Co-Thinking Device for Simultaneous Support of Human Cognitive and Physical Functions

In this paper, we propose a novel system in which a human and a device work in unison on a single task with the aim to simultaneously support human cognitive and physical functions. In this system, the cognitive and physical burdens of the task are shared between the human and device, with the human understanding the entire task and performing rough upstream actions. Additionally, the device understands the surrounding environment, objects, and the human and executes detailed downstream actions. A prototype device was developed to assist in solving silhouette puzzles that abstract and generalize cognitive and physical tasks. The prototype is a pen-shaped device held in the user’s hand. The device picks up puzzle pieces and rotates them to the appropriate position. A display is placed in front of the user and provides feedback information for communication between the system and user. Experiments showed that the proposed device reduced the time required to solve these puzzles. Furthermore, the work was found to be accurate with no errors, and the time required was stable with no irregularities. The subjective evaluation results using the NASA Task Load Index showed that the proposed system can decrease mental load and burden. Moreover, it was confirmed that the human and device must communicate with each other to work simultaneously on one task. In conclusion, the proposed device can support human cognitive and physical functions simultaneously.