biography

Summary

Yuichi HIROI is a researcher focusing on Augmented Reality (AR), near-eye display technologies, vision augmentation, and personalized visual experiences. His background as a freelance motion graphics designer has driven his passion for creating unprecedented visual experiences that transcend conventional display boundaries.

His research began with bridging the gap between intended and perceived visual expression, leading to occlusion-capable Optical See-Through Head-Mounted Displays (OST-HMDs) that enable precise modulation of real-world light for more natural AR experiences.

Understanding that individual differences in visual perception affect user experience, he developed an interest in personalized vision augmentation, integrating direct eye measurements with HMDs and adaptive systems that cater to individual visual preferences.

Currently, Yuichi is a Senior Research Scientist at Cluster Metaverse Lab and a visiting researcher at Jun Rekimoto Lab, the University of Tokyo. His mission is to bridge the ideal and real worlds through VR/AR technologies, enhancing cognitive experiences by integrating cyber and physical spaces, with a focus on visual perception.

Profile

Name Yuichi HIROI (廣井 裕一)
Title Senior Research Scientist at Cluster Metaverse Lab
Email y.hiroi {at} cluster.mu
Website https://yhiroi.github.io/
Scholor _ICkxzkAAAAJ
Research Interests Augmented Reality (AR), Optical See-Through Head-Mounted Displays (OST-HMDs), Realistic Visual Appearance Reproduction, Vision Measurement, Vision Augmentation
Location FORECAST Gotanda WEST 10F, 8-9-5, Nishigotanda, Shinagawa, Tokyo 141-0031, Japan

Work Experience

  • 2023.07 -

    Tokyo, Japan

    Senior Research Scientist
    Cluster Metaverse Lab, Cluster Inc.
    • In addition to ongoing AR display research, I am engaged in research on accelerating spatial design and experiential creativity within metaverse platforms, personalized metaverse experiences, and translating behavioral analysis of metaverse spaces into real-world applications.
  • 2023.07 -

    Tokyo, Japan

    Visiting Researcher
    The University of Tokyo / Advisor: Jun Rekimoto
    • Collaborate on research related to AR displays and vision augmentation.
  • 2022.04 - 2023.06

    Tokyo, Japan

    JSPS Research Fellow (PD)
    The University of Tokyo / Advisor: Jun Rekimoto
    • Research on AR displays and vision augmentation systems.
  • 2021.06 - 2023.06

    Kyoto, Japan

    Non-full-time Researcher
    Sony Computer Science Laboratories Kyoto / Advisor: Jun Rekimoto
    • Research on rendering 3D objects with high visual fidelity in AR displays using neural rendering.
  • 2022.12 - 2023.01
    2019.11 - 2020.01

    Otago, New Zealand

    Visiting Researcher
    University of Otago / Advisor: Tobias Langlotz
    • Engage in international collaborative research exchanges on vision augmentation systems based on personal visual measurements.
  • 2019.04 - 2022.03

    Tokyo, Japan

    JSPS Research Fellow (DC2)
    Tokyo Institute of Technology / Advisor: Yuta Itoh
    • Conducting doctoral research on AR displays, developing vision augmentation systems, researching optical see-through displays integrating light measurement and modulation
  • 2019.01 - 2020.03

    Yokohama, Japan

    Project Researcher
    Keio University / Advisor: Maki Sugimoto
  • 2017.04 - 2018.12

    Yokosuka, Japan

    Full-time Researcher
    NTT Service Evolution Laboratory
    • As part of the ultra-immersive communication technology 'Kirari!', I conducted research on person and object tracking systems in sports movements and on video generation technologies from arbitrary viewpoints.

Academic Service

  • Workshop Organizer
  • Program Committies
    • IEEE VR (2025)
    • IEEE ISMAR (2024)
    • ICAT-EGVE (2024)
    • APMAR (2024)
  • Academic Society Committee
    • Virtual Reality Society Japan (VRSJ), SIG-MR Committee (2023-)
  • Journal Reviewer
    • IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (2024)
    • OPTICA Applied Optics (2023)
    • OPTICA Optics Express (2021)
    • Journal of the Virtual Reality Society of Japan (2023)
  • Conference Reviewer
    • IEEE VR (2023 - 2024)
    • IEEE ISMAR (2023 - 2024)
    • ACM VRST (2024)
    • ACM SUI (2023 - 2024)
    • ACM CHI (2023)
    • ICAT-EGVE (2024)
    • APMAR (2024)
    • SIGGRAPH Asia E-Tech (2024)

