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Making it easier to design interactions between agents and humans is essential for realizing multi-agent simulations of social phenomena such as group dynamics. To realize large-scale social simulations, we have developed the scenario description languages Q and IPC (Interaction Pattern Card); they enable experts in the application domain (often not computing professionals) to easily create complex scenarios. We have also established a four-step process for creating scenarios: 1) defining a vocabulary, 2) describing scenarios, 3) extracting interaction patterns, and 4) integrating real and virtual experiments. In order to validate the scenario description languages and the four-step process, we ran a series of evacuation simulations based on the proposed languages and process. We successfully double-check the result of the previous controlled experiment done in a real environment.

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The alteration of hair surface properties due to hair damage results in a coarse texture for tactile feeling. The relationship between the surface properties of hair and the recognition of hair damage was investigated using unique artificial hair surface model plates engraved with an excimer laser. Four model plates that specifically represent normal and damaged states of hair were utilized for these experiments. The relative tactile feeling for the degree of hair damage of the 4 plates was evaluated by volunteers (n=10) who touched and rubbed the plates with their fingers. Simultaneously, the coefficient of dynamic friction of their fingers against the plates was measured by recording the normal and frictional forces which indicated that the plate with a wider area of artificial cuticle structure was recognized as damaged hair. Further, an irregular pattern of height and width in the cuticle structure influenced the perception of hair damage. As the friction of the fingers against the plates increased, the tactile feeling of each plate became more coarse in texture. In contrast, not all the tests of friction measured corresponded exactly with the results mentioned above. These results show that the recognition of hair damage depends on a wider cuticle and on an irregular order of cuticle structure (both in width and in height).

Both the piezoelectric tactile sensor and the load cell could measure the softness of silicone rubber samples, but the piezoelectric tactile sensor was more sensitive than the load cell when the reaction force of the measured sample was under 100 mN in response to a 2-mm indentation. For human skin in vivo, transepidermal water loss and skin conductance were significantly changed after tape-stripping, confirming removal of the stratum corneum. The piezoelectric tactile sensor detected a significant change after tape-stripping, whereas the load cell did not. Thus, the piezoelectric tactile sensor can detect changes of mechanical properties at the skin surface. The load cell data were in agreement with Cutometer measurements, which showed no change in representative skin elasticity parameters after tape-stripping. These results indicate that our sensor can simultaneously measure the mechanical properties of the superficial skin layer and whole skin.