[Objective] According to the WHO, about 80% of visually impaired persons in the world are with low visual capacity. It is considered that LVs' safe independent mobility will be improved as employing Tactile Walking Surface Indicators (TWSIs). This research is to conduct a verificational measurement of visibility on TWSIs and prove the effectiveness of the luminance contrast ratio between TWSIs and adjacent surface and the color of TWSIs that were regarded as giving good visibility in the other scientific experiments we made. [Main content of paper] 63 LV subjects who had the various standard examination of their medical characteristics participated in this study. We chose Yellow (5Y8/10) that was regarded desirable as the color of TWSI in our other experiment result of color identification characteristic. We used the three kinds of luminance contrast which have 10%, 20% and 30% of Michelson contrast between TWSIs and adjacent surfaces. We installed the two kinds of experimental TWSIs and the experimental adjacent surface with the color of light grey (N8). One of the two TWSIs, with 30cm by 120 cm, was installed parallel to the walking direction of the subjects and another, with 60cm by 150cm, was installed vertical to the walking direction. The three kinds of illuminance, 5, 10, 500 lux were used to cover twilight (mesopic) vision and daylight (photopic) vision at the measuring. Identification characteristics were measured at the distance of 10m from TWSIs and the visibility was measured at the distance of 2m from the TWSIs on each combination of the luminance contrast and the illumination. [Result] As a result of analysis, it was confirmed that the identification characteristics and the visibility were superior when illumination was brighter and when the luminance contrast between the TWSI for measurement and the adjacent surface was higher. Above all, the combination of 500 lux and 30% luminance contrast was the best. There was no big difference with regard to the direction of installing the TWSIs. [Conclusion] We can estimate that it is possible to improve the identification characteristics and the visibility of TWSIs by making the illumination brighter and making the luminance contrast between the TWSI and the adjacent surface higher.

We have succeeded in one-step synthesis of an efficient binding-inhibitor for influenza virus, which is composed of only sugar chains. This binding-inhibitor utilizes the carbohydrate recognition of influenza virus, thus it can prevent the virus from infection. We modified chitosan with multiple sialyl saccharides, α2,6-sialyllactose or free sialyl glycan, using reductive amination reaction. The resulting inhibitors showed sufficient inhibitory activity against influenza virus infection in MDCK cells compared to that of α2,6-sialyllactose or free sialyl glycan. Unlike the other binding-inhibitors of influenza virus, this virus inhibitor of sugar chains requires only one step in its synthesis. Therefore this inhibitor is suitable for use in products such as filters and masks.

It is very much beneficial to create visually suitable environment for persons with low visual capacity And it would improve the quality of life (QOL) for them Therefore we were trying to study some aspects of color perception of those people by measuring color hue recognizability by illuminance difference As a result, we confirmed that yellowish colors are highly recognizable regardless of illuminance level

Since about 90% of the vision impaired in Japan are said to have low visual capacity (hereafter referred to as "LVs"), Tactile Walking Surface Indicator's("TWSIs") visual recognizability has great significance. For color conspicuity, sufficient data on LVs is not yet collected, while the data on people with on vision impairment are ready. In order to study proper TWSI colors, based on scientific-evidence and independent from conventional wisdom, we created a system to measure the conspicuity focusing exclusively on colors. In conclusion the system's usability to measure color conspicuity for LVs was verified.

This paper describes identifying Tactile Walking Surface Indicators (TWSIs) with a white cane using an accelerometer. The vibration was examined by using an actual dot block. The effectiveness of the white cane was verified by examining the relation between the vibration and psychological strength. The experiment result revealed that there is no correlation between the psychological distance and the frequency spectrum.

The purpose of our study was to contribute to efficient and safe independent mobility of persons with low visual capacity by improving the visibility of Tactile Walking Surface Indicators For this purpose, we measured color perception of persons with low visual capacity using the method of measuring color conspicuity and studied proper color for Tactile Walking Surface Indicators As a result, yellow had very high conspicuity on the dark background, and red (5R4/14) and yellow-red (10R5/14) were the most conspicuous on the dark background

In this study, the proof experiment of the pattern which combined the colors of the brightness contrast value judged to be able to improve the visibility of the Tactile Walking Surface Indicator (hereafter referred to as "TWSI") to verify the visibility in the state actually constructed on the floor side was done. The illuminance confirmed the visibility of the TWSI (discriminability) under the twilight vision (5lux), the pavement illumination environment (10lux) at nighttime, and photopic vision (500lux) environment about the TWSI set up on the palette of the floor side replacement device. It became the result of verifying the result of a current brightness contrast experiment and the color characteristic measurement experiment from the result of these proof experiments.

