Abstract: A device for manufacturing a laminated iron core includes a die and a punch configured to punch iron core pieces out of a thin-plate workpiece, a squeeze ring in which the iron core pieces are laminated, and a back-pressure device configured to apply back pressure to the laminated iron core pieces from a side opposite to the punch in a forward-backward direction of the punch. The back-pressure device includes a support body configured to move in the forward-backward direction, a biasing member configured to bias the laminated iron core pieces toward the punch, a drive device having an output shaft, and a conversion mechanism configured to convert rotary motion of the output shaft into linear motion of the support body in the forward-backward direction.

Abstract: A punch press includes a die, a punch, a support that supports the punch, a shifting member, and a rotating mechanism. The shifting member includes an opposing surface that opposes the punch. The shifting member is movable toward and away from the die together with the support and the punch and rotatable about an axis extending in a direction in which the shifting member moves toward and away from the die. The shifting member includes a recess in the opposing surface. The rotating mechanism rotates the shifting member about the axis to shift the shifting member between an abutment position where the basal end surface of the punch is abut against the opposing surface and a retraction position where the basal end surface of the punch is retracted into the recess.

Abstract: A line segment detection method includes acquiring an image, extracting from the image a straight line that includes a line segment, acquiring a luminance distribution of the straight line, generating a virtual function model that contains a distribution of a foreground and a background of the image by using the luminance distribution, and determining whether luminance values near end points (start point and end point) of the line segment contained in the virtual function model probabilistically belong to the foreground or the background, and estimating end points (start point and end point) in the virtual function model.

Abstract: A moving body observation method includes acquiring time-series images taken at a predetermined time interval, obtaining an estimated position of a moving body in the time-series image based on an estimated motion of the moving body, extracting an image including the estimated position of the moving body from images of the time-series images, as an extracted image, generating a template image by stacking the extracted images in such a manner that reference points of the moving body in the extracted images coincide with each other, and identifying a position of the moving body in each of the time-series images by performing template matching using the template image for at least one of the time-series images.

Abstract: A device for manufacturing a laminated iron core includes a die and a punch configured to punch iron core pieces out of a thin-plate workpiece, a squeeze ring in which the iron core pieces are laminated, and a back-pressure device configured to apply back pressure to the laminated iron core pieces from a side opposite to the punch in a forward-backward direction of the punch. The back-pressure device includes a support body configured to move in the forward-backward direction, a biasing member configured to bias the laminated iron core pieces toward the punch, a drive device having an output shaft, and a conversion mechanism configured to convert rotary motion of the output shaft into linear motion of the support body in the forward-backward direction.

Abstract: A punch press includes a die, a punch, a support that supports the punch, a shifting member, and a rotating mechanism. The shifting member includes an opposing surface that opposes the punch. The shifting member is movable toward and away from the die together with the support and the punch and rotatable about an axis extending in a direction in which the shifting member moves toward and away from the die. The shifting member includes a recess in the opposing surface. The rotating mechanism rotates the shifting member about the axis to shift the shifting member between an abutment position where the basal end surface of the punch is abut against the opposing surface and a retraction position where the basal end surface of the punch is retracted into the recess.

Abstract: A line segment detection method includes acquiring an image, extracting from the image a straight line that includes a line segment, acquiring a luminance distribution of the straight line, generating a virtual function model that contains a distribution of a foreground and a background of the image by using the luminance distribution, and determining whether luminance values near end points (start point and end point) of the line segment contained in the virtual function model probabilistically belong to the foreground or the background, and estimating end points (start point and end point) in the virtual function model.

Abstract: A rotary lamination apparatus has a die assembly rotatable about an axis and a mounting table received in an axial hole extending through the die assembly. Through rotation of the die assembly, punched core pieces are mounted on the mounting table while being rotatively offset. A drive portion is employed to rotate the mounting table integrally with the die assembly about the axis of the die assembly.

Abstract: When correction values are respectively determined for noise components of “OFFSET COMPONENT OF CCD ELEMENT”, “GRADATION COMPONENT OF BACKGROUND LIGHT” and “OFFSET COMPONENT OF OPTICAL SYSTEM”, the pixel values including as less of these noise components as possible are evaluated. The evaluated pixel values include a noise component of “THERMAL NOISE PLUS READOUT NOISE COMPONENT” which is superposed onto the pixel values. With this taken into consideration, a moving object detection method of an embodiment photographs multiple images of a moving object being an observation object with a photographic area fixed, selects the smallest pixel value in each group of corresponding pixels across the images from image signals representing the images, evaluates image signals including as less of the four noise components as possible by using the smallest pixel value as the correction value for the four noise components.

Abstract: A moving object detection method according to an embodiment includes evaluating an average value, instead of a median value, of pixel values at the same pixel positions across multiple superposed images. A threshold value obtained by multiplying the average value by a predetermined number is employed to distinguish space debris from an object which emits light at a higher luminance than the space debris. In order to detect the space debris accurately, an average value of the pixel values that are equal to or less than the threshold is employed as an evaluation value for the space debris detection.

