public interaction study with general participants. During the Expo deployment, two units accumulated approximately 1131 h of operation, demonstrating both operational feasibility and maintenance challenges. In the public study, both operators and interlocutors reported positive impressions of co-presence and willingness to use the system. Interlocutors also rated the avatar positively in terms of human likeness and the transmission of emotions and intentions. The results indicate usability for general operators while suggesting room for improvement in precise controllability. These findings provide field-derived evidence and design implications for socially deployable full-body android avatars.

cs.RO↗

arXiv2025

MOFU: Development of a MOrphing Fluffy Unit with Expansion and Contraction Capabilities and Evaluation of the Animacy of Its Movements

Robots designed for therapy and social interaction aim to evoke a sense of animacy in humans. While many studies have focused on life like appearance or joint based movements, the effect of whole body volume changing movements commonly observed in living organisms has received little attention. In this study, we developed MOFU MOrphing Fluffy Unit, a mobile robot capable of whole body expansion and contraction using a single motor enclosed in a fluffy exterior. MOFU employs a Jitterbug geometric transformation mechanism that enables smooth diameter changes from approximately 210 mm to 280 mm with a single actuator, and is equipped with a differential two wheel drive mechanism for locomotion. We conducted an online survey using videos of MOFU behaviors and evaluated perceived animacy using the Godspeed Questionnaire Series. First, we compared stationary conditions with and without expansion contraction and with and without rotational motion. Both expansion contraction and rotation independently increased perceived animacy. Second, we examined whether presenting two MOFUs simultaneously would further enhance animacy perception, but no significant difference was observed. Exploratory analyses were also conducted across four dual robot motion conditions. Third, when expansion contraction was combined with locomotion, animacy ratings were higher than for locomotion alone. These results suggest that whole body volume changing movements enhance perceived animacy in robots, indicating that physical volume change is an important design element for future social and therapeutic robots.

cs.RO↗