Abstract: There is provided a real-time distributed control system which can prevent a delay of execution by a hard real-time control system. In the real-time distributed control system, a receiving computer includes a receiving component which receives a message, and an operation cycle obtaining unit which obtains the operation cycle of the receiving component upon activation of the system, and transmits a monitoring condition associated with the obtained operation cycle to a transmission-rate-monitoring-condition setting unit.

Abstract: A robot, having left and right leg portions on a lower portion of a body, each of the legs has a wheel attached at a tip of the leg portion, to be drivable, a suspension having a spring and a dumper attached in parallel, between the wheel and the body, and an actuator attached between the suspension and the body. The suspension and the actuator are connected in series, and an inclination detecting means mounted on the body detects an inclination angle and an angular velocity of the robot with respect to a direction of gravity. A control instruction value outputting means controls the actuator upon basis of information thereof, so that the robot travels along a target angle and a target angular velocity thereof. The, spring is connected with an actuator expanding and constructing up and down, in series.

Abstract: A moving device (70) determines an obstacle virtual existence region (72) of a simple graphic approximating a detected obstacle (71) to detect the obstacle (71) in a real time and determine a smooth avoidance path by calculation, thereby performing collision prediction.

Abstract: An autonomous mobile robot apparatus and a method for avoiding collision due to rush-out, being applicable under the circumstances where persons and robots come and go each other, comprises an obstacle detector unit 3, which detects an obstacle, a route producer unit 7, which determines a route for reaching to a destination while avoiding the obstacle detected by the obstacle detector unit upon basis of a predetermined avoiding method, as well as, a velocity thereof, and a moving unit 2, which loads the obstacle detector unit and the route producer unit thereon and moves, thereby operating under circumstances mixing with a human being(s), wherein the obstacle detector unit, further, detects a terminal point of an article lying in an advancing direction of the autonomous mobile robot apparatus, and a distance between the terminal point and the autonomous mobile robot apparatus, and the route producer unit, when the obstacle detector unit detects the terminal end of said article, controls at least either one of

Abstract: An inverted pendulum type moving mechanism, enabling to detect a single-wheel idling when it occurs therein, thereby to maintain a standing condition even in case where an idling maintenance time is long, comprises: left and right wheels; a moving mechanism having traveling motors, which rotationally drive those wheels; an upper body, which is supported on the moving mechanism; and a control apparatus, which controls the moving mechanism, wherein the control apparatus comprises an idling detector unit for the wheels and a traction return detector unit, and executes a double-wheels standing travel control when no idling is detected within the idling detector unit, or a loading-wheel standing control when the idling is detected within the idling detector unit, and further the control apparatus executes an idling wheel control is executed upon the idling wheel for urging traction return, and turns back to the loading-wheel standing control when no traction return is detected within the traction return detector u

Abstract: Autonomous mobile equipment includes a position-of-object and own position detecting system and a moving unit, and autonomously moves. The position-of-object and own position detecting system includes a database in which pieces of information on the superficial shape and position of an object are recorded. The superficial shape of the object detected by a position measuring unit is collated with the superficial shape of the object recorded in the database. If the collated superficial shapes agree with each other, the pieces of information on the object recorded in the database are transmitted to a traveling planning unit. If the collated superficial shapes disagree with each other, the information on the object acquired by the position measuring unit is transmitted to the traveling planning unit.

Abstract: A mobile robot has a mobile mechanism, a swing mechanism and a control unit. The mobile mechanism is of a coaxial two-wheeled type and controls a forward thrust using inverted pendulum control. The swing mechanism actively swings an upper body laterally with respect to the mobile mechanism. A centrifugal force and a gravitational force act on a center of gravity of the mobile robot. A swing attitude is controlled such that a location of intersection of an extension of a composite vector of the forces acting on the center of gravity of the mobile robot and a ground plane of wheels is kept between left and right wheels.

Abstract: Described herein is a robot having a camera mount that is movable along a curved surface of an upper part of the head, on a front side thereof, and two units of cameras that are mounted in the camera mount. The cameras are disposed such that the cameras are laterally separated from each other at an interval substantially equivalent to a lateral width of the head, respective extremities of the cameras are substantially flush with the front end of the head, and the cameras are positioned in close proximity of the upper end of the robot.

Abstract: In cleaning using a self-propelled cleaning device, firstly the cleaning device moves alongside a wall surface and then a reference direction is set. Next, the cleaning device advances alongside the wall surface at a prescribed distance, makes a right-angle turn, and travels in the reference direction. When the cleaning device reaches the surface of an opposing wall, it moves in a spiraling manner. At that time, the orientation angle of the cleaning device, which is estimated using a gyro sensor, is checked and corrected. If an obstacle is encountered while traveling, the cleaning device travels on a path that avoids the obstacle or travels in a spiral manner in a region in front of the obstacle.

Abstract: A self-propelled cleaning device having a cylindrical side cover has a suction body capable of moving transversely to the forward direction. The side cover is held by a base via a suspension. When cleaning corners of a room, the suction body moves by a wall and as the suction body moves to a corner, the movement amount of the suction body is changed. When an obstacle touches the cleaning device, the side cover moves, and the article touches a side cover switch, and the direction of the article is detected.