Abstract: A moving object detection method according to an embodiment includes evaluating an average value, instead of a median value, of pixel values at the same pixel positions across multiple superposed images. A threshold value obtained by multiplying the average value by a predetermined number is employed to distinguish space debris from an object which emits light at a higher luminance than the space debris. In order to detect the space debris accurately, an average value of the pixel values that are equal to or less than the threshold is employed as an evaluation value for the space debris detection.

Abstract: A moving object detection method according to an embodiment performs a stacking process step of: dividing captured images into p groups each including m successive images; and for each group, applying a stacking method to the m images. Subsequently, for each group, the method extracts a candidate for space debris based on an evaluation value for space debris detection, which is obtained from pixel values at the same pixel positions overlapping one another across the m images superposed one another. Thereafter, the method judges whether the extracted candidate for the space debris in each group is chosen as a final candidate for the space debris based on the coincidence or proximity in terms of the movement direction and the moving velocity.

Abstract: (A) One or both of an object and a robot are measured by measuring units to acquire sensor information. (B) The internal state of one or both of the object and the robot is predicted and updated by a state estimation unit on the basis of the sensor information. (C) The internal state is stored by a data storage unit. (D) The robot is controlled by a robot control unit. At (B), the internal state is updated by the state estimation unit at an arbitrary timing that is independent of the control cycle of the robot. At (D), a prediction value necessary for controlling the robot is calculated by the robot control unit at a control cycle on the basis of the latest internal state stored in the data storage unit.

Abstract: A rotary lamination apparatus has a die assembly rotatable about an axis and a mounting table received in an axial hole extending through the die assembly. Through rotation of the die assembly, punched core pieces are mounted on the mounting table while being rotatively offset. A drive portion is employed to rotate the mounting table integrally with the die assembly about the axis of the die assembly.

Abstract: When correction values are respectively determined for noise components of “OFFSET COMPONENT OF CCD ELEMENT”, “GRADATION COMPONENT OF BACKGROUND LIGHT” and “OFFSET COMPONENT OF OPTICAL SYSTEM”, the pixel values including as less of these noise components as possible are evaluated. The evaluated pixel values include a noise component of “THERMAL NOISE PLUS READOUT NOISE COMPONENT” which is superposed onto the pixel values. With this taken into consideration, a moving object detection method of an embodiment photographs multiple images of a moving object being an observation object with a photographic area fixed, selects the smallest pixel value in each group of corresponding pixels across the images from image signals representing the images, evaluates image signals including as less of the four noise components as possible by using the smallest pixel value as the correction value for the four noise components.

Abstract: A moving object detection method according to an embodiment performs a stacking process step of: dividing captured images into p groups each including m successive images; and for each group, applying a stacking method to the m images. Subsequently, for each group, the method extracts a candidate for space debris based on an evaluation value for space debris detection, which is obtained from pixel values at the same pixel positions overlapping one another across the m images superposed one another. Thereafter, the method judges whether the extracted candidate for the space debris in each group is chosen as a final candidate for the space debris based on the coincidence or proximity in terms of the movement direction and the moving velocity.

Abstract: A moving object detection method according to an embodiment includes evaluating an average value, instead of a median value, of pixel values at the same pixel positions across multiple superposed images. A threshold value obtained by multiplying the average value by a predetermined number is employed to distinguish space debris from an object which emits light at a higher luminance than the space debris. In order to detect the space debris accurately, an average value of the pixel values that are equal to or less than the threshold is employed as an evaluation value for the space debris detection.

Abstract: A rotary lamination apparatus has a die assembly rotatable about an axis and a mounting table received in an axial hole extending through the die assembly. Through rotation of the die assembly, punched core pieces are mounted on the mounting table while being rotatively offset. A drive mechanism is employed to rotate the mounting table integrally with the die assembly about the axis of the die assembly.

Abstract: (A) One or both of an object and a robot are measured by measuring units to acquire sensor information. (B) The internal state of one or both of the object and the robot is predicted and updated by a state estimation unit on the basis of the sensor information. (C) The internal state is stored by a data storage unit. (D) The robot is controlled by a robot control unit. At (B), the internal state is updated by the state estimation unit at an arbitrary timing that is independent of the control cycle of the robot. At (D), a prediction value necessary for controlling the robot is calculated by the robot control unit at a control cycle on the basis of the latest internal state stored in the data storage unit.

Abstract: A press apparatus includes a mounting table and a pressing member. A workpiece formed of a plurality of laminated core sheets is placed on the mounting table, and the pressing member is used for pressing the workpiece on the mounting table from above. The mounting table is supported by a base member so as to be loosely movable in a horizontal plane. When the pressing member is lowered, a positioning member determines the position of the workpiece such that the core sheets of the workpiece are aligned along a single vertical axis.