Kawaii Engineering: Measurements, Evaluations, and Applications of Attractiveness

"Kawaii" is a Japanese word that denotes "cute," "lovable," or "charming" although it does not have exactly the same meaning as those adjectives. This book proposes engineering methodologies for systematic measurement of the affective perception of kawaii, by using virtual reality and biological signals, and discusses the effectiveness of kawaii engineering for designing industrial products and services. Kawaii can draw sympathy from people and can embody a special kind of cute design, which reduces fear and makes dull information more acceptable and appealing.

Following the introduction of the background of kawaii engineering in Chapter 1, Chapters 2 and 3 describe experiments on the systematic measurement and evaluation methods for kawaii products and affective evaluation experiments. Chapter 4 proposes a mathematical model to identify the physical attributes that determine kawaii in motion. Chapters 5 and 6 explain research that uses biological signals and eye-tracking. After a brief survey of psychological research on kawaii and cuteness in Chapter 7, Chapters 8 and 9 introduce the use of spoons designed to stimulate the appetite of the elderly and the practical implementation of an emotion-driven camera. Chapters 10-14 explain experimental research that examines kawaii perception of people from various cultural backgrounds.

Kawaii Engineering will appeal to those who work on affective computing, product design, user experience design, virtual reality, and biological signals.

Michiko Ohkura has been a professor at the Shibaura Institute of Technology since 1999. Formerly, she worked at the Central Research Laboratory of Hitachi Ltd., and at other companies. She is a fellow of the Virtual Reality Society of Japan, a vice president of the Japan Society of Kansei Engineering, and a member of the Science Council of Japan. She is also a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Association for the Advancement of Affective Computing (AAAC). Her research interests include interaction design, biological signals, and mathematical models especially from an affective point of view.