Analysis of the Brain Activity at the Chair Design Task with Lego Bricks

Abstract

: This research focused on the design activities, considered as one of the human's Kansei processes. We have examined the effects of constraints on design by cerebral blood flow measurement (using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: NIRS). Subjects were asked to perform chair design based on a single color restriction (Task S) and multicolor restriction (Task M). After the both tasks were achieved, subjects were asked to answer subjective evaluations concerning both tasks. The differences of the Oxy hemoglobin value accompanying the tasks and subjective evaluations were examined. Result: Comparing Task S (considering only modeling) and Task M (considering modeling and color scheme), two channels showed a higher value, and one channel showed a lower value for Task M. Four channels showed a higher value for the task evaluated as "difficult." Two channels showed a lower value for the task evaluated as "satisfying." A significant difference could not be observed between the tasks evaluated as "pleasant" and as "creative." (p < 0.05) These results suggest that the restrictions and some subjective evaluations of design activity could correlate with, and be observed from cerebral blood flow measurement.

Measurement of Brain Activities of Idea Generation (Sketch)

“…The result reveals that the musicians also derived more uses and activated more brain regions in the PFCs, same as the patients. Nagamori et al (2009) measured the brain activities of the undergraduate/graduate students when they work on the following two creative tasks using NIRS apparatus. Task 1 is to select and arrange one or three colors which are fit to the given concept (adjective phrase, such as "cool" and "cute").…”