Digit recognition in a natural scene with skew and slant normalization

This paper proposes a method to recognize digits in a natural scene, such as telephone numbers on a signboard. Candidate regions of digits are extracted from an image through contrast enhancement, edge extraction, and labeling. Since the target text patterns are in a 3D space, unlike traditional character recognition problems, we have to deal with the image transformation effect due to the orientation in the 3D space and projection. We have to cancel the effect as much as possible before digit recognition. In our method, the image transformation effect is modeled as skew and slant. In the proposed method, simplified Hough transform is used for the skew normalization. After the skew normalization, the remaining effect of image transformation is corrected by circumscribing digit patterns with tilted rectangles and affine transformation. In experiments, we tested a total of 1,332 images of signboards with 11,939 digits. We obtained a digit extraction rate of 99.2% and a correct digit recognition rate of 98.8%.Received: 15 December 2003, Accepted: 21 October 2004, Published online: 2 February 2005     

A product modeling system for top-down design of machine assembly with kinematic motion

The objective of this research is to develop a product modeling system to support mechanism design from the beginning of the design. The system must cope with two aspects of the design process which are top-down design and preliminary design. The current capabilities of existing CAD and CAE systems are not sufficient to support these two aspects. In this research a modeling method with an abstract model and an incompletely defined model is proposed. The mechanism is presented by constraints and depault values because constraints are suitable for representing the abstract model for a mechanism and default values are useful to supplement an incompletely defined model. We also introduce module-based modeling with mechanism modules corresponding directly to the functionalities of the mechanism and show that it is suitable for top-down design. Incomplete constraints are solved with default values so that the shape and location of the incompletely defined model can be modified and the motion of the model can be simulated. Finally, we illustrate the mechanism modeling system with some examples.     

Transient thermal stresses in a composite hollow cylinder subjected to γ-ray heating

Transient temperature and thermal-stress distributions arising in an infinite long composite hollow circular cylinder subjected to internal heat generation decaying exponentially along the wall thickness resulting from γ-ray radiation are analyzed, under the thermal conditions of cooling by convection on the inner surface and insulation on the outer surface. Numerical calculations of the transient temperature and thermal-stress distributions are carried out for the case of a composite cylinder of stainless steel and carbon steel. The influence of the absorption coefficient, the Biot number and the splicing radius on the results are considered.     

Rural and urban population changes and the stages of economic development: a unified approach

The long-term aspects of the process of economic development and urbanization are examined. A model is presented that shows the dynamics of economic development from the earliest to the more advanced stages. "The model is able to explain not only the occurrence of a downturn in the rural population after the initial phase of population growth both in rural and urban areas, but also the delayed occurrence of such a downturn in many present-day developing countries. The author then focuses [on] the later stages of economic development and explains two alternative courses of urbanization, namely, the reversal process and the continual-growth process, as special cases of the general model; which of the courses occurs depends on the value of the elasticity of urban agglomeration-economies."     

Development of a new X-ray source using backscattered X-ray with the use of a cold cathode

The development of an intense X-ray source using backscattered X-ray produced using an advanced electrode configuration is described. The electrodes were composed of field emitters deposited on a wire mounted on a perforated plate as the cathode and a copper plate as the anode. Electrons from these emitters collided with the copper plate and X-ray was generated at collision points. The backscattered X-ray in the direction normal to the electron trajectory through a hole in the anode escaped from the vacuum chamber through a beryllium window. Continuous and characteristic X-rays were detected at an applied voltage lower than that of a conventional X-ray source from 3.0 to 9.4 kV, respectively. Moreover, the X-ray dosage measured with a survey meter reached 0.95 mSv/h at 5.0 kV of applied voltage. The transmission images of three types of material used as an X-ray source for the X-ray imaging system indicate three advantages; low power consumption, focal point controllable by adjusting applied voltage, and photographable motion picture of X-ray transmission.     

The use of indoline dyes in a zinc oxide dye-sensitized solar cell

The effects of the position and the type of carboxyl anchor group in double rhodanine-type indoline dyes on the performance of a zinc oxide dye-sensitized solar cell were examined. The optimum position for the carboxymethyl group was on the inner rhodanine moiety; a carboxymethyl group gave optimum results among carboxymethyl, -ethyl, and -propyl derivatives.     

Crosslinking of PVC and NBR blends

The purpose of our work is to control the interfacial bonds between PVC and NBR using the ammonium salts of triazine thiols and dithiodimorpholine (DTDM) and thereby reveal the relation between the interfacial bonds and the final mechanical properties of products. In the experimental work a two-stage process was used. At first, an NBR/PVC blend was mixed with a mono-tetra-n-butylammonium salt of triazine trithiol at a temperature of 100°C on a two-roll mill to give the branching structure of triazine thiols into PVC. In the second stage branched NBR/PVC reacted with DTDM to afford the branched PVC containing trithiomorphonyl groups. In the presence of ZnO at 160°C trithiomorphonyl groups react with NBR to form a crosslinking structure between NBR and PVC. The mechanical properties of cured NBR/PVC blends were markedly improved by the treatment process and after addition of tetramethylthiuram monosulphide also. The mechanical properties were not improved by increasing the concentration of TT-TBA (tetrabutylammonium salt of 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-trithiol) over 4.2 phr.     

A Fail-safe Logic Operator Using an Insulated Planar Transformer

A fail-safe logic circuit must switch the output signal to the logical value “0” when an operation circuit fails. A transformer has such favorable characteristics for fail-safe logic circuits as only the magnetic flux change is transmitted and a superposition of magnetic flux is realized. Thus those characteristics arc applied to a failsafe logic operator. A new fail-safe logic operator using an insulated planar transformer was developed for a fail-safe majority operation and a fail-safe interlocking. In this paper, the principle, structure, design and fundamental characteristics of the new fail-safe logic operator are described.     

Preparation of plasma-polymerized membranes from fluoroalkyl acrylates and methacrylates and gas permeability through the membranes

Summary Plasma-polymerized membranes were prepared from fluoroalkyl acrylates and methacrylates by two different directions of monomer injection and the permeation rates of O₂ and n₂ through the membranes were investigated. The chemical structure and composition of the plasmapolymerized membranes varied significantly by the direction of monomer injection. The optimum plasma conditions to yield maximum gas separation characteristics was obtained by the remote plasma excitation at the W/FM value of 20 J/mg, where W is the discharge power, F is the monomer flow rate and M is the molecular weight of the monomer.