Abstract: A target object setting unit sets a position of a target object in a work object. A feature point recognizer detects feature points of a work object from a captured image obtained by an image capturing apparatus, the image including the work object and a holdable object. A first position calculator calculates a position of the target object in a coordinate system of the image capturing apparatus based on the feature points. A second position calculator calculates a position of the holdable object in the coordinate system of the image capturing apparatus based on the captured image. A control signal generator converts the positions of the target object and the holdable object in the coordinate system of the image capturing apparatus, into positions in a coordinate system of the robot arm apparatus, and outputs a first control signal to the robot arm apparatus based on the converted positions of the target object and the holdable object, for moving the holdable object to the position of the target object.

Abstract: Provided is a robot hand including a movable unit, a hand that changes in shape in accordance with movement of the movable unit, and an elastic body that changes a gripping force of the hand. When the amount of movement of the movable unit is less than a predetermined value, at least the hand changes in shape, and when the amount of movement of the movable unit is more than or equal to the predetermined value, the elastic body changes in elastic force while at least a part of the hand stops changing in shape.

Abstract: A control system for a hand that is connectable to a robot arm and has a tip of which shape is deformable, includes an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the hand, and a controller that detects at least one specific deformed shape of the hand based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit, and performs a control on at least one of the hand and the robot arm according to the at least one specific deformed shape detected.

Abstract: An end effector control system that controls a plurality of end effectors connectable to a robot arm, the end effector control system including: an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of an end effector connected to the robot arm among the plurality of end effectors; an identification information acquisition unit that acquires identification information that identifies the end effector; a control unit that controls the end effector; and a memory having control information including a target position of each of the plurality of end effectors. The control unit acquires the identification information from the identification information acquisition unit, determines a target position of the end effector in accordance with the identification information and the control information, and controls the end effector to be located at the target position based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit.

Abstract: An appliance control method is for controlling a target appliance located in a building to disguise the number of people in the building. The method includes: obtaining an operation history of the target appliance (S101); determining a change in the number of people in the building (S102); creating, based on the operation history and the change in the number of people in the building, control patterns each of which is for controlling the target appliance and corresponds to a different one of the numbers of people including the number of people (S103); selecting, from among the created control patterns each of which corresponds to a different one of the numbers of the people, a control pattern which corresponds to the predetermined virtual number of people (S111); and controlling the target appliance according to the selected control pattern (S112).

Abstract: A distance measurement apparatus includes: an imaging element that images an object by performing exposure and readout of electric charges sequentially for each row or column; an optical system that has a controllable in-focus position; an imaging control unit that moves the in-focus position at constant speed, and causes the imaging element to image the object sequentially while the in-focus position is being moved, to obtain blurred images; a distance measurement unit that measures a distance from a reference position in the optical system to the object using the blurred images and a point spread function dependent on object distance; and a correction unit that performs a correction process on the distance for each row or column according to a movement range of the in-focus position in which the in-focus position is moved during the exposure for each row or column when the blurred images are obtained.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus including: an imaging unit that images an object and generates imaging data; an image processor that generates image data from the imaging data, and generates an imaging check-purpose image from the image data; and a displaying unit that displays the imaging check-purpose image. The image processor detects a blur amount of the image data, and calculates information relating to a distance to the object using the blur amount. The image processor determines a focus state of the image data, and divides the image data into a first region including a focused region and a second region which is a region other than the first region. The image processor generates the imaging check-purpose image by performing, on the image data, enhancement processing of enhancing a visual difference between the image data of the first region and the image data of the second region using the distance-relating information.

Abstract: An imaging device includes: a movable lens unit including at least one lens for converging light from a subject and a lens holder supporting the at least one lens; a body base supporting the movable lens unit so as to be capable of moving along a first direction and a second direction which are orthogonal to each other on a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the at least one lens and along a third direction which is parallel to the optical axis of the at least one lens; an imager being supported by the body base for converting light transmitted through the movable lens unit to an electrical signal; a driving mechanism being provided on the movable unit and/or body base for driving the movable lens unit along the first, second, and third directions; and a plurality of strain detectors provided between the movable unit and the body base.

Abstract: A distance measurement apparatus includes: an imaging element that images an object by performing exposure and readout of electric charges sequentially for each row or column; an optical system that has a controllable in-focus position; an imaging control unit that moves the in-focus position at constant speed, and causes the imaging element to image the object sequentially while the in-focus position is being moved, to obtain blurred images; a distance measurement unit that measures a distance from a reference position in the optical system to the object using the blurred images and a point spread function dependent on object distance; and a correction unit that performs a correction process on the distance for each row or column according to a movement range of the in-focus position in which the in-focus position is moved during the exposure for each row or column when the blurred images are obtained.

Abstract: A movement control apparatus includes: an actuator that causes a driven body connected to a driving coil to perform reciprocating movement; a signal generation unit that generates a velocity command signal which indicates a target velocity of the driven body; a driving unit that supplies electric current corresponding to a driving signal to the driving coil; a voltage detection unit that detects induced voltage generated in the driving coil, and outputs a voltage signal corresponding to the induced voltage; a signal correction unit that corrects, based on the driving signal and the voltage signal, the voltage signal to adjust a shift of a resistance value from a reference resistance value of the driving coil, thereby generating a velocity signal; and a control unit that generates the driving signal based on the velocity command signal and the velocity signal, and outputs the driving signal to the driving unit.