Abstract: An environment recognition system recognizes a substance moving in relative thereto, with using a modulated beam. A beam emitting means emits a beam. A beam scanning means scans the beam. A beam receiving means detects the beam reflected from the substance. Upon basis of the signal received by the beam receiving means, a distance measuring means obtains a distance image. Comparing plural numbers of the images obtained by the distance measuring means, a distortion removal means removes distortion of the substance contained within the distance image.

Abstract: Autonomous mobile equipment includes a position-of-object and own position detecting system and a moving unit, and autonomously moves. The position-of-object and own position detecting system includes a database in which pieces of information on the superficial shape and position of an object are recorded. The superficial shape of the object detected by a position measuring unit is collated with the superficial shape of the object recorded in the database. If the collated superficial shapes agree with each other, the pieces of information on the object recorded in the database are transmitted to a traveling planning unit. If the collated superficial shapes disagree with each other, the information on the object acquired by the position measuring unit is transmitted to the traveling planning unit.

Abstract: A mobile robot has a mobile mechanism, a swing mechanism and a control unit. The mobile mechanism is of a coaxial two-wheeled type and controls a forward thrust using inverted pendulum control. The swing mechanism actively swings an upper body laterally with respect to the mobile mechanism. A centrifugal force and a gravitational force act on a center of gravity of the mobile robot. A swing attitude is controlled such that a location of intersection of an extension of a composite vector of the forces acting on the center of gravity of the mobile robot and a ground plane of wheels is kept between left and right wheels.

Abstract: An environment recognition system recognizes a substance moving in relative thereto, with using a modulated beam. A beam emitting means emits a beam. A beam scanning means scans the beam. A beam receiving means detects the beam reflected from the substance. Upon basis of the signal received by the beam receiving means, a distance measuring means obtains a distance image. Comparing plural numbers of the images obtained by the distance measuring means, a distortion removal means removes distortion of the substance contained within the distance image.

Abstract: A self-propelled cleaning device having a cylindrical side cover has a suction body capable of moving transversely to the forward direction. The side cover is held by a base via a suspension. When cleaning corners of a room, the suction body moves by a wall and as the suction body moves to a corner, the movement amount of the suction body is changed. When an obstacle touches the cleaning device, the side cover moves, and the article touches a side cover switch, and the direction of the article is detected.

Abstract: In the cleaning using the self-propelled cleaning device, firstly the cleaning device moves alongside the wall surface and then a reference direction is set. Next, the cleaning device advances alongside the wall surface by a prescribed distance, makes a right-angle turn, and travels in the reference direction. When the cleaning device reaches the surface of the opposing wall, it moves in a spiraling manner. At that time, the orientation angle of the cleaning device estimated using a gyro sensor is checked and corrected. If an obstacle is encountered while traveling, the cleaning device travels on a path that avoids the obstacle or travels in a spiral manner in a region in front of the obstacle.

Abstract: A walking aid apparatus including a movable body and a support unit provided to the movable body to support a user further includes means for reducing a change rate of speed of the movable body with respect to a change in a force applied from the user to the support unit. With this arrangement, even when the user stumbles and applies a strong force to the support unit, the movable body can be prevented from moving suddenly, minimizing the possibility of the user being left behind the movable body.

Abstract: An electrostatic actuator comprising:a first member (1) having a plurality of belt-like electrodes (4) insulated from one another and disposed in a predetermined direction with predetermined gaps between them;a second member (10) constituted by a resistance body on the opposed surface thereof coming into contact with the surface of the first member (1); andcontrol means (11) capable of changing an impressed voltage to be applied to each of a plurality of belt-like electrodes disposed on the first member;the control means (11) being constituted so as to move the first and second members relative to each other by applying a predetermined voltage pattern consisting of a pulse voltage to the belt-like electrodes.

Abstract: An electrostatic actuator incorporates a sensor for detecting both position and the state of distribution of charges and is efficiently driven in high-speed operation. A first member has a plurality of driving electrodes thereon, each having the shape of a strip, a second member is placed in contact with the first member, and a control means is provided for changing the voltages applied to the driving electrodes to produce relative movement of the first member and the second member. Detecting electrodes are arranged on the first member at predetermined phases, independently of the driving electrodes, and a detecting unit detects the position of the second member and the state of charges induced on the second member, through the detection of electric signals induced in the detecting electrodes by the charges distributed on the second member.

Abstract: An electrostatic actuator comprising:a first member (1) having a plurality of belt-like electrodes (4) insulated from one another and disposed in a predetermined direction with predetermined gaps between them;a second member (10) constituted by a resistance body on the opposed surface thereof coming into contact with the surface of the first member (1); andcontrol means (11) capable of changing an impressed voltage to be applied to each of a plurality of belt-like electrodes disposed on the first member;the control means (11) being constituted so as to move the first and second members relative to each other by applying a predetermined voltage pattern consisting of a pulse voltage to the belt-like electrodes.