Abstract: A mobile robot, which enables sure detection of external environments including obstacles around the mobile robot, without being affected by a posture change of the mobile robot, and includes: an obstacle detection sensor, placed on a stage that can sway, which detects an obstacle around the mobile robot; and an actuator which controls a posture of the obstacle detection sensor in a pitching direction by oscillating the stage.

Abstract: A multi-joint drive mechanism includes a bone-member layer member in which a plurality of bone members are arranged in arrays and in a generally planar fashion, the plurality of bone members being movably coupled at coupling portions, and elastically expanding/contracting members which are arranged so as to stretch over the coupling portions on one side or both sides of the bone-member layer member and moreover which are fixed between the plurality of bone members, wherein the multi-joint drive mechanism drives flexural motions of joints between the plurality of adjoining bone members by expanding or contracting the elastically expanding/contracting member.

Abstract: An image acquired by an image sensor is recorded, and the blur amount of the recorded image is changed in accordance with a blur amount determined beforehand.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring a temperature of a high temperature liquid contained in a furnace. An optical fiber covered with a metallic tube is inserted through a passageway inside a nozzle arranged on a furnace wall of the furnace. The nozzle communicates with an interior of the furnace containing the liquid, and gas is supplied into the passageway inside the nozzle to prevent the nozzle from clogging. The metal-covered optical fiber is fed through the passageway inside the nozzle into the liquid such that spectral light radiated from the liquid enters a tip of the metal-covered optical fiber and is propagated therealong. The temperature of the liquid is determined by a radiation thermometer, coupled to the metal-covered optical fiber, based on the spectral light propagated along the metal-covered optical fiber.