Abstract: There is provided a solid-state image pickup device including: a semiconductor substrate (21); a photodiode (11A, 11B) formed in the semiconductor substrate; a transistor (10) having a gate electrode (14) part or all of which is embedded in the semiconductor substrate, the transistor being configured to read a signal electric charge from the photodiode via the gate electrode; and an electric charge transfer layer (13) provided between the gate electrode and the photodiode.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an inverted pendulum moving apparatus that may address various kinds of disturbance forces and a control method therefor. The apparatus has one or more wheels coaxially arranged and a center of gravity of parts other than the wheel located above an axle, includes an inversion control part that discriminates a cause of a disturbance force based on a wheel rotation speed of the wheel and the disturbance force and determines output torque to the wheel based on the determination result.

Abstract: The invention is directed to detecting a boundary position between a foot and a lower leg of a person in an image acquired by an imaging unit, the boundary position being a substantial boundary part, in a lower limb, between the foot, which is a part from a malleolus to a tip part, and the lower leg; detecting a feature quantity that makes it possible to classify a ground and a part other than the ground in the image; setting, in a peripheral region around the boundary position, a plurality of local regions having positional information and/or direction information relative to the boundary position, and determining whether each of the local regions is the ground or the part other than the ground by using the feature quantity unique to the ground; determining a foot region from the local region determined as the part other than the ground; and estimating a direction of the foot of the person from the local region classified as the foot region and from the information.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device includes: a substrate; a photoelectric conversion unit that is formed on the substrate to generate and accumulate signal charges according to light quantity of incident light; a vertical transmission gate electrode that is formed to be embedded in a groove portion formed in a depth direction from one side face of the substrate according to a depth of the photoelectric conversion unit; and an overflow path that is formed on a bottom portion of the transmission gate to overflow the signal charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inverted pendulum-type moving body having a pair of wheels suspended from the moving body, using a floor as a traveling plane, and is provided on the same plane vertical to its travelling direction, a driving mechanism for rotating these wheels, posture measurement means for measuring an inclination angular velocity of its upper body that a straight line connecting a center-of-gravity position of a body of the moving body and an axle of the one pair of wheels makes with a vertical direction, and a mechanism control part for maintaining an inverted state of the moving body by controlling the driving mechanism, by having a velocity planning device for performing a movement plan so that the upper body angular velocity and the upper body angle may be in a relationship of quadratic function when a velocity change is needed.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device includes: a substrate; a photoelectric conversion unit that is formed on the substrate to generate and accumulate signal charges according to light quantity of incident light; a vertical transmission gate electrode that is formed to be embedded in a groove portion formed in a depth direction from one side face of the substrate according to a depth of the photoelectric conversion unit; and an overflow path that is formed on a bottom portion of the transmission gate to overflow the signal charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit.

Abstract: This mobile unit suppresses lateral vibration produced when the mobile unit passes over a step. A stabilizer according to the present invention predicts contact timing at which the mobile unit makes contact with a step, which may be a bump or pit, using sensor information or map information, shifts the center of gravity of the mobile unit laterally by controlling actuators, and shifts the center of gravity laterally for the next step after detecting that the mobile unit has passed over the previous step.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an inverted pendulum moving apparatus that may address various kinds of disturbance forces and a control method therefor. The apparatus has one or more wheels coaxially arranged and a center of gravity of parts other than the wheel located above an axle, includes an inversion control part that discriminates a cause of a disturbance force based on a wheel rotation speed of the wheel and the disturbance force and determines output torque to the wheel based on the determination result.

Abstract: When a moving body is remotely operated, a delay in transmission of an image and information acquired from the moving body becomes a problem since immediate transmission of an operation to the moving body cannot be expected. When a frame rate is decreased or a resolution is reduced to decrease the amount of image data to prevent transmission delay of the image data, it is difficult to grasp motions of other moving bodies. As a result, when a certain amount of time is required to transmit a camera image and a moving obstacle, the movement of the obstacle and the movement of the moving body are estimated. The estimated image is generated based on a current image, and is presented to an operator via a monitor. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce instability and a risk associated with transmission delay to safely operate the moving body.

Abstract: An autonomous moving device includes a travel unit with a wheel driven by a motor and an upper body including an environment-recognition sensor that detects an obstacle in a traveling direction. The upper body includes means that recognize device and obstacle positions, means that evaluates avoidance capability, and means that obtains priority of collision avoidance of an estimated passage area of the obstacle. The upper body further includes a control unit that moves the travel unit to an area where an estimated passage area of an obstacle whose priority of collision avoidance is high that does not overlap an area where the travel unit is located and which is an area where collision can be avoided even if an area where an estimated passage area of an obstacle whose priority of collision avoidance is low overlaps the area where the travel unit is located.

Abstract: The moving mechanism is capable of separating an orientation of a vehicle body from a traveling direction. In addition, the moving mechanism has a low center of gravity and is capable of reducing its weight. A moving body includes a vehicle body, steering actuators, right and left steering hubs, vehicle wheel actuators, and vehicle wheels. The steering actuators are disposed on the right and left sides of the vehicle body and drivable around a vertical axis. The right and left steering hubs are driven by the steering actuators. The vehicle wheel actuators are fixed to the steering hubs. The vehicle wheels are driven by the vehicle wheel actuators and are disposed in an inclined manner with respect to a vertical direction.

