Abstract: According to the lamination apparatus and the lamination method, a fast-curing adhesive can be used and which can improve die quality of a composite film and enables application of a low-viscosity coating liquid. The lamination apparatus 1 includes a first coating unit 12 that applies, as a coating liquid, one of a main agent and a curing agent of a two-component curable adhesive to a first web W1; a second coating unit 14 that applies, as a coating liquid, the other one of the mam agent and the coating agent of the two-component curable adhesive to a second web W2, the other one being the one not applied to the first web W1; and a bonding unit 151 that bonds a coating liquid-applied surface of the first web W1 and a coating liquid-applied surface of the second web together. The second coating unit 14 is a gravure coating machine.

Abstract: A remote controller enables a user to manipulate behavior of a robot so that the robot does not stray away from a given area and also avoids contact with an object. If a route designated by the user satisfies a stable movement requirement, a first command signal is transmitted from the remote controller to the robot. By doing so, it is possible to move the robot according to the designated route. On the other hand, if the route designated by the user does not satisfy the stable movement requirement, the first command signal is not transmitted from the remote controller to the robot. Therefore, it is possible to stop the robot from moving according to the designated route, and further to avoid the situation where the robot strays away from the designated region, or comes into contact with the object.

Abstract: Provided is a coating apparatus that can thinly and evenly apply a coating liquid to a target surface of a separator film for lithium ion secondary batteries. Specifically, the coating apparatus includes a coating unit having a coating roll coating a target surface of a separator film fed in the vertical direction, and a pair of coating support rolls having a diameter smaller than that of first and second guide rolls, located between the first and second guide rolls, and closely and respectively located upstream and downstream of the coating roll in the film feed direction, wherein the coating support rolls push the surface of the film opposite to the target surface.

Abstract: A target route generation system which generates a target route for a robot (R) to travel along autonomously is provided with a route candidate generation element (110) which generates a plurality of travel route candidates to connect the terminating point and the starting point by connecting links stored at a link storing element (211), state recognition elements (115 to 118) which recognize a state of the robot (R), and a route evaluation IC element (120) which evaluates a cost of a travel route candidate including therein an action point stored in an action point storing element (212) lower as the necessity for passing by the action point is higher in view of the state of the robot (R) recognized by the state recognition elements (115 to 118). According to the system, the robot can be made to travel through the action point with a high necessity in view of the state of the robot.

Abstract: A target route setting support system is equipped with a transiting area/starting-terminal point recognizing unit, a route candidate generating unit, and a determining unit. The transiting area/starting-terminal point recognizing unit recognizes a node or a link connecting nodes together designated by the user via a remote controller as a designated transiting area, the target position as a terminal point, and a departure position as a starting point. The route candidate generating unit generates a moving route candidate connecting the terminal point and the starting point so the designated transiting area is included at least in a part of the moving route candidate. The determining unit determines the level of a possibility of contact between the robot and an object in the case where the robot is made to move along the moving route candidate, and outputs the determination result via an output device.

Abstract: The control apparatus for a movable robot comprises: environment information acquisition means (such as video camera 3 and microphone 4); a current position detecting means (15); a map storage (7); a control parameter storage (9) for storing control parameters adjusted to different environments; and control means (11, 12) for determining a current position of the robot on the map data based on a signal from the current position detecting means, retrieving control parameters suitable for the current position from the parameter storage, and controlling the environment information acquisition means or actuators for moving the robot by using the retrieved control parameters.

Abstract: A target route setting support system is equipped with a transiting area/starting-terminal point recognizing unit, a route candidate generating unit, and a determining unit. The transiting area/starting-terminal point recognizing unit recognizes a node or a link connecting nodes together designated by the user via a remote controller as a designated transiting area, the target position as a terminal point, and a departure position as a starting point. The route candidate generating unit generates a moving route candidate connecting the terminal point and the starting point so the designated transiting area is included at least in a part of the moving route candidate. The determining unit determines the level of a possibility of contact between the robot and an object in the case where the robot is made to move along the moving route candidate, and outputs the determination result via an output device.

Abstract: A target route generation system which generates a target route for a robot (R) to travel along autonomously is provided with a route candidate generation element (110) which generates a plurality of travel route candidates to connect the terminating point and the starting point by connecting links stored at a link storing element (211), state recognition elements (115 to 118) which recognize a state of the robot (R), and a route evaluation IC element (120) which evaluates a cost of a travel route candidate including therein an action point stored in an action point storing element (212) lower as the necessity for passing by the action point is higher in view of the state of the robot (R) recognized by the state recognition elements (115 to 118). According to the system, the robot can be made to travel through the action point with a high necessity in view of the state of the robot.

Abstract: To automate the work of recognizing a guest, check the appointment, notify a host of the arrival of the guest and conduct the guest to a designated place, a robot having a function to autonomously travel is equipped with camera/microphone for recognizing a guest at least according to image information. The system comprises management database adapted to communicate with the robot and equipped with an information database for identifying the recognized guest, and identifies the guest according to the information obtained from the camera/microphone and management database. The robot recognizes the guest from the image thereof, and the recognized guest is identified and verified by comparing the image of the visitor with the information contained in the database so that the robot can automatically conduct the guest to the designated meeting room according to the information of the appointment stored in the database.

Abstract: A remote controller enables a user to manipulate behavior of a robot so that the robot does not stray away from a given area and also avoids contact with an object. If a route designated by the user satisfies a stable movement requirement, a first command signal is transmitted from the remote controller to the robot. By doing so, it is possible to move the robot according to the designated route. On the other hand, if the route designated by the user does not satisfy the stable movement requirement, the first command signal is not transmitted from the remote controller to the robot. Therefore, it is possible to stop the robot from moving according to the designated route, and further to avoid the situation where the robot strays away from the designated region, or comes into contact with the object.