Honors and Awards

  • 2024.08
    Best Paper Honorable Mention, IEEE VR 2024
    • H. Aoki, T. Tochimoto, Y. Hiroi, Y. Itoh, “Towards Co-operative Beaming Displays: Dual Steering Projectors for Extended Projection Volume and Head Orientation Range”
  • 2024.03
    1st Place in SIGGRAPH 2024 Student Research Competition for Undergraduate Work
    • S. Hattori, Y. Hiroi, T. Hiraki, “Measurement of the Imperceptible Threshold for Color Vibration Pairs Selected by using MacAdam Ellipse”
  • 2023.07
    Japan's Leading Optics Research in 2022 (Top 30), Optical Society of Japan
    • Y. Hiroi, K. Someya, Y. Itoh, “Neural Distortion Fields for Spatial Calibration of Wide Field-of-View Near-Eye Displays”
  • 2023.03
    Best Poster Honorable Mention, Augmented Humans 2023
    • Y. Koike, Y. Hiroi, Y. Itoh, J. Rekimoto. 2023. “Brain-Computer Interface using Directional Auditory Perception”
  • 2019.3
    SIG-MR Award, Virtual Reality Society Japan (VRSJ)
    • T. Hamasaki, Y. Itoh, Y. Hiroi, D. Iwai, M. Sugimoto, "HySAR: Hybrid Material Rendering by an Optical See-Through Head-Mounted Display with Spatial Augmented Reality Projection”
  • 2017
    Best Paper 3rd Place, Augmented Human 2017
    • Y. Hiroi, Y. Itoh, T. Hamasaki, M. Sugimoto, “AdaptiVisor: Assisting Eye Adaptation via Occlusive Optical See-Through Head-Mounted Displays”
  • 2014
    CG-ARTS Award, Japan Computer Graphics Arts Society
    • For excellent grades in the Expert Certification Test (CG Engineer Experts and Image Processing Engineer Experts)

Grants

  • 2024.02 - 2027.03
    (active)
    (Co-PI) JST ASPIRE for Rising Scientists
    • Project: "Seamless Reality: A Technological Foundation for Merging Cyber-Physical Spaces through Real-World-Oriented Avatars"
    • PI: Yuta Itoh, The University of Tokyo
    • Co-PI
      • Takefumi Hiraki, University of Tsukuba
      • Yuichi Hiroi, Cluster Metaverse Lab
    • International Collaborators
  • 2024.09 - 2027.03
    (active)
    (Co-PI) JSPS KAKENHI for the Promotion of Joint International Research
    • Project: "Unobtrusive Augmented Reality Visual Guidance with Visual Modality Modulation"
    • PI: Yuta Itoh, The University of Tokyo
    • Co-PI
      • Takefumi Hiraki, Cluster Metaverse Lab
      • Yuichi Hiroi, Cluster Metaverse Lab
    • International Collaborators
  • 2023.04 - 2026.03
    (active)
    (PI) JSPS KAKENHI for Early-Career Scientists
    • Project: "Spatial Calibration of Head-Mounted Displays Based on Implicit Function Representation of Light Fields Using Deep Learning"
  • 2022.04 - 2025.03
    (active)
    (PI) JSPS KAKENHI for JSPS Research Fellow (PD)
    • Project: "Low-latency Vision Augmentation Integrating High-Speed Human and Environmental Measurements with Field-of-View Prediction"
  • 2019.04 - 2022.03
    (PI) JSPS KAKENHI for JSPS Research Fellow (DC2)
    • Project: "Visual Appearance Reproduction by Optical See-Through Head-Mounted Displays based on Measurement and Modulation of Lights"

Education

  • 2019 - 2022

    Tokyo, Japan

    Ph.D. in Engineering
    Tokyo Institute of Technology / Supervisor: Yuta Itoh
    • Title: "Realistic Appearance Reproduction by Optical See-Through Head-Mounted Display based on Light Measurement and Modulation"
  • 2015 - 2017

    Yokohama, Japan

    M. Eng.
    Keio University / Supervisor: Maki Sugimoto
    • Title: "Manipulation of Visual Appearance of Materials by Combination of Projection and Optical See-Through Displays"

Teaching

  • 2020-04 - 2020-07
    Teaching Assistant on Augmented Reality (CSC.T439)
    Tokyo Institute of Technology
    • Implemented code, created teaching materials and supported the class for MEng/Ph.D. students to develop applications with full-scratch implementation of AR markers using Processing, OpenGL and OpenCV.
  • 2015-09 - 2016-03
    Teaching Assistant on Experiments in Information Engineering II
    Keio University
    • Implemented code, created teaching materials and supported the class for Bachelor 3rd students to develop 3D AR applications with Unity and PlayStation Move Controller.

Patents

  • US Patent: Registered
    • Y. Ishii, K. Hidaka, Y. Tonomura, T. Tokunaga, Y. Hiroi, 'Object tracking device, object tracking method, and object tracking program', Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp, 2022-07-26. US11398049
    • Y. Hiroi, Y. Ishii, T. Tokunaga, Y. Tonomura, K. Hidaka, 'Object tracker, object tracking method, and computer program', Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp, 2022-02-22. US11257224
  • US Patent: Pending
    • C. W. Ooi, Y. Hiroi, Y. Itoh, 'An Occlusion-Capable Optical See-Through Head-Mounted Display', The University of Tokyo, 2023-03-10. US63/489,502
  • Japanese Patent: Registered
    • Y. Hiroi, Y. Ishii, T. Tokunaga, Y. Tonomura, K. Hidaka, 'Object tracker, object tracking method, and computer program', Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp, 2021-03-10. No. 6850751
    • Y. Ishii, K. Hidaka, Y. Tonomura, T. Tokunaga, Y. Hiroi, 'Object tracking device, object tracking method, and object tracking program', Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp, 2020-11-11. No. 6793151
  • Japanese Patent: Pending
    • Y. Hiroi, T. Hiraki, 'Information Processing Equipment, Information Processing Methods, and Programs', Cluster Inc., 2024-03-12. Appl. No. 2024-037967