Since about 90% of the vision impaired in Japan are said to have low visual capacity (hereafter referred to as "LVs"), Tactile walking Surface Indicator's visual recognizability has great significance. For color conspicuity, sufficient data on LVs is not yet collected, while the data on people with no vision impairment are ready. In order to study proper TWSI colors, based on scientific-evidence and independent from conventional wisdom, we created a system to measure the conspicuity focusing exclusively on colors. In conclusion the system's usability to measure color conspicuity for LVs was verified.

In Japan, it is reported about 90% of the persons with visual impairment are the persons with low visual capability. However, the database of the low visual capability and the standard about the easily comprehensible visual information presentation are not existed yet. Therefore, the categories of colour similarity of the persons with low visual capability are measured. However, measuring various colour combinations is placing a burden on the object person. Therefore, in this research, development of the categories of colour similarity estimation algorithm is proposed. Applying the generalization capability of the artificial neural network, the distribution of the categories of colour similarity will be obtained from the limited colour combination measures.

Since about 90% of the vision impaired in Japan are said to have low visual capacity (hereafter referred to as "LVs"), TWSIs visual recognizability has great significance. For color conspicuity, sufficient data on LVs is not yet collected, while the data on people with no vision impairment are ready. In order to study proper TWSIs colors, based on scientific-evidence and independent from conventional wisdom, we created a system to measure the conspicuity focusing exclusively on colors. In conclusion the system's usability to measure color conspicuity for LVs was verified.

In Japan, a research project was carried out with blind subjects from 1996 and 2000 in order to standardize Tactile Walking Surface Indicators (TWSI's) patterns. As a result of the project, JIS T 9251 "Dimensions and patterns of raised parts of tactile walking surface indicators for blind persons" instituted in 2001. However, the JIS T 9251 concerns only Foot-sole for many reasons, and does not take into consideration the usage of white canes. Detection and recognition of TWSI's by white cane are important for safe movement of blind persons, and ensuring of these is required.This research has been conducted to measure the ease of detection and recognition of TWSI's by white cane, based on the systematic research from 1996 to 2000. Our results proved that the white cane can easily detect 5 mmhigh JIS blocks and this analysis system has the scientific grounds.

Tactile Walking Surface Indicators (TWSIs) are widely used for help visually impaired persons move both indoors and outdoors. Individuals with weak vision are said to account for some 90% of the population of the persons with vision impairments. The clear identification of TWSIs is essential to the safety and comfortable navigation of individuals of persons with vision impairments. This study was visibility of Tactile Walking Surface Indicators with Low Vision.

To select subjects for study on visibility of Tactile Walking Surface Indicator, we measured LVs' medical conditions at hospital's department of ophthalmology and also checked them by using psychological checklist. We introduce how we did our medical characteristics measurement and the checking of subjects.

The riding comfort of manual wheelchairs is greatly influenced by tactile walking surface indicators (TWSIs) that are usually set on sidewalks for visually impaired person. The goal of our research is to understand how block patterns and their vertical vibrations influence the ride of manual wheelchairs. This paper also presents a system that easily measures the vibration characteristic of the walking frame. Using various tactile walking surface indicators as a rugged path, this system measured the vibration when using various walking frames. This paper, therefore, considers the vibration influence of TWSIs on wheelchairs with and without suspension equipped wheels and various walking frames

This paper presents a system which simply measures the vibration characteristic of the walker. The vibration of a ruggedness road was measured with various walking frame. This system used various tactile walking surface indicators as a ruggedness road. This paper has been considered about the influence of the vibration characteristic of various walking frames.

The ride comfort of manual wheelchairs is much influenced by Tactile Walking Surface Indicators (TWSIs) that are usually set on sidewalks. The goal of our research is to understand how the ride of manual wheelchairs is influenced by block patterns and their vertical vibrations.