emograf
Emotional space DX that expresses emotions

Zhang Yue
チャン ユエ
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Zhang Yue

Green Display Co., Ltd. held a preview event called "Emotional Forest" in Tokyo in June.
The trend of spatial decoration mainly for Christmas was introduced, and "emograf" developed by Nomura was incorporated into the display. There, Green Display and Nomura staff talked about how "emograf" was adopted and their impressions after the preview. They also talked about the potential of "emograf" and its future possibilities.

*emograf
NOMURA GROUP Space DX is planned and produced by NOMLAB, an innovation laboratory of NOMLAB, Inc. that supports wellbeing spaces and activation by reading the smiles of users, analyzing data, and inferring space design emotions. The aim is to create a comfortable space for everyone by using emograf to convert previously unvisualized human reactions into data and apply it to space design, operation, and staging.
NOMURA Co., Ltd. R&D of the "NOMURA": Announcing a spatial DX service that supports wellbeing space and activation through emotional inference | NOMURA Co., Ltd. / NOMURA Co.,Ltd. (nomurakougei.co.jp)

[Interviewer]
Green Display Co., Ltd.https://www.green-display.co.jp/
Akiko Sakamoto, Business Promotion Office​ ​(front row, right) ​ ​Hidetoshi Tanaka, Business Promotion Office​ ​(front row, left)

NOMURA Co., Ltd. Co., Ltd.
​ ​Creative Headquarters Content Integration Center Creative Direction Department Room 3
Designer Hitomi Nakamura​ ​(second from the right in the back row) * Click here for the written article * Click here for the interview article
Creative Headquarters Content Integration Center Digital Planning Department
Planner Zhang Yue​ ​(second from the left in the back row of the photo)
Creative Headquarters Content Integration Center Communication Production Department Concurrent position Future Creation Research Institute NOMLAB
Manager Noboru Sato​ ​(back row, right)
Business Production Headquarters, Architectural Production Department
Designer Naoki Matsuo​ ​(back row, left) *Facilitator / Photographer * Click here for the interview article

A comfortable space display with plants

Matsuo
First, could you tell us about Green Display's business?

Sakamoto:
We are a company that creates spatial displays using plants. We create spaces where people can experience the comfort of having plants in commercial facilities and office spaces, mainly in urban areas.
Since our founding, we have upheld the philosophy of "GREENING," and based on that concept, we have expanded our business with the aim of creating comfortable spaces that surround people. We handle everything from design to construction and maintenance in-house.

Matsuo
Could you please tell us your roles in this exhibition, "Emotional Forest"?

Tanaka
Sakamoto was in charge of overall supervision, including setting the concept for planning the exhibition, and I was in charge of the actual direction.
*For more details, see the article by Green Display Co., Ltd. https://note.com/green_display/n/n36715fbf27af

What is NOMLAB? What is emograf?

Matsuo
How did you discover "emograf"?

Sakamoto:
It's me.

Matsuo
Thank you. The organization working on "emograf" at our company is called NOMLAB.
Mr. Sato, could you give us a brief explanation of NOMLAB?

NOMLAB​ ​https://www.nomlab.jp/jp/​ ​  * Website is scheduled to be renewed around autumn 2024
NOMLAB is a lab that aims to attract new customers with the theme of "digital innovation x space creation." We work with various artists and technologists to tackle digital innovation and creation in space creation.

Sato
We research and develop issues and social issues that we come across in our daily client work, and examine how we can utilize these as our core know-how and core ideas.
Originally the team specialized in digital technology, but starting this year, we are expanding beyond that and aim to utilize technologies from a variety of fields to generate and nurture the seeds of ideas.

Matsuo
Mr. Sato, you've been working on "emograf" for some time now, haven't you?

Sato
Yes. Nakamura, Chan, and I worked together as a team to research how we could turn "emograf" into core know-how and make it useful for a variety of things.
This time, Green Display discovered our product and we were able to exhibit it at the preview. We were very happy that this was a new step for us.

Matsuo
Mr. Sakamoto and Mr. Tanaka, were you aware of NOMLAB?

