Abstract: A bipedal robot of the present invention has a trunk consisting of an upper trunk and a lower trunk which are rotatable around a rotation axis relative to one another. The upper trunk has shoulders on the right and left sides. An arm is provided at each shoulder. A pair of right and left legs is attached to lower ends of the lower trunk. A storage battery is mounted to the back of the upper trunk, positioned within a shoulder width. The storage battery is positioned below the top of a head mounted on the upper trunk. When the robot walks a narrow passage or corridor having a width slightly larger than the width thereof, for example, this arrangement prevents the storage battery from interfering with the passage or the like.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material, including a heating unit having a heater and a flexible sleeve to be rotated in contact with the heater; an elastic roller for constituting a nip portion, in cooperation with the heater and through the flexible sleeve, for heating the recording material under pinching and conveying; and a frame having a roller supporting portion for supporting the heating unit and the elastic roller; wherein the frame has a guide portion for mounting the heating unit on the frame; and the roller supporting portion of the frame is positioned, in a conveying direction of the recording material, in a downstream position of an imaginary line passing through a center of the guide portion.

Abstract: A printer control unit starts operations related to next image information signals following a predetermined period required for executing post-processing operations after thermally fixing all toner images related to previous image information signals on recording mediums by a fixing device. Furthermore, the printer control unit sets a predetermined period required for executing post-processing operations based on information related to the environment in which the laser printer is situated. This arrangement prevents slippage of sheets at the fixing unit.

Abstract: A driver monitoring system for a vehicle includes an image capturing means for capturing an image of a driver's seat, and a controlling means for performing a face identification determination, and an inattentive and drowsy driving determination of a driver based on an image captured by the image capturing means, wherein the controlling means determines whether or not a driver on the driver's seat is a registered driver on the basis of an image captured by the image capturing means when a shifting means is in a parking position, and determines whether or not a driver is looking aside or falling asleep on the basis of an image captured by the image capturing means when the shifting means is in a shift position other than the parking position.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus has a heat member for heating an unfixed image and is configured so that a longitudinal center of the heat member becomes a conveyance center of the recording material, the image forming apparatus including a central portion temperature detection part adjacent to the conveyance center, an end portion temperature detection part for detecting an end portion temperature of the heat member, and a width detection part for detecting a lateral width of the recording material, wherein the width detection part is disposed at a side opposite to a side at which the end portion temperature detection part is disposed with respect to the conveyance center position of the recording material. The image forming apparatus achieves the control for error setting of the recording material based on the width detection part and the end portion temperature detection part.

Abstract: A bipedal robot has an upper body that includes a higher upper body and a lower upper body. The higher upper body and the lower upper body are coupled to each other by a rotating mechanism so as to be rotatable with respect to each other about a vertical axis of rotation. Two legs extend from the lower upper body, and two arms extend from respective shoulders on opposite sides of the higher upper body. The higher upper body of the robot has a thickness in a forward/rearward direction and the lower upper body has a width in a lateral direction, the thickness and the width being smaller than the width in a lateral direction of the robot at the shoulders. An electric energy storage device, which serves as a power supply for operating the robot is mounted in the higher upper body, and an electronic circuit unit for controlling operation of the robot are mounted in the lower upper body.

Abstract: A paraquat resistance gene and a vascular tissue- and trichome-specific promoter are provided. The paraquat resistance gene and the vascular tissue- and trichome-specific promoter are isolated by identifying and analyzing genes of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Abstract: An electric energy storage device has a power supply for operating a robot and is mounted on an upper body of the robot at a position such that the electric energy storage device has a center-of-gravity point present upwardly and rearwardly of the center-of-gravity point of the robot from which the electric energy storage device is removed and which is in an upstanding state. Shoulders of arms extending from the upper body of the robot have a center positioned forwardly of the center-of-gravity point. An imaging device for robot vision is supported on an upper end of the upper body of the robot by an attachment, which is positioned forwardly of the center-of-gravity point. It is thus possible to achieve attitude stability with ease when the robot walks and works.

Abstract: A vehicular navigation device for presenting a navigation content by continuing a predetermined inputting operation for navigation till the last step even if the used state changes. The navigation device comprises a presentation unit (6) for presenting a navigation content, a manual input unit (3) for receiving a plurality of inputting operations, a speech input unit (4) for receiving a speech input operation substantially identical to that of the manual input unit (3), a database (5) stored with data necessary for navigation, and a control unit (2) for providing the navigation content to the presentation unit (6) by searching the database (5) according to the inputting operation from the manual input unit (3) or the speech input unit (4).

Abstract: An X-ray diagnostic system is provided, which uses X-rays to image the lower limb of an object under conditions suitable for a flow of an X-ray contrast agent injected into the object. In the system, a C-shaped arm supports both an X-ray tube and an X-ray detector so that an object-laid tabletop is located between both the tube and the detector. For instance, one of the tabletop and the C-shaped arm is relatively moved to the other so that the object is imaged along a body-axis direction thereof. The apparatus is able to perform a fluoroscopic scan to obtain a body-axis directional fluoroscopic image of the agent-injected object and to set imaging parameters, region by region in the body-axis direction, necessary for an imaging scan using the fluoroscopic image. The imaging parameters are used for the imaging scan of the agent-injected object.

