Smart-Furoshiki: A Sensorized FabricsSupporting Office Activities

Ryo Ohsawa, Masayuki Iwai, Takuya Imaeda, Kei Suzuki,Takuro Yonezawa, Kazunori Takashio and Hideyuki Tokuda

Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252 8520,Japan

{ryo, che, suzuk, takuro, tailor, kaz, hxt}@ht.sfc.keio.ac.jp

ABSTRACTThis paper introduces a novel way that allows non-expert users tocreate smart office. To establish this goal, we have developed asensorized fabrics called “Smart-Furoshiki”, which has a built-incomputer and sensors. Furoshiki is a Japanese traditional cloth thatcan be used universally such as a wrapping, tablecloth, and a cover.The fabric of Smart-Furoshiki can conducts electricity and the sur-face of Smart-Furoshiki can recognize RFID tags. Smart-Furoshikiis light and easy to use and can be used based on cloth specific af-fordance such as laying, covering and hanging. In the conferencewe are planning to show the usage of Smart-Furoshiki in varioussituations.

1. INTRODUCTION

Figure 1: Furoshiki: Japanese traditional cloth

Recent researches propose that computers and sensors are embed-ded in environments such as a room and a office to support humanactivities [5]. The environment is called ubiquitous computing en-vironment. However, it is difficult for users who are unfamiliar tocomputing technology to select and prepare the essential devices,to set it at appropriate positions in the environments, and to createand maintain it. Also, other researches embed non-smart objectssuch as furniture and appliance in computers and sensors to con-vert them into smart objects. For example, there are smart furniture[3] and smart table[8]. But these objects are too big and too heavyfor users to easily set up the environments. Our goal is to developthe technology that enables non-expert users to create smart objectseasily. We propose a novel system called “Smart-Furoshiki” that isa sensorized fabrics for supporting office activities. Furoshiki isa Japanese traditional cloth that can be used universally such asa wrapping, tablecloth, and a cover1. Smart-Furoshiki has somesensors and a tiny computer. Users can easily use Smart-Furoshikiwithout configuring computers, sensors and networks.

2. SYSTEM ARCHITECTUREThe system architecture is described in this section.

Hardware

Figure 2 shows the architecture of Smart-Furoshiki. Smart-Furoshikihas 8 RFID antennas and 8 tags. RFID reader uses 8 antennas ontimesharing system due to avoid the radio wave collisions betweenantennas. The reader is special model Takaya TR3-D002C-8 whichhas 8 antenna channels. Each antenna is made by conductive fab-rics [9] for the purpose of bending it flexibly as shown in Figure2.The material of fabric antenna has special film of metal. It has athickness of 0.125mm. The density is 72g perm2. According tothe tag size, the reading distance is from 0cm to 18cm.

Ant1 Ant3Ant2 Ant4

Ant5 Ant7Ant6 Ant8

RFID-Reader

T1 T2 T3 T4

T5 T6T8T7

Smart-Furoshiki Ti = RFID Tag Flexible Fabric Antenna

Figure 2: Architecture of the Smart-Furoshiki and FlexibleFabric Antenna

The 13.56 MHz tags are stitched into the rag at the center of eachantenna. Every antenna is unified as the cable to the 8 port RFIDreader. The Smart-Furoshiki is separated in to 8 areas, which iscoverage range of RFID antenna. To simplify the explanation, weuserAnt1-Ant8 as the name of antennas andT1-T8 as RFID tags.Ti is placed at the center ofAnt1 and always detected byAnti.

Mechanism of Sape RecognitionWhenAnt1 detectsT4, the shape of Smart-Furoshiki is folded into half as Figure 3. WhenAnt2 detectsT1 andAnt3 detectsT4

simultaneously, the shape of Smart-Furoshiki is folded in to three.In the same way, the detectionT2 from Ant1 means that the shapeis folding into half horizontally. In the case that there are morethan 2 Smart-Furoshikis, We can estimate physical overlapping ofRags by reading the neighbor’s tags. Thus, the Smart-Furoshiki candetects tags’ ID, detected area on it, and physical shape of rag.

fold a rag in half (vertical)

Ant1 Ant2

Ant5 Ant6

Ant1 Ant2

Ant5 Ant6

T3T4

T7T8

fold a rag in three

Ant2 Ant3

Ant6 Ant7

Ant3

Ant7

T4

T8

Ant2

Ant6

T1

T5

Ant1 Ant2 Ant3 Ant4Ant1 Ant2 Ant3 Ant4

T5 T6 T7 T8

fold a rag in half (horizontal)

Figure 3: Mechanism of Self Shape Recognition

3. DEMONSTRATIONTo assume the usage in office environment, We have 3 demonstra-tions based on the affordance of Furoshiki, laying, covering, andhanging.

