A study of thermal sensation with visuo-thermal projection interfaces

In this study, we propose a visuo-thermal projection interface to provide a visible image and a thermal sensation with a distant user for tele-communication. Most previous systems providing a thermal sensation to a user require him/her to touch special devices. On the other hand, our proposed system consists of a visible light projector and a far-infrared light projector, which can simultaneously provide both visual and thermal information on a user's body without requiring him/her to touch such devices. We built a prototype system, and investigated how the thermal sensation of a user was affected by an overlapped visible image through psychophysical experiments.