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Real-World Information Environment Lab
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A lab that uses airborne ultrasound to deliver the sensation of touch to distant locations.
AboutAbout the lab
Haptics, starting now
The Real-World Information Environment Lab studies haptics, which makes use of the human sense of touch.
By introducing new physical phenomena and physical structures into systems, the lab aims to realize real-world information environments that go beyond conventional barriers.
Starting from the hardware level, the lab proposes technologies for sensing humans, environments, and their interactions, as well as technologies that support people by acting on their senses.
Alongside fundamental results based on novel ideas, the lab also treats the process by which those results come to be widely used as practical technologies as a research theme.
Key terms
- Haptics
- The field of technology that deals with the human sense of touch, measuring and conveying how things feel to the touch
- Airborne ultrasound
- High-frequency sound that travels through air. When focused, it becomes a force that pushes objects (acoustic radiation force)
- Phased array
- A mechanism that offsets the timing at which many elements emit sound, so that the location and direction where sound is focused can be changed freely
NewsLab news
A lab presentation received the Outstanding Presentation Award at SICE SI2025 (Society of Instrument and Control Engineers)
A lab presentation received the Research Encouragement Award at the Sensing Forum of the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers
A lab presentation received the ROBOMECH Award (Academic Research category)
A lab member received the Young Researcher Outstanding Presentation Fellow Award from the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
A lab presentation received the Annual Conference Academic Encouragement Award from the Virtual Reality Society of Japan
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to realize real-world information environments that go beyond conventional barriers by introducing new physical phenomena and physical structures into systems. In particular, it focuses on haptics, which makes effective use of the human sense of touch.
*Illustrative imageManipulating objects on a mesh with airborne ultrasound
The lab built a mesh screen that lets airborne ultrasound pass through and developed a method for manipulating objects on top of it.
*Illustrative imageHaptic feedback that amplifies ultrasound force with a lever
Focusing ultrasound creates a spot of force in the air known as acoustic radiation force. The lab developed a passive haptic display device that amplifies this force with a lever mechanism to deliver stronger force to people.
*Illustrative imageTwo-dimensional measurement of airborne ultrasound with thermal imaging
Using a thermal camera, the lab measures the sound pressure distribution on any chosen 2D plane within 3D space. This achieves instantaneous measurement with high spatial resolution.
*Illustrative imageControlling the 3D position of lightweight objects
The lab developed a technology that uses sensor feedback to dynamically drive an airborne ultrasound phased array and control the three-dimensional position of lightweight objects.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Real-World Information Environment Lab consist of faculty, project researchers, secretaries, advisors, doctoral and master's students, and research students.As of 2026
- ProfessorHiroyuki ShinodaPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorYasutoshi MakinoPublications ↗
- Project Assistant ProfessorAtsushi Matsubayashi
- Project Assistant ProfessorTakaaki Kamigaki
- Project Assistant ProfessorHayate Suzuki
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “October 19, 2012- Acoustic Levitation for Medicine ( )” ENERGY.GOV / Public domain (cropped)
- Manipulating objects on a mesh with airborne ultrasound: “Levitación acústica” Richard Haberkern / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Haptic feedback that amplifies ultrasound force with a lever: “40kHz ultrasonic transducer” DMGualtieri / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Two-dimensional measurement of airborne ultrasound with thermal imaging: “Infrared camera at LAAS (FDLS” Guillaume Paumier (user:guillom) / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Controlling the 3D position of lightweight objects: “Acoustophoretic Volumetric Display” Tatsuki Fushimi / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (身体情報学研究室
（稲見・門内） ): “VR headset with smartphone and stereoscopy image” Bert Niehaus / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) - Related lab (コンピューティングシステム研究室
（中村・高瀬） ): “Pleiades two row” NASA Ames Research Center / Public domain (cropped) - Related lab (情報フォトニクス研究室): “Detail of a Micropositioner on a Optical Table” Tobin from Rochester, NY, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (物理情報計測・逆問題研究室): “Magnetic field around wire” Maciej J. Mrowinski / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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