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.     

Artificial retina chips for image processing

Artificial retina chips which can simultaneously sense and process real world images are described. The comparison between artificial retinal systems and conventional image processing systems is described. Variable sensitivity photodetection, which is an essential technology for the artificial retina chips, is introduced in detail. The concept, structure, fundamental performance, operating principle, and processing functions for the fabricated artificial retinal chips are described. Applications including interactive games by gesture-input are also introduced. This work was presented, in part, at the International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, February 18–20, 1996.     

Integrated-optic device for a fibre laser Doppler velocimeter

We first demonstrate an integrated-optic device for a fibre laser Doppler velocimeter, which consists of a waveguide interferometer and a frequency shifter in z-propagation Ti-diffused LiNbO3. The device is also pigtailed with a single-mode fibre to pick up a Doppler-shifted signal. Using the fabricated device, the velocity of a moving object was successfully heterodyne-detected with a signal/noise ratio of 30dB.     

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.     

Thallium-201 myocardial SPECT in Bland-White-Garland syndrome: two adult patients with inferoposterior perfusion defect

A myocardial 201TI SPECT examination was conducted both prior to and following surgery of two adult patients with an anomalous left coronary artery originating from the pulmonary artery (Bland-White-Garland syndrome). In this syndrome, the anterior wall is usually affected first. Preoperative examination demonstrated an inferoposterior perfusion defect. In both patients, the right coronary artery was markedly dilated, and a significant left-to-right shunt formation was observed. Both patients were diagnosed as possibly having coronary steal syndrome. A prolonged inadequate blood supply to the right coronary region may cause inferoposterior cardiomyopathy. In the postoperative examination, myocardial perfusion markedly improved in one patient whose preoperative SPECT showed redistribution in a delayed scan. Thallium-201 SPECT was therefore found to be useful in assessing both the preoperative and postoperative myocardial perfusion.     

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.     

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     

A new partitioning process for high-level liquid waste by extraction chromatography using silica-substrate chelating agent impregnated adsorbents

To separate the long-lived minor actinides (MA(III) = Am(III), Cm(III)) and some specific fission products (FP) such as Pd(II), Mo(VI), Cs(I) and Sr(II) from high-level liquid waste (HLLW), we have been studying a new partitioning process by extraction chromatography using several novel silica-based extraction resins. In this work, we examined the separation behavior of the elements contained in a simulated MA-effluent by the CMPO/SiO₂P packed column. In addition, as an attempt to further isolate Am(III) and Cm(III) from the heavy RE(III) such as Eu(III), Gd(III) and Dy(III) contained in the MA-effluent, we investigated the possibility of separation by using a silica-based cationic exchange resin. Furthermore, to isolate Sr(II) from the HLLW, adsorption and separation performances of Sr(II) and some other FP elements were studied by using a novel silica-based crown ether extraction resin, DtBuCH18C6/SiO₂P. The experimental results demonstrated that the elements in the simulated MA-effluent can be successfully separated to (1) Pd, (2) MA-hRE and (3) Zr–Mo, by CMPO/SiO₂P packed column using water and a dilute DTPA solution as eluents. Am(III) and Cm(III) are expected to be effectively separated from light RE(III) and Y(III) by the SiSCR cationic resin. However, more effective separation between Am(II), Cm(III) and heavy RE(III) such as Eu(III), Gd(III) and Dy(III) needs further approach. DtBuCH18C6/SiO₂P showed a highly selective adsorption for Sr(III) so that the Sr(II) could be completely separated from other FPs except a portion of Ba(II).     

Delay time compensation based on coefficient of restitution for collision hybrid motion simulator

A hybrid motion simulator embeds a hardware experiment in a numerical simulation loop. However, it is often subjected to the inherent problem of an energy increase in the collision of two pieces of hardware in a loop because of the delay time. This paper proposes a delay time compensation method based on contact dynamics model for a collision hybrid motion simulator under delay time and establishes a compensation method for coupled translational and rotational motion. The model developed in this paper describes linear uniform motion of a floating object during the period of the delay time until the force and torque are observed and non-linear motion according to environmental stiffness after the initial delay time period in contact. By using the above model, compensation parameters are designed based on desired coefficient of restitution with iterative calculation. The proposed method achieves accurate delay time compensation and simultaneously realizes a variable desired coefficient of restitution over a wide range of frequencies. Furthermore, the compensation method for multi-dimensional motion is established under the assumption that the friction effect is very small. The efficiency of the proposed method is verified through collision experiments for the coupled motion in two dimensions.