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and fine skin. People read topics and listen to music while in half-body bathing or
bathing with mist generators, which can also make sauna baths. In spite of these
advanced bathroom situations and environments in Japan, it is important to note that
the systems introduced in this chapter can make bathing a more entertaining expe-
rience. The common grounds of these systems are the embedded sensors and the
provision of interactivity with entertainment while in the bathroom. The embedded
sensors have two benefits. The first is that sensors do not hinder the normal cleaning
of the bathroom and/or bathtub. The second is that it is a smart environment with
many kinds of software applications, including entertainment for various persons,
from children to elderly people. This embedded and smart environment realizes one
of the concepts of the Ubiquitous Computing Environment (Weiser
1991
). Bathonify
uses the built-in water pressure sensor of the external water heater, and an ECG sen-
sor. Fully-automatic water heaters are already widespread in Japan and all have a
water pressure sensor. The ECG sensor unit also exists as an extension unit for some
external water heaters. Thus, the practicability of this system does not depend on
hardware, but rather on the software and the network to carry out signal processing,
play sounds, and download additional sound sets. TubTouch and Bathcratch need to
embed touch sensors and a piezo sensor as a contact microphone into the inside edge
of the bathtub. As stated above, most bathtubs in Japan have a removable side panel.
Optional equipment, such as a whirlpool and an ECG sensor unit, can be installed
inside the bathtub at the side. The picture on the left side of Fig.
6.8
shows a bathtub
with its side panel removed, installed capacitive touch sensor unit, and red lines as
sensor electrodes. Piezo sensors can also be easily installed in this space. Thus, it
is already possible to install these sensors in existing bathtubs. The most difficult
part of the system may be installation of the video projector in the ceiling. However,
pico-projectors are presently undergoing remarkable development and a waterproof
version that can easily be installed in the ceiling will be released soon. Consequently,
these systems may soon be released as practical entertainment systems.
The systems described in this chapter will bring interactivity while bathing and
utilize a bather's actions and/or vital signs. Bathers need active interaction to use
TubTouch and its applications and Bathcratch. These applications facilitate extraor-
dinary bathing activities and entertainment, so it is envisioned that they will be used
by bathers who would like to have fun. Bathonify, on the other hand, can be used
with both active interaction and passive interaction. Some bathers may have fun with
the interactive sonification of some sound sets using active motions, whereas others
may not pay extra attention to the interactive sounds but hear the sounds produced
by their vital signs passively. Bathers who dislike sounds while bathing can have
the sounds conveyed to another place, such as the kitchen in the home or a remote
location where a relative is, while experiencing silence from the system in the actual
bathroom. Hence, Bathonify is useful both explicitly and implicitly.
These novel interaction and entertainment systems, which can be used actively or
passively, explicitly or implicitly, improve QoL with bathers' selections.