Abstract: A lens unit according to the present invention includes: a first lens group and a second lens group being disposed in series on the same optical axis to have a light-converging function, the first lens group and the second lens group each including at least one lens; a first lens barrel 1 retaining the first lens group; a second lens barrel 2 retaining the second lens group and encasing at least a portion of the first lens barrel; and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting relative positioning along an optical axis direction, tilt between respective optical axes, and mutual radial deviation, of the first lens barrel and the second lens barrel.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes: an imaging device which receives incident light through an optical system, and converts the received light into image data of an image; a memory which stores the image data converted; a motion detecting unit which detects a motion of the image capturing apparatus during an exposure period; an image generating unit which generates an image indicating the detected motion; and a display control unit which causes the display unit to display the generated image.

Abstract: An exposure controller according to the present disclosure is to be arranged on an optical path, and includes first and second light quantity regulators, each of which has a first region that has a property of transmitting a light beam polarized in a particular direction and a second region that does not have the property of transmitting a light beam polarized in the particular direction. The exposure controller regulates the quantity of light by rotating the first and second light quantity regulators.

Abstract: A camera driving apparatus according to the present invention includes a camera section 100; a fixed unit including a protrusion section 202 at least partially formed of a magnetic member and has a shape of at least a part of a spherical face; a movable unit, the movable unit including an attracting magnet 404 for generating a magnetic attracting force, and a conical contact face with which the protrusion section of the fixed unit is loosely engageable and contactable by the magnetic attracting force, the movable unit being freely pivotable with respect to a sphere center of the spherical face of the protrusion section; a panning driving section; a tilting driving section; a rolling driving section; a detector; and a line 310? spirally wound around the protrusion section 202 for connecting the camera section and an external circuit provided on the fixed unit to each other.

Abstract: An appliance control method is for controlling a target appliance located in a building to disguise the number of people in the building. The method includes: obtaining an operation history of the target appliance (S101); determining a change in the number of people in the building (S102); creating, based on the operation history and the change in the number of people in the building, control patterns each of which is for controlling the target appliance and corresponds to a different one of the numbers of people including the number of people (S103); selecting, from among the created control patterns each of which corresponds to a different one of the numbers of the people, a control pattern which corresponds to the predetermined virtual number of people (S111); and controlling the target appliance according to the selected control pattern (S112).

Abstract: An imaging device includes: a movable lens unit including at least one lens for converging light from a subject and a lens holder supporting the at least one lens; a body base supporting the movable lens unit so as to be capable of moving along a first direction and a second direction which are orthogonal to each other on a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the at least one lens and along a third direction which is parallel to the optical axis of the at least one lens; an imager being supported by the body base for converting light transmitted through the movable lens unit to an electrical signal; a driving mechanism being provided on the movable unit and/or body base for driving the movable lens unit along the first, second, and third directions; and a plurality of strain detectors provided between the movable unit and the body base.

Abstract: An exposure controller according to the present disclosure is to be arranged on an optical path, and includes first and second light quantity regulators, each of which has a first region that has a property of transmitting a light beam polarized in a particular direction and a second region that does not have the property of transmitting a light beam polarized in the particular direction. The exposure controller regulates the quantity of light by rotating the first and second light quantity regulators.

Abstract: A lens unit according to the present invention includes: a first lens group and a second lens group being disposed in series on the same optical axis to have a light-converging function, the first lens group and the second lens group each including at least one lens; a first lens barrel 1 retaining the first lens group; a second lens barrel 2 retaining the second lens group and encasing at least a portion of the first lens barrel; and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting relative positioning along an optical axis direction, tilt between respective optical axes, and mutual radial deviation, of the first lens barrel and the second lens barrel.

Abstract: A lens unit according to the present invention includes: a barrel, which has first and second openings and an inner space defined along a center axis between the first and second openings; and lenses held in the inner space. In each pair of adjacent lenses, when projected parallel to their optical axis, one lens located closer to the second opening has a greater projection than the other lens located closer to the first opening. The barrel has inner side surface portions, which are arranged parallel to the center axis to define cross sections corresponding to the respective projections of the lenses. In each pair of adjacent inner side surface portions, one portion located closer to the second opening has a greater cross section than the other portion located closer to the first opening. The barrel has main grooves cut on the inner side surface portions to run from the first opening toward the second opening.

Abstract: A movement control apparatus includes: an actuator that causes a driven body connected to a driving coil to perform reciprocating movement; a signal generation unit that generates a velocity command signal which indicates a target velocity of the driven body; a driving unit that supplies electric current corresponding to a driving signal to the driving coil; a voltage detection unit that detects induced voltage generated in the driving coil, and outputs a voltage signal corresponding to the induced voltage; a signal correction unit that corrects, based on the driving signal and the voltage signal, the voltage signal to adjust a shift of a resistance value from a reference resistance value of the driving coil, thereby generating a velocity signal; and a control unit that generates the driving signal based on the velocity command signal and the velocity signal, and outputs the driving signal to the driving unit.