Abstract: A control device capable of providing smooth movement even in a crowded environment is to be provided. The control device includes a movement processing section (101) that creates a movement plan that is information relating to movement of an autonomous mobile apparatus (1); a movement control section (21) that moves the autonomous mobile apparatus (1) according to the movement plan created by the movement processing section (101); a congestion degree estimating section (102) that calculates the degree of congestion in a movement direction of the autonomous mobile apparatus (1); a visual field estimating section (103) that estimates a visual field of a moving obstacle when the degree of congestion on an immediately front side of the autonomous mobile apparatus (1) is a predetermined value or higher; and an attention calling control section (104) that calls attention using an attention calling device (15) to enter the estimated visual field.

Abstract: A head structure of a robot according to the invention includes a first motor and a second motor so supported side by side within a head of the robot that output shafts are positioned coaxially with each other; a left elastic frame that is so driven by the first motor and one end of which is so fitted as to be rotatable around the output shaft and the other end of which extending in a perpendicular direction from the output shaft is supported by a trunk of the robot; and a right elastic frame that is so driven by the second motor and one end of which is so fitted as to be rotatable around the output shaft and the other end of which extending side by side with the left elastic frame from the output shaft is supported by the trunk.

Abstract: An autonomous mobile device, an autonomous movement system, and an autonomous movement method, each having an obstacle avoidance capability, are provided. The autonomous mobile device includes an avoidance pattern determination unit for determining the travel pattern of the local device according to the state of motion, relative to the autonomous movement device, of a mobile obstacle other than the autonomous movement device; and a travel controller for causing the autonomous movement device to travel according to the travel pattern determined by the avoidance pattern determination unit. One of avoidance patterns is selected in accordance with a relative velocity to a mobile obstacle.

Abstract: The moving mechanism is capable of separating an orientation of a vehicle body from a traveling direction. In addition, the moving mechanism has a low center of gravity and is capable of reducing its weight. A moving body includes a vehicle body, steering actuators, right and left steering hubs, vehicle wheel actuators, and vehicle wheels. The steering actuators are disposed on the right and left sides of the vehicle body and drivable around a vertical axis. The right and left steering hubs are driven by the steering actuators. The vehicle wheel actuators are fixed to the steering hubs. The vehicle wheels are driven by the vehicle wheel actuators and are disposed in an inclined manner with respect to a vertical direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mobile object capable of stable movement and jumping. The mobile object includes two moving means attached to left and right sides under a body; a sensor to detect attitude of the body; a controller to receive information from the sensor and perform calculation; two telescopic actuators attached between the body and the two moving means and configured to generate vertical forces; a rotary actuator provided at the center of the two telescopic actuators and configured to rotate around a moving direction of the body; a roll link connected with an output part of the rotary actuator; two suspensions connecting left and right ends of the roll link and the moving means; and foot frames attached between the suspensions and the moving means, wherein the controller controls the rotary actuator so that the sensor detects a target tilt angle and a target angular velocity of the body.

Abstract: The invention is directed to detecting a boundary position between a foot and a lower leg of a person in an image acquired by an imaging unit, the boundary position being a substantial boundary part, in a lower limb, between the foot, which is a part from a malleolus to a tip part, and the lower leg; detecting a feature quantity that makes it possible to classify a ground and a part other than the ground in the image; setting, in a peripheral region around the boundary position, a plurality of local regions having positional information and/or direction information relative to the boundary position, and determining whether each of the local regions is the ground or the part other than the ground by using the feature quantity unique to the ground; determining a foot region from the local region determined as the part other than the ground; and estimating a direction of the foot of the person from the local region classified as the foot region and from the information.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device includes: a substrate; a photoelectric conversion unit that is formed on the substrate to generate and accumulate signal charges according to light quantity of incident light; a vertical transmission gate electrode that is formed to be embedded in a groove portion formed in a depth direction from one side face of the substrate according to a depth of the photoelectric conversion unit; and an overflow path that is formed on a bottom portion of the transmission gate to overflow the signal charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit.

Abstract: A semiconductor device, including: a gate electrode formed on a semiconductor substrate through a gate insulating film; an extension region formed in the semiconductor substrate on a source side of the gate electrode; a source region formed in the semiconductor substrate on the source side of the gate electrode through the extension region; an LDD region formed in the semiconductor substrate on a drain side of the gate electrode; and a drain region formed in the semiconductor substrate on the drain side of the gate electrode through the LDD region; wherein the extension region is formed at a higher concentration than that of the LDD region so as to be shallower than the LDD region.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device includes: a substrate; a photoelectric conversion unit that is formed on the substrate to generate and accumulate signal charges according to light quantity of incident light; a vertical transmission gate electrode that is formed to be embedded in a groove portion formed in a depth direction from one side face of the substrate according to a depth of the photoelectric conversion unit; and an overflow path that is formed on a bottom portion of the transmission gate to overflow the signal charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit.