Abstract: The object recognition apparatus has an active range finder having a floodlight unit which floodlights a light onto a target object, and determines a distance up to a target object on the basis of a reflected light therefrom, a stereo camera to determine a distance up to the target object on the basis of image information from the target object, an object recognition unit which recognizes the target object on the basis of an output signal from the active range finder and an output signal from the stereo camera, and a fill light control unit which controls the floodlight unit to operate so as to irradiate a light floodlit by the floodlight unit as a fill light of the stereo camera.

Abstract: Production of a hyaluronic acid gel, which comprises keeping hyaluronic acid in water at a hyaluronic acid concentration of at least 5 wt % in the presence of an acid component in an amount at least equimolar with the carboxyl groups in the hyaluronic acid.

Abstract: A three-dimensional photographing apparatus includes a photographing unit configured to photograph an object from a plurality of viewpoints and a projecting unit configured to project a pattern on the object in photographing. The projecting unit including an optical system having a projection view angle. The projection view angle of the optical system falls within a range where the photographing unit photographs the object and is set so as to project the pattern on an overlapped area which is formed by overlapping photographing spaces capable of photographing the object from the viewpoints.

Abstract: A synchronous induction motor features improved assemblability of a rotor, significantly reduced production cost, and improved operation performance of the motor. A plurality of die-cast secondary conductors is provided around a rotor yoke constituting the rotor of the synchronous induction motor. End rings are die-cast integrally with the secondary conductors on the peripheral portions of both end surfaces of the rotor yoke. Permanent magnets are inserted into slots formed such that they penetrate the rotor yoke. The openings of both ends of the slots are closed by a pair of end surface members formed of a non-magnetic constituent. One of the end surface members is secured to the rotor yoke by one of the end rings when the secondary conductors and the end rings are formed. The other end surface member is secured to the rotor yoke by a fixture.

Abstract: A stereo camera supporting apparatus of the present invention comprises a joining member constituted in such a manner as to support a stereo camera on a vehicle, and a control device which controls posture or position of the stereo camera supported on the vehicle by the joining member. The control device controls the posture or position of the stereo camera with respect to video obtained by the stereo camera in such a manner that a contour portion present in the highest level position in a contour of a noted subject in the video is positioned in a frame upper end of the video or its vicinity irrespective of a change of the posture or position of the vehicle.

Abstract: A finder apparatus which is used together with a photographing apparatus presents a marker for positioning for setting relative positions of the photographing apparatus and an object for calibration so as to be visually recognizable by an operator in a finder configured to present an image of a subject so as to be visually recognizable by the operator, when photographing the object for calibration including at least one of a known shape and a known surface attribute in order to acquire parameters of a photographing optical system of the photographing apparatus.

Abstract: A method for forming an image contains steps of: transferring a toner having a volume average particle diameter of 5 ?m or less to a recording medium as a toner image having a monochromatic maximum toner mass per area of 0.35 mg/cm2 or less; and fixing the toner image at a surface temperature of a fixing roll which is 130° C. or less. The toner preferably has 0.02 log(Pa)/° C. or less of a gradient of a storage, elasticity per temperature in a temperature range of from Tm+20° C. to Tm+50° C. Here, Tm represents a melting temperature of a crystalline resin contained in the crystalline toner.

Abstract: A concentrated winding type brushless DC motor has a stator formed by a slack of laminations of a ferro-magnetic material having an outer ring from which a plurality of spaced teeth extend inwardly and have slots between adjacent teeth. A drive coil is wound around each tooth in the presence of a spacer provided between an end surface of a stator tooth and the drive coil to reduce stress applied to a tooth by the coil as it is being wound. The final form of the motor has the spacer removed leaving a space between the coil and the tooth to form a magnetic pole of the stator.

Abstract: The invention relates to a stereo imaging unit or system that can have a suitable degree of parallax and a wide angle of view even when used with an image pickup device smaller than film.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus is capable of performing an image pickup with pattern projection on an object to obtain three-dimensional information on the object, and an image pickup without pattern projection. The image pickup apparatus comprises an exposure level determination section configured to determine a predetermined exposure level needed by an image pickup device of the image pickup apparatus, and a shutter speed determination section configured to determine a first shutter speed to achieve the predetermined exposure level determined by the exposure level determination section in the image pickup without pattern projection, and a second shutter speed not slower than the first shutter speed. The image pickup with pattern projection is conducted by use of the second shutter speed.