Abstract: A heater, or an image heating apparatus including the heater includes a substrate, heat generating resistors formed at least in a cycle path on the substrate, and current supply electrodes provided at electrical ends of the heat generating resistors, wherein plural heat generating resistors are connected in parallel to at least one of the current supply electrodes. Thus there can be obtained a heater having excellent heat generating characteristics even in a compact dimension and an image heating apparatus utilizing such heater.

Abstract: A printer control unit starts operations related to next image information signals following a predetermined period required for executing post-processing operations after thermally fixing all toner images related to previous image information signals on recording mediums by a fixing device. Furthermore, the printer control unit sets a predetermined period required for executing post-processing operations based on information related to the environment in which the laser printer is situated. This arrangement prevents slippage of sheets at the fixing unit.

Abstract: A vehicle door comprises an outer door panel, an inner door panel formed with an aperture, a plastic mounting panel to which functional devices of the vehicle door are installed. The plastic mounting panel is installed to the inner door panel to close up the aperture. A door lock/unlock mechanism is attached to the inner door panel and a linking member is connected to the lock/unlock mechanism through which the lock/unlock mechanism is operated to lock and unlock the vehicle door. The linking member extends along an inner side of the plastic mounting panel, passes through a guide hole formed in the plastic mounting panel and extends along an exterior side of the plastic mounting panel. A cover member covers the lock/unlock mechanism and the part of the linking member on the exterior side of the plastic mounting panel to prevent unauthorized access.

Abstract: An X-ray diagnosis apparatus is configured to control at least one of the X-ray diaphragm which restricts the irradiation range of the X-ray and the compensation filter which attenuates the amount of the X-ray based on at least one of the rotation position or the position parallel to the body axis of the X-ray source.

Abstract: A bipedal robot of the present invention has a trunk consisting of an upper trunk and a lower trunk which are rotatable around a rotation axis relative to one another. The upper trunk has shoulders on the right and left sides. An arm is provided at each shoulder. A pair of right and left legs is attached to lower ends of the lower trunk. A storage battery is mounted to the back of the upper trunk, positioned within a shoulder width. The storage battery is positioned below the top of a head mounted on the upper trunk. When the robot walks a narrow passage or corridor having a width slightly larger than the width thereof, for example, this arrangement prevents the storage battery from interfering with the passage or the like.

Abstract: An electric energy storage device 6 as a power supply for operating a robot is mounted on an upper body 1 of the robot at such a position that the electric energy storage device 6 has a center-of-gravity point B present upwardly and rearwardly of the center-of-gravity point A of the robot from which the electric energy storage device 6 is removed and which is in an upstanding state. Shoulders 10 of arms 3 extending from the upper body 1 of the robot have a center C positioned forwardly of the center-of-gravity point A. An imaging device 22 for robot vision is supported on an upper end of the upper body 1 of the robot by an attachment 2 which is positioned forwardly of the center-of-gravity point A. It is thus possible to achieve attitude stability with ease when the robot walks and works.

Abstract: A bipedal robot has an upper body 1 which comprises a higher upper body 5 and a lower upper body 6. The higher upper body 5 and the lower upper body 6 are coupled to each other by a rotating mechanism 13 so as to be rotatable with respect to each other about a vertical axis C of rotation. Two legs 2 extend from the lower upper body 6, and two arms 3 extend from respective shoulders 14 on opposite sides of the higher upper body 5. The higher upper body 5 of the robot has a thickness D in a forward/rearward direction and the lower upper body 6 has a width Wd in a lateral direction, the thickness D and the width Wd being smaller than the width Wu in a lateral direction of the robot at shoulders 14 (shoulder width Wu). An electric energy storage device 8 as a power supply for operating the robot is mounted in the higher upper body 5, and an electronic circuit unit 11 for controlling operation of the robot is mounted in the lower upper body 6.

Abstract: A heater, or an image heating apparatus including the heater includes a substrate, heat generating resistors formed at least in a cycle path on the substrate, and current supply electrodes provided at electrical ends of the heat generating resistors, wherein plural heat generating resistors are connected in parallel to at least one of the current supply electrodes. Thus there can be obtained a heater having excellent heat generating characteristics even in a compact dimension and an image heating apparatus utilizing such heater.

Abstract: An agent for regulating the differentiation of cells or organs, which comprises a redox-state regulator of cells, a method of controlling the differentiation or development of an organism using the agent, and an organism obtained according to the method are provided.

Abstract: The image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material, comprising a sliding member and a supporting member for holding the sliding member and a pressure member which forms a nip part, wherein a portion of said supporting member which forms the nip part projects from a surface of the sliding member on the nip part side. The image heating apparatus can suppress a decrease in durability of a flexible rotary body.