Abstract: An apparatus 1 for controlling a movable robot recognizes the person to be followed up from an image taken by a camera C by an image processing portion 20, controls leg portions R1 of a movable robot A so as to keep a prescribed interval between the movable robot A and the person by a portion 50 for detecting an action, and notify the degree of the distance between the movable robot A and the person to the person by a voice from a voice outputting portion 62.

Abstract: In a route generating system for an autonomous mobile robot, a plurality of nodes are designated within an area of movement of the robot and an edge is defined between a pair of nodes only if a distance from the one node to the other node is less than a threshold value and there is no obstacle on a line drawn between the one point and the other point. Because the route is generated from a collection of pre-defined edges which are free from obstacles and are selected so as to optimize the generated route, the robot is enabled to travel from the current position to the destination in a safe and optimum fashion. Furthermore, the edges are defined by connecting only those nodes that are relatively close to each other, the candidates of the edges for generating a route can be reduced to a small number and this reduces computational loads. Also, because the route can be selected in a relatively intelligent manner so as to optimize a certain criterion, a clumsy appearance in the movement of the robot can be avoided.

Abstract: An autonomous robot is controlled by the local robot information controller which is connected to a robot application network to which the transceiver to communicate with the autonomous robot is attached. The robot application network, a user LAN adaptive controller an information distribution manager and the third party information provider subsystem are linked with a public network. The information distribution manager acquires the information from the third party information provider subsystem on the schedule which is set by the user LAN adaptive controller. The local robot information controller receives the information distribution manager and convert it into the data that generates robot gestures. The robot performs actions in accordance to the gesture data received from the local robot information controller.

Abstract: A mobile apparatus is provided, which includes a plurality of imaging devices, a measurement device for measuring a current position and direction of the imaging devices, a map data storing section which stores map data including at least registered information on positions of stationary objects, a recognized distance calculating section which obtains a parallax for a plurality of images, a reference distance calculating section which calculates a reference distance from the imaging devices to a front border of each stationary object, a retracting section for determining a range of image processing, which selects a set of pixels to be processed so as to generate a retracted image, a detecting section for detecting objects from the retracted image, a transport device, and a transport controller for controlling movement of the transport device according to information about the objects detected by the detecting section.

Abstract: A position detection apparatus that is able to easily detect self-position during autonomous movement by a humanoid robot that moves by the use of legs or automobile.

Abstract: An apparatus for projection exposure which projects a pattern of a mask onto a work is provided. The apparatus has a base, a source of light, an optical system, a mask support mechanism, a work support mechanism and an alignment mechanism. The optical system constitutes light rays into projection light rays carrying image information of the mask, guiding the projection light rays through a predetermined optical path so that the projection light rays can be projected onto an exposure surface of the work. The optical system includes a projection optical system and an illumination optical system. The projection optical system is adapted to be disposed vertical relative to the base. The mask and work support mechanisms vertically support the mask and work relative to the base, respectively. In this way, the exposure surface of the work can coincide with an image forming plane in the optical path.

Abstract: In a route generating system for an autonomous mobile robot, a plurality of nodes are designated within an area of movement of the robot and an edge is defined between a pair of nodes only if a distance from the one node to the other node is less than a threshold value and there is no obstacle on a line drawn between the one point and the other point. Because the route is generated from a collection of pre-defined edges which are free from obstacles and are selected so as to optimize the generated route, the robot is enabled to travel from the current position to the destination in a safe and optimum fashion. Furthermore, the edges are defined by connecting only those nodes that are relatively close to each other, the candidates of the edges for generating a route can be reduced to a small number and this reduces computational loads. Also, because the route can be selected in a relatively intelligent manner so as to optimize a certain criterion, a clumsy appearance in the movement of the robot can be avoided.

Abstract: The control apparatus for a movable robot comprises: environment information acquisition means (such as video camera 3 and microphone 4); a current position detecting means (15); a map storage (7); a control parameter storage (9) for storing control parameters adjusted to different environments; and control means (11, 12) for determining a current position of the robot on the map data based on a signal from the current position detecting means, retrieving control parameters suitable for the current position from the parameter storage, and controlling the environment information acquisition means or actuators for moving the robot by using the retrieved control parameters.

Abstract: A nonfired agglomerated ore which is satisfactory in reduction property in the shaft of a blast furnace and excellent in rapid heating bursting property and a production method thereof are provided. A carbon containing nonfired agglomerated ore for blast furnace which is prepared in such a way that iron oxide and a carbonaceous material are blended with each other to prepare a mixture, a binder is added to the mixture, and the mixture is kneaded, formed, and cured, wherein the agglomerated ore contains carbon in the content of 80 to 120% of the theoretical carbon quantity required to reduce the reducible oxygen in the iron ores to form metallic iron, and the binder is selected so that the crushing strength may be 7,850 kN/m2 or more at room temperature.

Abstract: An NOx storage-and-reduction type catalyst is used which exhibits a saturated NOx storage amount of 5 g or more as NO2 with respect to 1 liter of a catalyst volume at 500° C., and rich spiking is controlled so that an actual NOx storage amount of the NOx storage-and-reduction type catalyst becomes 50% or less of the saturated NOx storage amount. Since the saturated NOx storage amount is large, the NOx storage amount is large even when it is 50% or less, it is possible to prolong intervals of the rich spiking. Then, since NOx storage component stores NOx preferentially into the sites which are likely to store and release NOx, a reduction efficiency is high. Therefore, while prolonging the intervals of the rich spiking and sustaining an effect of mileage improvement, it is possible to improve the reduction efficiency of NOx.