Development and Evaluation of a Pen Type Thermal Sensation Presentation Device for SPIDAR-Tablet

Abstract

It is thought that anyone can get high learning effect anywhere by VR learning with tablet device. In this study, we focused on the field of thermodynamics having difficulties in understanding the basic logical structure　for high school students. The purpose is to assist understanding of thermodynamic principles by simulating and visualizing the invisible phenomena with VR. We developed a system for controlling the temperature of a pen type thermal sensation presentation device and implemented it on SPIDAR-tablet using iPad. And we constructed an experimental simulation content of thermodynamics with a piston and a cylinder. It presents the pressure and the temperature of the gas in the cylinder as the force and the thermal sensation respectively. Then, we conducted an experiment to investigate the effects of presenting the sensations on adiabatic change simulation of thermodynamics. Many participants felt easier to imagine the principle of it when presenting both the force and the thermal sensation than when presenting only the force sensation. Therefore, it is considered that the understanding of the principle was improved by presenting the thermal sense. However, there were many opinions that they could not feel the enough change in the force.