Abstract: There is provided a map production method to be performed by a mobile robot which moves in a first region and includes a first sensor and a second sensor. The map production method includes acquiring first information from the first sensor, acquiring second information from the second sensor, acquiring third information from a third sensor provided in the first region, acquiring fourth information indicating a detection region of the second sensor calculated from the first information and the second information, acquiring fifth information indicating a detection region of the third sensor calculated from the third information, and updating map information of the first region for a third region, including a first object, if a the second region overlaps with the third region is judged to be present from the fourth information and the fifth information.

Abstract: A mapping method includes: acquiring first map information created in advance, including information about a surrounding area of a mobile robot; acquiring second map information including information about the surrounding area by a sensor of the mobile robot; receiving third map information including information about the surrounding area from an environmental sensor node; (i) in the third map information, if a place exists in which an amount of change over time is equal to or greater than a certain threshold value, removing information about the place in each of the first and the second map information corresponding to that place, or alternatively, increasing the variance of information about the place in each of the first and the second map information corresponding to that place; and (ii) creating map information using the first and the second map information subjected to the removal or the variance increase.

Abstract: A medical knife which maintains low penetration resistance, without the maximum-width parts of the medical knife creating sudden changes in penetration resistance even when passing through tissue. Knife includes a pointed tip, a cutting part which has edges having first oblique faces which are formed along the outer periphery, and second oblique faces which are formed inside the first oblique faces. Maximum-width parts are formed contiguously with the cutting part. A shank part is formed contiguously with the maximum-width parts. The cutting part is formed in such a way that the shape of the planar projection thereof becomes wider from the pointed tip towards the maximum-width parts, and the first oblique faces extend further towards the shank part side than the second oblique faces over at least one portion of the area running from the maximum-width parts to the shank part.

Abstract: A positional measurement system includes: a mobile robot including a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signal reception unit that receives GNSS signals and calculates a position of the mobile robot based on the GNSS signals, a GNSS signal precision evaluation unit that evaluates positional measurement precision by the received GNSS signals, and a position control unit that moves the mobile robot to a high-precision reception position, where GNSS signals yielding positional measurement precision higher than a first threshold precision can be received; a relative position detection unit that detects a relative position of a target as to the mobile robot situated at the high-precision reception position; and a target position calculation unit that calculates a position of the target based on the calculated position of the mobile robot based on the GNSS signals received at the high-precision reception position, and the relative position.

Abstract: A method includes, with a sensor mounted on a vehicle, measuring information of an infrastructure used by the vehicle, and first drive assisting information that is used to perform a drive assisting operation of the vehicle, transmitting the information of the infrastructure to an infrastructure inspection apparatus mounted in the infrastructure when the sensor measures the information of the infrastructure, receiving, from the infrastructure inspection apparatus, second drive assisting information that is used to perform the drive assisting operation of the vehicle, performing the drive assisting operation of the vehicle in response to the first drive assisting information if the sensor measures the first drive assisting information, and performing the drive assisting operation of the vehicle in response to the second drive assisting information if the sensor measures the information of the infrastructure.

Abstract: An inspection method includes, with a sensor mounted in an infrastructure, measuring drive assisting information that is to be used to perform a drive assisting operation of a target vehicle that uses the infrastructure, transmitting the drive assisting information to the target vehicle, receiving, from the target vehicle, information of the infrastructure measured by the target vehicle, and inspecting the infrastructure using the information of the infrastructure.

Abstract: An image processing method includes acquiring consecutive time-series images captured by an onboard camera and including at least one image having a first annotation indicating a first region; determining, for each of the images, in reverse chronological order from an image of the last time point, whether the first region exists in the image based on whether the first annotation is attached; identifying the first image of a first time point for which the first region is determined not to exist, and setting a second region including a partial region of an object in the identified first image, indicating the moving object that is obstructed by the object before appearing on the path, and having dimensions based on dimensions of the first region in an image of a second time point immediately after the first time point; and attaching a second annotation to the image corresponding to the second time point, the second annotation indicating the second region.

Abstract: An image processing method includes acquiring consecutive time-series images captured by an onboard camera of a vehicle, having a first annotation indicating two or more first regions, and at least including one or more images in which the two or more first regions are on a path of the vehicle and a distance therebetween is smaller than or equal to a threshold; determining, in reverse chronological order from an image of the last time point, positions of the two or more regions in each consecutive time-series image; identifying, from among the consecutive time-series images, the first image of a first time point in which none of the two or more first regions are located on the path, and setting, as a second region, a region between the two or more first regions in the identified first image; and attaching a second annotation to the first image corresponding to the first time point, the second annotation indicating the second region.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method capable of accurately recognizing that a person will appear on a road and certainly notifying the person that an autonomous moving body has recognized a place where the person will appear are disclosed. An apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure detects, as a recognition target, a person appearance area, in which a person will appear, formed by a recognition target presentation apparatus on a road and presents, to the person, a result of recognition indicating that the autonomous moving body has recognized the person appearance area as a result of the detection of the recognition target.

Abstract: A risk prediction method executed by a computer of a risk predictor using a convolutional neural network, the method including making the convolutional neural network acquire an input image taken by an in-vehicle camera installed on a vehicle, making the convolutional neural network estimate a risk area and a feature of the risk area, the risk area being in the acquired input image, the risk area having a possibility that a moving object may appear from the risk area into a travelling path of the vehicle and the moving object may collide with the vehicle in a case where the vehicle simply continues running, and making the convolutional neural network output the estimated risk area and the estimated feature of the risk area as a risk predicted for the input image.