Sakamoto:
Actually, I've known him for a while.

Sato
Oh really? That makes me happy.

Sakamoto:
I had been thinking about whether I might be able to work with them someday, but several years passed without me being able to find the opportunity...

Sato
I wonder if that's what's connected this time.

Sakamoto:
This time, rather than going through NOMLAB, when I was planning "Emotional Forest", I repeatedly searched for something that I had in mind... and that's how I discovered "emograf".

Matsuo
So, Mr. Chang, could you explain to us what "emograf" is?

Chan
"emograf" is a coined word that combines "emotional" and "graphics," and is a system that focuses on facial expressions and emotions and visualizes them. We have been researching it for over five years, and it works by reading the facial expressions of people in a space in real time and expanding the performance in some way based on that. It can create a fun space that is in tune with the emotions of the visitors. We believe that this is the value of providing "emograf."

How was "emograf" used at the preview, which had the theme of "emotional experience value"?

Matsuo
This preview event incorporates "emograf." Please tell us about the background, theme, and overview of the event.

Sakamoto:
Recently, technology has evolved rapidly, and the world is becoming more and more convenient. On the other hand, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, experiences and memories are becoming more important than material consumption. We wanted to incorporate experiences that would affect people's emotions and feelings, so we started the project with the theme of "emotional experience value." After that, we came across "emograf" when we were searching for a system that could project people's emotions and changes in conjunction with spatial design. We thought, "This is it!" and immediately contacted them.

Tanaka
This is an experiential exhibition based on a picture book, where visitors can relive the emotional changes of the main character in the book. The story was created together with the illustrator who created the main visuals. We developed a spatial presentation to match the story. The story begins with the main character, a rabbit girl, wandering through the forest on her way to the Christmas market from the moon, feeling anxious. A star appears and acts as her guide, allowing her to have various experiences and meet her forest friends. When we were thinking about how we could create an experience that would resonate with the changes in the main character's emotions, such as anxiety, joy, and surprise, we found that the "emograf" system was perfect. Analyzing facial expressions and visualizing them in space - we felt that it was very compatible with our project.

Nakamura
Thank you. I was originally in the film industry and had the opportunity to write scripts. I write scripts while thinking about how to enhance the emotions of those who watch the video, but after coming to NOMURA Co., Ltd., I began to think about how to apply that to space... I wanted to enhance the experience of the space as the script progressed. While searching for a system that could output that, it developed into "emograf," which combines people's facial expressions using digital technology.

Matsuo
So Green Display has now incorporated what Nakamura had in mind when he first started developing "emograf."

Nakamura
Yes, that's exactly right.

Matsuo
As a developer, that must be very pleasing. What was the reaction of visitors and people within your company?

What was the reaction of visitors to the "emograf" display?

Tanaka
The performance changes based on the visitors' facial expressions in real time. I think that the fun of this interactive performance was what impressed the visitors the most. This time, we introduced the "emograf" system in two areas, and not only the visitors but also I was very impressed that "the introduction of emograf creates various experiential values."

Nakamura
As Mr. Sakamoto mentioned earlier, experience is now considered more important than consumption. In this trend, we, as a company that creates spaces, are exploring what kind of experiences we can provide. To be honest, there are still very few opportunities to focus on human emotions and output them. So I'm grateful to have been given this opportunity, and to have received good feedback in the visitor survey.

Chan
In what places can the strengths of "emograf" be utilized? We had been thinking about this for a long time, so we were really happy to hear about this project. Although "emograf" is a project that focuses on spatial design, we thought it could be used in offices and other spaces. In fact, we had been having such discussions within the company throughout last year. We were in the middle of this discussion when we heard about this project, and it was about creating a space that would utilize the best aspects of "emograf," so we were really motivated.

Nakamura
The exhibition had two types of presentation: illumination and scent. Personally, I was very impressed with the illumination.

