InflatableBots

We propose InflatableBots, shape-changing inflatable robots for large-scale encountered-type haptics in cyber/virtual space. Our approach combines mobile robots with fan-based inflatable structures. This enables safe, scalable, and deployable haptic interactions on a large scale. Multiple inflatable mobile robots can be coordinated, each of which consists of an omni-directional mobile base and a reel-based inflatable structure. The robot can simultaneously change its height and position rapidly.

---

Publication

International

• Ryota Gomi, Ryo Suzuki, Kazuki Takashima, Kazuyuki Fujita, Yoshifumi Kitamura, InflatableBots: Inflatable Shape-Changing Mobile Robots for Large-Scale Encountered-Type Haptics in VR, Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’24), Article No. 423, pp. 1-14, May 2024