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Research paper : A secure and reliable next generation mobility (Y. Satoh et al.)−118−Synthesiology - English edition Vol.2 No.2 (2009) Discussion with Reviewers1 Goal setting and scenario leading up to the goalQuestion and Comment (Motoyuki Akamatsu, Institute for Human Science and Biomedical Engineering, AIST)It is written in chapter 2 that this R&D is not limited to electric wheelchairs, but the goal is to develop new personal mobility, as you mentioned in the title. However, the scenario and technologies described after chapter 3 talk only from the perspective of application to wheelchairs. Of the functions obtained by integrating elements, please state clearly which were the functions you sought to achieve for this new personal mobility.Question and Comment (Koh Naito, Center for Service Research, AIST)The technologies described in the paper can be applied to things other than electric wheelchairs, and this point has been expressed in chapter 2 as well as in the title. On the other hand, the paper describes the development of various elemental technologies, their integration process, and evaluation results as Type 1 Basic Research, centering on the development of the prototype electric wheelchair. Please add your ideas of personal mobility society that may be constructed as this research result diffuse further, the scenario leading up to such achievements, and the technological issues that must be overcome.Answer (Yutaka Satoh)As you mentioned, it was unclear which of the functions among those obtained by integration of the elements were aimed at a new personal mobility. Therefore, we added in chapters 1 and 2 that the relevant points are: we are assuming the level of mobility for electric wheelchair running amidst pedestrians in indoor and outdoor spaces; and to achieve such a mobility, the “functions to quickly and accurately sense the surrounding environment and to appropriately detect the risk from the information obtained” are necessary to prevent collision with pedestrians or obstacles or to prevent fall at level differences and stairs.Since the research was basically conducted to increase the performance of an electric wheelchair, “improvement of QOL for the elderly and the physically disabled” was an important theme from which we could not stray, and the flow of the paper emphasizes this theme. On the other hand, viewed in simple technical terms, “an electric wheelchair is a chair attached to a motor-driven cart that can be ridden by a person,” we can reset the concept of a conventional electric wheelchair, and consider it as a form of new personal mobility (therefore, the exterior was designed to look different from traditional wheelchairs). We hope this may result in attracting a wider range of users, and may solve the problem of the market for electric wheelchairs. Perhaps there was a problem in mixing the QOL element and the new personal mobility element in the same text flow.This idea has received support from the wheelchair users and the researchers at the National Rehabilitation Center for People with Disabilities, who are the counterparts of this research, and we added some comments in section 5.2. On the other hand, for the realization of new mobility, it is insufficient simply to introduce safety technology to vehicles such as electric wheelchairs, and there are mountains of issues that must be solved such as infrastructure and rules and regulations. This point was added to chapter 6.[7][8][9][10][11][12](SSII03) (Collection of Presentations of the Symposium on Sensing via Image Information (SSII03)), 311-316 (2003) (in Japanese).S. Shimizu, K. Yamamoto, C. Wang, Y. Satoh, H. Tanahashi and Y. Niwa: Moving obstacle detection by mobile Stereo Omni-directional System (SOS) using spherical depth image, Pattern Analysis & Applications (2005).Y. Yagi, S. Kawato and S. Tsuji: Real-time omnidirectional image sensor (COPIS) for vision-guided navigation, IEEE Trans. Robotics and Automation, 10(1), 11-22 (1994).J. Kurata, K. T. V. Grattan and H. Uchiyama: Navigation system for a mobile robot with a visual sensor using a fish-eye lens, Review of Scientific Instruments, 69, Issue 2, 585-590 (1998).C. Mandel, K. Huebner and T. Vierhuff: Towards an autonomous wheelchair: Cognitive aspects in service robotics, Proc. Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems (TAROS2005), 165-172 (2005).Y. Satoh and K. Sakaue: An omni-directional stereo vision-based smart wheelchair, EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing, 2007, Article ID 87646, 11 (2007).Y. Satoh, T. Ozaki and K. Sakaue: Development of an Intelligent Wheelchair based on Stereo-vision Camera coupled with a Near-infrared Pattern Projector, Shin Gaku Giho (PRMU2008-106) (IEICE Technical Report (PRMU2008-106)), 108(263), 103-106 (2008) (in Japanese).AuthorsYutaka SatohCompleted the doctorate course at the Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University in 2001. Worked as senior specialist researcher of the Human and Object Interaction Processing (HOIP) Project, Softopia Japan, and developed the stereo omni-directional camera. Currently researcher at the Information Technology Research Institute, AIST, where he engages in research for applying the stereo omni-directional camera to support physically disabled people. Also engages in research on robust pattern matching, and has done product realization of automatic human detection using a surveillance camera. Associate professor of Graduate School, University of Tsukuba (Cooperation Program between AIST and Graduate Schools). Doctor (Engineering). In this paper, worked on research planning, system design and implementation, and experiment/discussion.Katsuhiko SakaueCompleted the doctorate course at the School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo in 1981. Joined the Electrotechnical Laboratory in 1981, and has steadily studied image processing and its real world application. Participated in R&D for the real world intelligence technology in the RWC (Real World Computing) Project, and developed support technology for safety and comfort of the physically disabled people. Currently, senior researcher of the Information Technology Research Institute, AIST. Professor of Graduate School of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba (Cooperation Program between AIST and Graduate Schools). Winner of Academic Encouragement Award, the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE) in 1979; Best Paper Award, Information Processing Society of Japan; and Fellow of International Association of Pattern Recognition (IAPR) in 2006. Doctor of Engineering. In this paper, worked on the research strategy and overall direction.

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