Abstract: A 3-dimensional image acquisition apparatus acquires images to be used for 3-dimensionally reconstructing an object by picking up the object by a camera twice or more in an image acquisition set including picking up at least once the object carrying a pattern projected onto it by a projection light source. The apparatus comprises a light projection information memory configured to store information on projection of light including information on the time for projecting light for the purpose of projecting the pattern in the image acquisition set, an image acquisition progress information memory configured to store information on the progress of image acquisition in the image acquisition set, and a controller configured to control the projection of light by the projection light source and the picking up by the camera on the basis of the stored information on projection of light and the stored information on the progress.

Abstract: A gel made of hyaluronic acid alone which is hardly soluble in a neutral aqueous solution and which keeps its shape for at least one day in a neutral aqueous solution at 25° C.

Abstract: An end face polishing apparatus with improved polishing precision regardless of the length of ferrules when end faces of the ferrules are polished is provided. In an end face polishing apparatus polishing a rod-shaped member mounted at a polishing fixture by pressing the rod-shaped member against a lapping member on a lapping machine provided on a surface plate that is supported at the main body of the apparatus to rotate and rock, there are a plurality of rod-shaped guide members provided at the polishing fixture radially outwardly projecting and a tubular member capable of supporting the polishing fixture through the guide members on the surface plate. In this way, the guide member sat the polishing fixture and the tubular member abut against each other so that the movement of the polishing fixture in the pressing direction is restricted.

Abstract: An end face polishing apparatus with improved polishing precision regardless of the length of ferrules when end faces of the ferrules are polished is provided. In an end face polishing apparatus polishing a rod-shaped member mounted at a polishing fixture by pressing the rod-shaped member against a lapping member on a lapping machine provided on a surface plate that is supported at the main body of the apparatus to rotate and rock, there are a plurality of rod-shaped guide members provided at the polishing fixture radially outwardly projecting and a tubular member capable of supporting the polishing fixture through the guide members on the surface plate. In this way, the guide members at the polishing fixture and the tubular member abut against each other so that the movement of the polishing fixture in the pressing direction is restricted.

Abstract: A calibration apparatus which estimates a calibration parameter of an image acquisition apparatus, comprises a calibration jig which includes at least two planes and in which calibration markers having known three-dimensional positions are arranged in each plane based on a predetermined rule. The calibration apparatus further comprises a calibration marker recognition section configured to measure and number in-image positions of the calibration markers in at least one image obtained by photographing the calibration jig by the image acquisition apparatus, and a parameter estimate section configured to estimate the calibration parameters of the image acquisition apparatus by the use of the three-dimensional position and the in-image position of the calibration markers numbered by the calibration marker recognition section.

Abstract: A finder apparatus which is used together with a photographing apparatus presents a marker for positioning for setting relative positions of the photographing apparatus and an object for calibration so as to be visually recognizable by an operator in a finder configured to present an image of a subject so as to be visually recognizable by the operator, when photographing the object for calibration including at least one of a known shape and a known surface attribute in order to acquire parameters of a photographing optical system of the photographing apparatus.

Abstract: A sealed motor compressor in which a motor running efficiency is largely enhanced with a single-phase bipolar constitution, an electromotive element is fixed to a sealed container, and formed of a stator provided with a stator winding, and a rotor which rotates in the stator, and the rotor is formed of a squirrel-cage secondary conductor disposed in a peripheral portion of a rotor yoke, and a permanent magnet is embedded in the rotor yoke.

Abstract: An end face polishing apparatus has a support member mounted for undergoing rotational movement. A tubular member is mounted on the support member for rotation therewith. The tubular member has a first surface connected to a main surface of the support member and a second surface extending in an axial direction at a first distance from the main surface of the support member. A lapping member is mounted on the support member for rotation therewith. The lapping member has a first surface connected to the main surface of the support member and a second surface extending in the axial direction at a second distance from the main surface of the support member smaller than the first distance.

Abstract: A synchronous induction motor features improved assemblability of a rotor, significantly reduced production cost, and improved operation performance of the motor. A plurality of die-cast secondary conductors is provided around a rotor yoke constituting the rotor of the synchronous induction motor. End rings are die-cast integrally with the secondary conductors on the peripheral portions of both end surfaces of the rotor yoke. Permanent magnets are inserted into slots formed such that they penetrate the rotor yoke. The openings of both ends of the slots are closed by a pair of end surface members formed of a non-magnetic constituent. One of the end surface members is secured to the rotor yoke by one of the end rings when the secondary conductors and the end rings are formed. The other end surface member is secured to the rotor yoke by a fixture.

Abstract: A three-dimensional photographing apparatus includes a photographing unit configured to photograph an object from a plurality of viewpoints and a projecting unit configured to project a pattern on the object in photographing. The projecting unit including an optical system having a projection view angle. The projection view angle of the optical system falls within a range where the photographing unit photographs the object and is set so as to project the pattern on an overlapped area which is formed by overlapping photographing spaces capable of photographing the object from the viewpoints.