MR Coral Sea - Mixed Reality Aquarium with Physical MR Displays

Our goal is to establish framework for creating mixed-reality (MR) entertainment for participants including both the players and the audience. MR experience is typically characterized by an immersive FPV experience using a Head-Mounted Display (HMD) in the merged world of physical space and virtual environment. We propose a physical MR display that can mediate real sensation synchronized to the virtual world to enhance the fun of MR experience for an audience joining the place.

MR Coral Sea is an MR aquarium using which a user can play with virtual fish via a Coral Display, which is a physical MR display. In response to hand movements, the virtual fish decides its behavior. The physical MR display augments the real world by the physical feedback from the virtual space in synergy with a basic MR visual experience. The physical effect includes visual, auditory, kinetic and haptic feedback. The sense of smell and taste will be considered for future work. Coral Display has been developed as a case study for the physical MR display. Coral Display comprises multiple Coral Polyp modules and are controlled by a microcomputer.
The system provides three types of experience for players: HMD-based, screen-based, and projection-based MR experience. The players can share the MR space, and the rest of the audience can also enjoy the experience by watching the screen, monitors, and physical space, including Coral Display and images projected onto players’ hands.
MR Coral Sea can be enjoyed by everybody at ease with the physical MR display interface. The aquarium content is also designed to be calming for people of various ages, including small children. This project can be expected to be applied also to many other applications for entertainment or relaxation purpose in various place including medical, nursing, and child care facility.

Toshikazu Ohshima
College Of Image Arts And Sciences, Ritsumeikan University

Chiharu Tanaka
Canon Software, Inc.

Yuma Tanaka
College of Image Arts And Sciences, Ritsumeikan University

Yasuhide Sugimoto
College Of Image Arts And Sciences, Ritsumeikan University

Mayumi Okumura
College Of Image Arts And Sciences, Ritsumeikan University

Atsumi Nagae
College Of Image Arts And Sciences, Ritsumeikan University