Component-based robot system design for grasping tasks

The paper presents a robot system design with highly reusable components for a component-based robot system for manipulation tasks. The robot system is designed based on the analysis of manipulation tasks using a unified modeling language use case diagram. For a service robot with locomotion and manipulation mechanisms, reusability of robot system components is improved by adopting the proposed design. Our structure consists of scenario, task, robot information management server, data analyzer, sensor hardware controller, skill, and motion hardware controller on a component-based robot system. Based on the proposed robot system, we implemented a component-based robot system and subsequently realized a grasping motion by a service robot.     

Simulation of a zero-dispersion filter monochromator for image-spectroscopic measurements

I propose a novel filter monochromator for image spectroscopic measurements. An aberration-corrected double monochromator that I reported on previously [Appl. Opt. 36, 7114-7118 (1997)] is modified for use in a zero-dispersion mode. An incident image on the entrance aperture is focused onto an imaging detector attached on the exit focal plane with a spectral bandwidth determined by the width of the intermediate slit. Unlike a conventional interference filter, the spectral bandwidth and its center wavelength are determined arbitrarily while both a low stray-light level and the sharp cutoff characteristics of the wavelength are maintained. To demonstrate the real capabilities, ray-tracing simulations are carried out. I also discuss the problem of wavelength purity in the spectroscopic image.     

Reversible computing and cellular automata—A survey

Reversible computing is a paradigm where computing models are defined so that they reflect physical reversibility, one of the fundamental microscopic physical property of Nature. In this survey/tutorial paper, we discuss how computation can be carried out in a reversible system, how a universal reversible computer can be constructed by reversible logic elements, and how such logic elements are related to reversible physical phenomena. We shall see that, in reversible systems, computation can often be carried out in a very different manner from conventional (i.e., irreversible) computing systems, and even very simple reversible systems or logic elements have computation- or logical-universality. We discuss these problems based on reversible logic elements/circuits, reversible Turing machines, reversible cellular automata, and some other related models of reversible computing.     

Few-shot learning for spatial regression via neural embedding-based Gaussian processes

Machine Learning - We propose a few-shot learning method for spatial regression. Although Gaussian processes (GPs), or kriging, have been successfully used for spatial regression, they require many...     

Surface‐discharge electrode design methods for ACPDPs

Abstract— In order to lower development costs and to shorten development time, small panels, under 10‐in on the diagonal, are used for the experiments to improve the luminous efficiency of plasma‐display panels. However, it is difficult to show the same results as those of large panels, over 40 in. on the diagonal. In this paper, first, we show that the luminous efficiency and the voltage margin of mini‐panels are not obtained with large panels by using an actual 46‐in. PDP. The reason is that the resistance in the large panels is larger than that in the mini panels and the voltage drop in the large panels are larger than in mini‐panels. Therefore, we conclude that the bus electrode width and the transparent electrode width are important factors in the design of large PDPs. Next, we show the technique of designing large panels by using a database obtained from mini‐panels. The estimated cell‐design results show good agreement with an actual 46‐in. PDP in luminous efficiency and minimum sustain voltage. We show that a desired large PDP can be obtained by using the cell design proposed in the present paper.     

Buoyancy engine developed for underwater gliders

A buoyancy engine with a swashplate-type axial piston pump was developed. Its oil extrusion and drawing properties under high hydraulic pressure were evaluated. This buoyancy engine is now installed in an underwater glider that will achieve long-term monitoring of ocean environments up to 2100 m depth in a designated area with lower operational costs. This bidirectionally functioning pump can control the amount of oil in extrusion and draw operations. When drawing oil under high pressure, the hydraulic pump and the electric motor, respectively, act as a hydraulic motor and an electric generator. The generated electric power is absorbed by a damping resistor. The oil-drawing and extrusion properties were measured using a large hyperbaric chamber that is able to produce an almost identical environment to that of actual operations. Results confirmed stable oil extrusion operations up to 21 MPa. Regarding oil-drawing properties, although it was measured only up to 10 MPa in the hyperbaric chamber, it can be inferred that the system can draw the oil and can control the buoyancy precisely up to 21 MPa by replacing the two-way ball valve with an electromagnetic latching solenoid valve.     

Distributed optimal energy consumption control of HEVs under MFG-based speed consensus

This paper investigates a distributed optimal energy consumption control strategy under mean-field game based speed consensus. Large scale vehicles in a traffic flow is targeted instead of individual vehicles, and it is assumed that the propulsion power of vehicles is hybrid electric powertrain. The control scheme is designed in the following two stages. In the first stage, in order to achieve speed consensus, the acceleration control law is designed by applying the MFG (mean-field game) theory. In the second stage, optimal powertrain control for minimizing energy consumption is obtained through coordinate the engine and the motor under the acceleration constraint. The simulation is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.     

ARTS: Accelerated Ray-Tracing System

In this article we propose algorithms that address the two basic problems encountered in generating continuous-tone images by ray tracing: speed and aliasing. We examine previous approaches to the problem and then propose a scheme based on the coherency of an auxiliary data structure imposed on the original object domain. After investigating both simple spatial enumeration and a hybrid octree approach, we developed 3DDDA, a 3D line generator for efficient traversing of both structures. 3DDDA provides an order of magnitude improvement in processing speed compared to other known ray-tracing methods. Processing time is found to be virtually independent of the number of objects involved in the scene. For large numbers of objects, this method actully becomes faster than scan-line methods. To remove jags from edges, a scheme for identifying edge orientation and distance from pixel center to true edge has been implemented. The time required for antialiasing depends on the total length of the edges encountered, but it is normally only a fractional addition to the time needed to produce the scene without antialiasing.     

Interactive multiple objective linear programming system implemented on a microcomputer

Linear programming is one of the most widely used Operations Research/Management Science techniques. Recently, multiple objective decision making has been well established as a practical approach to seek a satisfactory solution to a decision making problem. Much attention has been focused on a microcomputer as an economical management tool.

In this paper we propose an interactive goal attainment method using the eigenvector algorithm for solving a multiple objective linear programming problem interactively on microcomputers. In the software package Micro-LPS based on the method proposed, we design a conversational and user-friendly system in which the user commands are involved.     

Back‐channel‐etched thin‐film transistor using c‐axis‐aligned crystal In–Ga–Zn oxide

Our crystalline In–Ga–Zn oxide (IGZO) thin film has a c‐axis‐aligned crystal (CAAC) structure and maintains crystallinity even on an amorphous base layer. Although the crystal has c‐axis alignment, its a‐axis and b‐axis have random arrangement; moreover, a clear grain boundary is not observed. We fabricated a back‐channel‐etched thin‐film transistor (TFT) using the CAAC‐IGZO film. Using the CAAC‐IGZO film, more stable TFT characteristics, even with a short channel length, can be obtained, and the instability of the back channel, which is one of the biggest problems of IGZO TFTs, is solved. As a result, we improved the process of manufacturing back‐channel‐etched TFTs.