Sakamoto:
It was well received by our customers. Perhaps the simplicity of expressing it through light was what made it so great.

emograf × twinkly​ ​(illumination production)
​ ​Twinkly | A smart lighting system that can be used anywhere, in any environment, from the exterior walls of large buildings to three-dimensional structures such as Christmas trees
​ ​SEI – Illumina Lighting –Total production of illumination and spatial presentation (illumina-lighting.com)

emograf × Thank You (Aroma Presentation)
Thank You|Patented nano-technology achieves overwhelming spray efficiency. Providing a "high-quality space" that goes beyond likes and dislikes of scents.

Sato
This time, Green Display will be providing fragrance (Thanksgiving) and illumination (Twinkly).
By combining these two systems, many of our in-house creators were saying things like, "emograf seems like it could be used in a lot of different places," and it became a hot topic.

* A performance that combines "emograf" and illumination (twinkly)

Chan
"Emograf" is a space that creates smiles. That is what we are researching. And what kind of benefits do you get from creating smiles? I would like to be able to explain that to my clients.

Nakamura
I would like to continue expanding the range of experiences that can be had using the five senses. For example, I wonder if it would be possible to use "emograf" to learn about the emotions of plants.

Sakamoto:
Oh, I was thinking I'd like to be able to do that too.

Nakamura
I agree. I would love to think about this together with you.

Tanaka
Yes, please.

Nakamura
Thank you. Going back to human emotions, I think that negative moments such as when something bad happens or when you're tired are all connected as emotions. I never want to eliminate or ignore them and focus only on smiles, but I create the best space while understanding that these emotions exist. And my ultimate goal is to create an experience that ultimately leads to smiles.

Chan
It would be great if we could create a space where people can be exposed to a variety of expressions, including negative ones, and ultimately turn to positive smiles.

Sakamoto:
We have been pursuing the benefits of plants, such as liveliness and comfort for people, but it has been difficult to quantify and visualize them, and this has been a long-standing challenge. Listening to everyone's talk, I feel that it would be great if we could visualize this through "emograf" in the future.

A performance combining "emograf" and scent (thank sens)

"How does smiling affect memory?" and what "emograf" can do in the future

Matsuo
I was just thinking, but maybe smiling has the effect of imprinting experiences into the brain. For example, you might recall an experience from a smile, thinking, "I was smiling at that time, but why was that?"

Sato
That may be true. Content that uses "emograf" creates smiles, and those who smile create more smiles around them in a positive cycle. I've always thought it would be great to create such a cycle.

Chan
How does smiling affect memory? In fact, there are many research results on the relationship between smiling and memory, and I have read various papers on the subject. One of them said that smiling strengthens memory.

Matsuo
I would love to know more.

Chan
For example, if you're sitting together like this and you're the only one laughing. At that stage, you're not conscious of it yet, but when everyone bursts out laughing, it seems to leave a strong memory of "that was fun." Smiling strengthens memories and leaves a more positive impression. There is research that shows that it has that effect. Um, this is just an idea... Green Display places greenery and plants plants in offices and other places. I feel like we could use "emograf" to further expand the feelings of the moment when people see those and think, "Wow, that's nice."

Matsuo
I see, that's interesting. By the way, how do you usually explain to your clients why having greenery in the office space is good for people?

Sakamoto:
That's a tricky one. We have customers experience a space with plants in a showroom or somewhere else and feel how comfortable it is. In other words, the easiest way to understand is to let them feel it for themselves, but sometimes we are asked to provide concrete evidence.

Tanaka
In those cases, I prove it in a paper, or explain the optimal green view rate for offices, which has now been released, so I try to get people to understand the benefits of greenery. But to be honest, sometimes I feel like the data doesn't really resonate with people.

Sakamoto:
I thought it would be nice if there was something that could visualize the good points of green and make people say, "Ah, so that's why green is good." I was vaguely thinking about this while listening to everyone's stories.

Matsuo
Data is of course necessary as a resource, but emograf may have great potential as a way to soften hard data.

Sato
I see. This could be a hint for the "emograf" expansion.

Matsuo
I would like to talk more, but our time is up. Thank you all for today.

Text: Shoko Minamoto

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チャン ユエ

Zhang Yue

A planner exploring reflection

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