The World robot summit disaster robotics category – achievements of the 2018 preliminary competition

The World Robot Summit is a robot Olympics and aims to be held in a different country every four years from 2020. The concept of the Plant Disaster Prevention challenge is daily inspections, checks, and emergency response in industrial plants, and in this competition, robots must carry out these types of missions in a mock-up plant. The concept of the Tunnel Disaster Response and Recovery challenge is emergency response to tunnel disasters, and is a simulation competition whereby teams compete to show their ability to deal with disasters, by collecting information and removing debris. The Standard Disaster Robotics challenge assesses, in the form of a contest, the standard performance levels of a robot that are necessary for disaster prevention and emergency response. The World Robot Summit Preliminary Competition was held at Tokyo Big Sight in October 2018, and 36 teams participated in the Disaster Robotics Category. UGVs and UAVs contended the merits of new technology for solving complex problems, using core technologies such as mobility, sensing, recognition, performing operations, human interface, autonomous intelligence etc., as well as system integration and implementation of strategies for completing missions, gaining high-level results.     

Computation of mutual entropy in quantum markov chains

There are several damping phenomena in quantum optics. Such phenomena have been usually explained by open systems. In statistical physics, open system dynamics have been used to study the irreversibility and the approach to equilibrium. In this paper, the dynamical change of the mutual entropy for an open system, frequently studied in the quantum optics literature, is rigorously computed through a model of quantum Markov chain. In particular, the concrete formula of Stinespring expression for such a model is obtained and applied to the derivation of the mutual entropy, and some computational results are presented.     

Wear-resistant magnetic head using amorphous alloy material

An audio recording/playback head using an amorphous (Fe-Co-Ru-Cr) ₇₅(Si-B)₂₅ alloy was developed. Compared with a commercial Sendust head, three excellent features were observed. The wear of the amorphous alloy head when used with γ-Fe₂O ₃ is two-thirds that of the Sendust head. The output level at high-frequency (14 kHz) is 5 dB higher than that of the Sendust head. The bias current for the amorphous alloy head is half that of the Sendust head     

Properties of Quaternary Alloy Magnetic Semiconductor (InGaMn)As Grown on InP

We have studied properties of quaternary alloy magnetic semiconductor (InGaMn)As grown on InP substrates by low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy (LT-MBE). A large MCD peak whose intensity is larger than 500 mdeg for (InGaMn)As was observed. This peak intensity was about three times larger than that of typical (GaMn)As films. Relatively high Curie temperature of 83 K of [(In_0.53Ga_0.47)_0.88Mn_0.12]As was observed by Hall measurements. The carrier concentration of [(In_0.53Ga_0.47)_0.88Mn_0.12]As was estimated to be more than 1.0 × 10²¹ cm^–3 by using the Curie–Weiss fitting of the Hall coefficient R _H, indicating that more than 40% of Mn atoms are activated. This means that (InGaMn)As has a higher activation ratio of Mn as acceptors than (GaMn)As.     

An ESR study of the film formation steps of vapor deposition polymerization of polyamic acid

A film of polyamic acid is formed by vapor deposition polymerization of pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether (ODA). We have taken ESR spectrum during the polymerization process and compared it with the ESR spectrum of films obtained from solution polymerization. In the intermediate polymers during vapor deposition polymerization, the amide bond (? CONH? ) is coplanar with the benzene ring and two protons in the PMDA molecule. This intermediate polymer has one unpaired electron that interacts with the two nitrogen nuclei equally. On the other hand, in the polymer obtained by solution polymerization, the amide bond and the benzene ring of PMDA are not coplanar. In this polymer, too, some of the molecules have an unpaired electron that seems to have almost no coupling with NH groups. These results imply that the polymer formation via vapor deposition proceeds through different intermediates and different molecular configurations from that via the solution process.     

Mean molal activity coefficients of aqueous scandium chloride, nitrate, bromide and perchlorate solutions at 25.0°

The mean molal activity coefficients of aqueous scandium chloride, nitrate, bromide and perchlorate solutions were determined at 25.0° for dilute to saturated concentrations, together with the activities of water. In the dilute solutions of scandium halides, the activity coefficients were obtained from electromotive force measurements on galvanic cells, and the osmotic coefficients of all four solutions above 0.1 mol kg⁻¹ were determined from the isopiestic measurements. Least-squares equations were fitted to these coefficients, which were then used to calculate the mean molal activity coefficients and water activities. The relationships between these results and the corresponding activity data for other rare earth salts, and to the cation hydration and ionic interactions, are discussed. The results on scandium perchlorate solutions suggested that the inner-sphere hydration number of tervalent scandium ion may be seven.     

Narrow spectral linewidth characteristics of monolithic integrated-passive-cavity InGaAsP/InP semiconductor lasers

The spectral linewidth of 1.3 ?m monolithic integrated-passive-cavity (IPC) semiconductor laser is measured by a delayed self-heterodyne technique. It is found that the line-width is narrowed when longitudinal submode is suppressed. The narrowest linewidth obtained so far is 900 kHz at 6 mW output power.     

Lipid-Lowering Effect of Eriocitrin, the Main Flavonoid in Lemon Fruit, in Rats on a High-Fat and High-Cholesterol Diet

ABSTRACT:  Eriocitrin (eriodictyol 7- O -β-rutinoside) is the main flavonoid in lemon fruit. In this study, eriocitrin was investigated for its lowering effect on serum and hepatic lipids in high-fat and high-cholesterol fed rats. Rats in the control group ( N = 6) were fed a 20% lard and 1% cholesterol diet for 21 d, and rats in the 0.35% eriocitrin group ( N = 6) and 0.70% eriocitrin group ( N = 6) were fed a diet supplemented with eriocitrin 0.35% and 0.70%, respectively. The content of hepatic total cholesterol and triglyceride in the eriocitrin group was no different from that of the control group. The total cholesterol, VLDL+LDL, triglyceride, and phospholipid in the serum of the 0.35% eriocitrin group showed significantly lower concentrations than the control group ( P < 0.05), although there was no difference in the HDL concentrations among the groups. The lowering effect of eriocitrin for serum total cholesterol was thought to be caused by a decrease in VLDL+LDL. The 0.35% eriocitrin group was shown to have a significant increase in excretion of fecal bile acid ( P < 0.05) and a tendency for enhanced hepatic m-RNA levels of LDL receptor in comparison with the control group.     

Analysis of polarization plane rotation characteristic in 2D photonic crystal waveguide with chiral medium by condensed node spatial network

Using the photonic band gap in photonic crystals, the fundamental waveguide structures for the light wavelength range have been developed. Based on the fine structure of these many functional devices have been proposed by analytical or numerical simulation methods and the experiments of trial manufacture. In this paper, the treatment of chiral dielectric in the Condensed Node Spatial Network for the vector potential is explained, and we show the polarization plane rotation property in air‐hole and pillar type photonic crystal waveguide structures with the chiral medium substrate. Then, we show the fundamental advantage of the air‐hole type photonic crystal waveguide structure in application to a mode converter. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 152(1): 7–14, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience. wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20098