Using a table-top display and a controller, a research group from the University of Electro-Communications have enhanced regular spinning top games, adding extra visual, audio and tactile feedback.
With this system, you can speed up your top by placing the handheld controller above it, and when tops hit each other, the impact is transmitted to your hand.
"The tops contain permanent magnets, and the handheld device contains an electromagnet. The principle is the same as that of a motor, but the poles of the coil are switched very fast, without coming into contact with the top. In this way, the magnetic force makes the top spin and move at the same time."
The table-top display shows the position and rotation speed of the tops. These are calculated by using image processing to measure polarized light emitted by the tops at over 2000 fps.
"To track several objects that are moving or spinning very fast, simultaneously in real time, conventional systems use markers and QR codes. But this system doesn't use things like that, so the image processing load is much lighter. This enables the system to track faster objects. We think this technology could have a variety of applications."
"When you spin an actual top, if you touch it, it stops. But you can feel physical phenomena like gyro effects if you place a top on your hand or if you touch it. We think that's really interesting. So we've created this system to sustain that experience, letting you feel the forces in a top without touching it, and experience the interplay of forces.