3.1 Supporting Collaborative Works by Lay-ing Smart-Furoshiki on A Desk

Figure 4: 1: Share directories 2: The music data in CD is copiedto the computer 3:The users can see the movies on the displayputting the movie DVD near the display

The users can lay Smart-Furoshiki on a desk. The Smart-Furoshikisupports cooperation between objects on it. Objects on Smart-Furoshiki are identified by RFID. Figure?? shows it. When com-puters are brought close, those computers share directories eachother. When the users edit the same file on those computers, thechanges are immediately updated on the editors each other (1).Also Smart-Furoshiki supports cooperation between computers andobjects. For example, the users place a music CD near a computer,and the music data in CD is copied to the computer (2). Besides,Smart-Furoshiki supports cooperation between objects. The userscan see the movies on the display putting the movie DVD near thedisplay (3).

3.2 Managing Objects Covered with Smart-Furoshiki

Figure 5: 1: Registering the user’s object 2: Working on thedesk 3: Covering the objects with Smart-Furoshiki

Users can manage the users’ objects covered with Smart-Furoshiki.The scenario is shown in Figure 5. First, the user attaches an RFIDtag to the user’s objects and registers it to Smart-Furoshiki (1).When the user puts the user’s object that is registered before, theuser is authenticated and logs in the PC on the desk. The authen-ticated user can work on the desk like 3-1 scenario (2). When theuser leaves the desk, by covering the objects with Smart-Furoshikithe user visually hides them and logs off the PC (3). When the userwants to uncover the objects hidden by Smart-Furoshiki, the usermust put the user’s object. If a user that is not authenticated un-covers Smart-Furoshiki, itinforms the home security system of thetheft. Also, Smart-Furoshiki reminds a user of the object left be-hind on it. For example, when a user always brings the user’s cellphone, watch and wallet Smart-Furoshiki remembers this practice.The user left the watch behind although the user brought cell phoneand wallet. In this case Smart-Furoshiki warns the user.

3.3 Wall Type Task Schedular using Smart-Furoshiki

Figure 6: 1:Writing memo pad 2:Pinned tasks 3:Timeline vi-wer

The third example is the application to manage users’ tasks. Thescenario is shown in Figure 5. Smart-Furoshiki hangs on a wall.The wall is separated into some areas. The area means the priorityof tasks, such as “Emergency task” and “Pending task”. First, auser writes a memo pad about the user’s task with an electronic pen

that is able to convert handwriting to digital data [6], and pins thatmemo pad to Smart-Furoshiki (1). The application registers a taskcontent written on this memo pad as pinned areas’　 meaning (2).Furthermore, when a user removes the pin, the application deletesthe pinned task. The pinned tasks are shared in the group, andalso the user can check the tasks wherever the user can connect thenetwork. Finally, these task histories are referenced on a PC byTimeline viewer (3). Users can see the task histories, and retrieveongoing tasks easily.

4. RELATED WORKThere is a research that aims to realize a smart carpet that identifiesthings on it[2]. However the size is too large to be used as a table-cloth or a tapestry like Smart-Furoshiki. bYOB developed at MITmedia Lab is a smart bag with embedded sensors [4]. bYOB is builtin antenna of RF reader. Our Smart-Furoshiki is made from a con-ductive textile and can work as the antenna itself. Therefore Smart-Furoshiki is thinner and cheaper than that of bYOB. Other research[1] are also using sensorized fabrics. The aim of these research isto obtain biometrics information at wearable environment. Our re-search target, on the other hand, is supporting collaborative worksat office environment. Electronic Tablecloth made from E-broidery[7] is an electronic conductive textile that can read an RFID tag.However, the usage of it is limited to tablecloth. Smart-Furoshikihas more flexibility.

5. CONCLUSIONWe have developed a rag type smart material called “Smart-Furoshiki”that allows inexperienced users to create smart work surroundings.Smart-Furoshiki can detect objects ID and place using 8 RFID an-tennas which are made from flexible fabrics. Smart-Furoshiki canrecognize the changing its own shape autonomously through com-bination of detecting RFID tags and antennas. To show the utiliza-tion of Smart-Furoshiki for the various purposes at office environ-ment, we implemented demonstrations based on three scenarios.First one is the collaboration between mobile PCs on the layingSmart-Furoshiki. At the second demo by using Smart-Furoshiki forcovering objects, users can keep privacy in easy way. As the thirddemo Smart-Furoshiki, hanged on a wall, helps tasks managementbetween cyber and physical memo papers.

AcknowledgementThis research has been conducted as part of Ubila Project supportedby Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan.

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