Abstract: A flapping apparatus includes a first disk rotated by a driving source, and a second disk that rotates in contact with a main surface of the first disk. The second disk is provided with first and second stoppers that limit its angle of rotation. When the stopper is in contact with the first disk, rotation of a wing shaft is caused only by the rotation of the first disk, and when the stoppers are not in contact with the first disk, rotation of the wing shaft is caused only by the rotation of the second disk.

Abstract: On a main body portion of a fluttering apparatus, a wing (left wing) is formed which has a front wing shaft, a rear wing shaft and a wing film provided spreading over the front and rear wing shafts. Further, on the main body portion, a rotary actuator for driving the front wing shaft and a rotary actuator for: driving the rear wing shaft are mounted. The front (rear) wing shafts reciprocate in a plane orthogonally crossing an axis of rotation with the actuator serving as the fulcrum. Thus, a moving apparatus is obtained which has superior maneuverability and can move not hindered by any obstacle or geometry both indoors and outdoors.

Abstract: A transmitting apparatus and a receiving apparatus of a position detecting system execute a program including the steps of transmitting a laser beam; detecting an azimuth ?(Y) at which the laser beam is transmitted; detecting an azimuth ? at which the reflected laser beam is received; calculating a distance L(1) between the transmitting apparatus and a moving body from ?(Y), ? and a distance D between the transmitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus; and calculating a distance L(2) between the receiving apparatus and the moving body.

Abstract: On a main body portion of a fluttering apparatus, a wing (left wing) is formed which has a front wing shaft, a rear wing shaft and a wing film provided spreading over the front and rear wing shafts. Further, on the main body portion, a rotary actuator for driving the front wing shaft and a rotary actuator for driving the rear wing shaft are mounted. The front (rear) wing shafts reciprocate in a plane orthogonally crossing an axis of rotation with the actuator serving as the fulcrum. Thus, a moving apparatus is obtained which has superior maneuverability and can move not hindered by any obstacle or geometry both indoors and outdoors.

Abstract: A group robot system includes a plurality of sensing robots and a base station controlling the sensing robots, and establishes communication in a hierarchical manner. The hierarchical structure is formed of a plurality of levels between a plurality of sensing robots with base station as the highest hierarchical level. The first sensing robot detects an object; the second sensing robot conducts further search on the object; and the third sensing robot conducts communication relay between the first sensing robot and the base station. When the first sensing robot detects an object, the base station provides control such that all sensing robots, other than the first, second and third sensing robots, move outside the current area of search.

Abstract: A fluid-structure interactive analysis is performed while n types of wing structure models are caused to flap in accordance with a prescribed model of flapping manner. Based on an analysis, data 1, data 2, . . . data n of physical values related to fluid behavior and physical values related to structural behavior are calculated. Among data 1, data 2, . . . data n, a data having a prescribed parameter such as the lift force optimized is extracted. A prototype of a wing portion is formed, which has such a structure that is specified by various parameter values of the numerical model of wing structure corresponding to the extracted data. A driving unit 905 drives the prototype of the wing portion in a manner of flapping that is represented by the flapping motion model equivalent to the manner of flapping of an insect. At this time, the wing has a stiffness that is suitable for flapping flight so that prescribed parameters come to have optimal values.

Abstract: A flapping apparatus includes a first disk rotated by a driving source, and a second disk that rotates in contact with a main surface of the first disk. The second disk is provided with first and second stoppers that limit its angle of rotation. When the stopper is in contact with the first disk, rotation of a wing shaft is caused only by the rotation of the first disk, and when the stoppers are not in contact with the first disk, rotation of the wing shaft is caused only by the rotation of the second disk.

Abstract: A search robot system first divides the entire area of disaster into a mesh cell of an appropriate size, and arranges a search robot for each mesh cell. A search is made for a route of travel from an outermost mesh cell to a casualty and to an adjacent mesh cell. The search robot immediately communicates with a mother robot when a casualty is found. The search robot also communicates with the mother robot when a route to an adjacent mesh cell is found. In the search robot system, a new search robot is arranged to search in an adjacent mesh cell. Accordingly, a rescue activity that is a matter of time can be carried out by a plurality of robots.

Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a transmitter and a receiver for communicating communication data containing transmission data transmitted from an operator; and a data (physical data of his/her surrounding environment) analyzer for outputting a mental state and/or a physiological condition of the operator by estimating it based on the communication data. The communication apparatus enables smooth communication between a sending end and a receiving end.

Abstract: A numerical model related to fluttering of an insect, when an equivalent model of actual structure of a wing of the insect is moved in the air in accordance with a model of fluttering motion of the wing of the insect is calculated by fluid-structure interactive analysis, in which behavior of the wing and behavior of the air are given as numerical values, including interaction therebetween. Thereafter, a method of controlling a fluttering robot, wing shape and the like are determined by modifying numerical models of fluttering of an insect prepared by fluid-structure interactive analysis, in accordance with sensitivity analysis. Accordingly, a method of preparing numerical models of wing and air considering the behavior of the wing of the insect in the air is provided and, in addition, a method of manufacturing a fluttering robot utilizing the numerical model prepared by this method of preparing numerical model can be provided.