Abstract: A graphics display processing device including: a graphics processor that executes GPU instructions based on a primary drawing instruction and a secondary drawing instruction; an acquirer) that acquires the primary drawing instruction and the secondary drawing instruction; an estimator that calculates an estimated GPU processing time required for executing the GPU instructions; a determiner that determines, using the estimated GPU processing time, which of the primary drawing instruction and the secondary drawing instruction is to be executed first; an issuance controller that performs a control when the primary drawing instruction is to be executed first, causing the primary drawing instruction to be issued and issuance of the secondary drawing instruction to be postponed; an instruction issuer that issues each drawing instruction according to the control of the issuance controller; and a graphics driver that generates the GPU instructions by executing each drawing instruction issued.

Abstract: There is provided a map production method to be performed by a mobile robot which moves in a first region and includes a first sensor and a second sensor. The map production method includes acquiring first information from the first sensor, acquiring second information from the second sensor, acquiring third information from a third sensor provided in the first region, acquiring fourth information indicating a detection region of the second sensor calculated from the first information and the second information, acquiring fifth information indicating a detection region of the third sensor calculated from the third information, and updating map information of the first region for a third region, including a first object, if a the second region overlaps with the third region is judged to be present from the fourth information and the fifth information.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a straight knife includes pressing one end of a rounded austenitic stainless steel rod flat and press-cutting away an excess portion of the flattened end to form a blade; grinding the blade to form a slanted surface and an edge along at least a portion of the periphery of the blade; removing burrs along the slanted surface and the edge of the blade by electrolytic polishing or chemical polishing; and continuing with the electrolytic polishing or chemical polishing to form, at a tip of the slanted surface, a cutting portion of the blade having a cross-sectional shape defined by convex curves.

Abstract: A method of packaging medical supplies includes overlapping a front film onto a back film, at least one of the front and back film being transparent and bacteria impermeable and does not transmit molecules as large as or larger than O2, extending a material that is gas permeable and bacteria impermeable along an opening side of at least one of the front and back film, and sealing the periphery of the front and back films except for the opening to form a packaging bag; inserting medical supplies in the packaging bag and then sealing the bag; sterilizing an interior of the packaging bag with EO gas injected through the material that is gas permeable and bacteria impermeable, removing the gas after sterilization and drying; and sealing the packaging bag so that the material that is gas permeable and bacteria impermeable does not communicate with the inside of the packaging bag.

Abstract: When a predetermined application program becomes the target of execution on a virtual machine that is currently being executed, the virtual machine that is currently being executed is designated as a parent virtual machine, and a child virtual machine to execute the predetermined application program is generated by forking. The generated child virtual machine is configured not to execute any application program other than the predetermined application program. The parent virtual machine executes a dummy application program instead of the predetermined application program.

Abstract: A virtual machine system that restricts use of confidential information only to the case where an authentication has resulted in success. The virtual machine system includes first virtual machine, second virtual machine, and hypervisor. The first virtual machine includes: storage unit storing confidential information; and authentication unit configured to perform authentication and notify the hypervisor of result of the authentication. The second virtual machine uses virtual device that is virtualized storage device. When having received authentication result indicating authentication success from the authentication unit, the hypervisor enables the second virtual machine to access, as substance of the virtual device, storage area storing the confidential information, and when not having received the authentication result indicating the authentication success from the authentication unit, the hypervisor disables the second virtual machine from accessing the storage area storing the confidential information.

Abstract: A medical knife which maintains low penetration resistance, without the maximum-width parts of the medical knife creating sudden changes in penetration resistance even when passing through tissue. Knife includes a pointed tip, a cutting part which has edges having first oblique faces which are formed along the outer periphery, and second oblique faces which are formed inside the first oblique faces. Maximum-width parts are formed contiguously with the cutting part. A shank part is formed contiguously with the maximum-width parts. The cutting part is formed in such a way that the shape of the planar projection thereof becomes wider from the pointed tip towards the maximum-width parts, and the first oblique faces extend further towards the shank part side than the second oblique faces over at least one portion of the area running from the maximum-width parts to the shank part.

Abstract: Provided is a medical knife which makes it possible to maintain low penetration resistance, without the maximum-width parts of the medical knife creating sudden changes in penetration resistance even when passing through tissue. A knife comprises: a pointed tip; a cutting part which has edges consisting of first oblique faces which are formed along the outer periphery and second oblique faces which are formed inside the first oblique faces; maximum-width parts; and a shank part which is formed contiguously with the maximum-width parts. The cutting part is formed in such a way that the shape of the planar projection thereof becomes wider from the pointed tip towards the maximum-width parts, and the first oblique faces extend further towards the shank part side than the second oblique faces over at least one portion of the area running from the maximum-width parts to the shank part.

Abstract: A pseudo task generation requester 200 generates a request for generating a pseudo task 283 indicating that a certain one of CPUs is in an use state, and notifies a second OS 125 of the generation request, in the case where a task to be processed by a first virtual machine 110 is assigned to the one CPU, but a task to be processed by a second virtual machine 120 is not assigned to the one CPU. A pseudo task finishing requester 206 finishes the pseudo task 283 when a task in the first virtual machine 110 is finished with respect to the CPU to which the pseudo task 283 is assigned.

Abstract: Polymer composition comprising an aromatic polyamide, more than 5 wt. % (based on the total weight of the composition) of at least one crystalline silicate chosen from nesosilicates, sorosilicates, cyclosilicates, tectosilicates and inosilicates, more than 2 wt. % (based on the total weight of the composition) of at least one white pigment, and/or more than 0.003 wt. % (based on the total weight of the composition) of at least one optical brightener, and more than 1 wt. % (based on the total weight of the composition) of at least one optionally functionalized olefin copolymer.