Abstract: A numerical model related to fluttering of an insect, when an equivalent model of actual structure of a wing of the insect is moved in the air in accordance with a model of fluttering motion of the wing of the insect is calculated by fluid-structure interactive analysis, in which behavior of the wing and behavior of the air are given as numerical values, including interaction therebetween. Thereafter, a method of controlling a fluttering robot, wing shape and the like are determined by modifying numerical models of fluttering of an insect prepared by fluid-structure interactive analysis, in accordance with sensitivity analysis. Accordingly, a method of preparing numerical models of wing and air considering the behavior of the wing of the insect in the air is provided and, in addition, a method of manufacturing a fluttering robot utilizing the numerical model prepared by this method of preparing numerical model can be provided.

Abstract: Communication system of a group robot system is made hierarchical, having a base station as an uppermost layer and a plurality of layers formed by a plurality of sensing robots, and the plurality of sensing robots are controlled such that a sensing robot belonging to an upper layer of the hierarchical structure has higher sensing resolution than a sensing robot belonging to a lower layer of the hierarchical structure. Thus, a group robot system capable of efficiently searching for an object can be obtained.

Abstract: On a main body portion of a fluttering apparatus, a wing (left wing) is formed which has a front wing shaft, a rear wing shaft and a wing film provided spreading over the front and rear wing shafts. Further, on the main body portion, a rotary actuator for driving the front wing shaft and a rotary actuator for driving the rear wing shaft are mounted. The front (rear) wing shafts reciprocate in a plane orthogonally crossing an axis of rotation with the actuator serving as the fulcrum. Thus, a moving apparatus is obtained which has superior maneuverability and can move not hindered by any obstacle or geometry both indoors and outdoors.

Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a transmitter and a receiver for communicating communication data containing transmission data transmitted from an operator; and a data (physical data of his/her surrounding environment) analyzer for outputting a mental state and/or a physiological condition of the operator by estimating it based on the communication data. The communication apparatus enables smooth communication between a sending end and a receiving end.

Abstract: A virtual ground type array has a number of electrically data-programmable, erasable memory cells, arranged matrix-wise in rows and columns. A multiple number of row lines are each connecting the control gates of memory cells located in one row and a multiple number of column lines are each commonly connecting the drain and source of memory cells constituting columns. The memory cells are programmed sequentially in the order of degree of the difference in charge amount in the floating gate from the erased state (data‘00’).

Abstract: A non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell section having a plurality of memory cells, each of the memory cells including a flash cell section and a DRAM capacitor section, the flash cell section having at least a drain, a source and a floating gate, the drain being connected to a bit line, the DRAM capacitor section having a capacitive element with two electrodes, one of the electrodes being connected to the source, and the other one of the electrodes being connected to a power supply terminal, and the memory cell being constructed in such a manner that electrons are injected into and extracted from the floating gate at least through the drain by a tunnel current; a register section connected to the memory cell section through the bit line; a bit line selector into which a signal from the bit line is input; and a sensing amplifier for receiving an output from the bit line selector as an input signal.

Abstract: In a virtual ground type semiconductor storage device, all of memory cells connected to one word line in blocks of eight memory cells are read in four sense operations. In each read operation, three consecutive main bit lines are discharged by a discharge signal and two memory cells which are each connected to both a discharged main bit line and a charged main bit line are used as read memory cells, whereby the influence of a leak current from both adjacent memory cells upon the read memory cells is suppressed to the minimum. Among adjust cells activated by an adjust signal, ones connected to only the charged main bit lines are designed as programmed cells to reduce a variation in leak current to a sense main bit line due to data retained in the memory cells connected to only the charged main bit lines.

Abstract: A verify operation is accurately collectively executed on all memory cells. In verify operation, first, the levels of a pre-charge signal .phi.pre and a collective erase verify mode selection signal .phi.aev are made to be "L", so that a common bit line 5 and all bit lines BL0 through BLm are individually charged with a pre-charge voltage Vpre. Thereafter, the level of the collective erase verify mode selection signal .phi.aev is made to be "H" to connect the common bit line 5 to all the bit lines BL0 through BLm and a sense amplifier 8, and all word lines WL0 through WLn are selected by a row decoder circuit 2. Then, there is watched an event that the common bit line 5 is discharged and an output signal OUT of the sense amplifier 8 becomes "L" due to the existence of a non-erased memory cell in a memory cell array 1.

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor storage device and writing method thereof are capable of concurrently executing a write operation and a verify operation of multi-value data into a plurality of memory cells and writing multi-value data at high speed. Latch circuits of Latch0 and Latch1 store an input multi-value data to be written into a memory cell selected by a bit line and a word line. Multi-value sense amplifiers read the multi-value data written in the memory cell. Based on the input multi-value data (latch nodes Q0#, Q1#) stored in the latch circuits of Latch0 and Latch1 and the multi-value data (sense nodes S0#, S1#) read from the memory cell by the multi-value sense amplifiers, a bit line voltage generating circuit applies a specified voltage for writing the input multi-value data into the memory cell to the bit line connected to the memory cell.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor storage device which impairs neither sensing sensitivity nor sensing speed even when a number of memory cells are connected to an extension bit line. A boosting circuit boosts a voltage at an input node by a sensing sensitivity .DELTA.V by a boost signal from a selecting circuit, thereby providing a potential difference .DELTA.V between a voltage at the input node connected to a selected memory cell of a memory cell array and a voltage at an input node on a reference side. A sense amplifier amplifies the potential difference .DELTA.V between the input node and the input node up to a voltage. Thus, a sufficient sensing sensitivity can be obtained without reducing a pre-charge voltage at the input node to a reference voltage. Therefore, a sufficient sensing sensitivity and a rapidly sensing speed can be secured even with a great bit line resistance existence due to the connection of a number of memory cells to the extension bit line.