Abstract: An autonomous moving apparatus arranged to travel autonomously in a surrounding environment preferably includes: a distance measuring sensor arranged to output detection waves, detect a distance between the apparatus and an object which has reflected the detection wave based on a reflection state of the detection wave, and acquire information about the distance between the apparatus and the object which exists in the surroundings of the apparatus; an inclination sensor arranged to detect an inclination of the distance measuring sensor; and a control unit arranged to estimate the self-position in the surrounding environment and generate the global map of the surrounding environment based on the distance information. When the distance measuring sensor is determined to be inclined based on a detection result of the inclination sensor, the control unit stops estimating the self-position based on the distance information and stops generating the global map based on the distance information.

Abstract: Enabled is to estimate a self-position even when no landmark is seen or when an article confusing the landmark is brought in. An omnidirectional camera recognizes a vertical land-mark near a wall to determine a candidate for the self-position. On the basis of the candidate determined, a break in a map between a floor and a wall is projected on the camera image thereby to perform the matching.

Abstract: A disparity profile indicating a relation between a perpendicular position on time series images and a disparity on a target monitoring area based on an arrangement of a camera is calculated. Processing areas are set, by setting a height of each of the processing areas using a length at the bottom of the image obtained by converting a reference value of a height of an object according to the profile, while setting a position of each bottom of processing areas on the image. An object having a height higher than a certain height with respect to the monitoring area, unify an object detection result in each processing area according to the disparity of the object, and detect the object of the whole monitoring area from each processing area is detected. Position and speed for the object detected by the object primary detection unit are estimated.

Abstract: A robot capable of traveling while constantly directing a predetermined part of a main body to a detection target. In the robot, a main body is jointed to a traveling unit so that relative rotation is possible between the main body and the traveling unit. Based on position information of a detection target detected by a position detection sensor, a control device controls, while the traveling unit is traveling, a body drive motor so that a front surface of the main body constantly faces the detection target and rotates the main body relative to the traveling unit. Accordingly, a CCD camera, a microphone, a speaker, display or the like provided on the front surface of the main body constantly face the detection target. Thus, the robot can reliably communicate with the detection target even during traveling, through mutual transmission of information between the robot and the detection target.

Abstract: There are provided a higher-performance compound semiconductor epitaxial substrate having improved electron mobility characteristics and its production method. The compound semiconductor epitaxial substrate includes a channel layer in which electrons travel and an epitaxial layer on each of a front side and a back side of the channel layer, wherein a total p-type carrier concentration A (/cm2) per unit area in the epitaxial layer on the back side of the channel layer and a total p-type carrier concentration B (/cm2) per unit area in the epitaxial layer on the front side of the channel layer satisfy the following expression (1): 0<A/B?3.

Abstract: A rotary shaver including an outer cutter frame (18) provided on a shaver main body (10), an outer cutter (14) that is installed in this outer cutter frame (18) and has ring-shaped thin layer portions (28a, 28b) whose upper surfaces are the shaving surfaces, and an inner cutter (16) that has cutter bodies (38) that rotates and make sliding contact with the lower surface of the thin layer portions of the outer cutter to cut hair that entered hair introduction openings (30a, 30b) formed in the thin layer portions; wherein the hair introduction openings have a slit shape extending in substantially the radial direction of the thin layer portions, and the cutting edge angle (p, q) at the lower end(s) of the side wall surface(s) of the hair introduction openings (30a, 30b) defined by the ribs (32a, 32b) is an acute angle.

Abstract: Three-dimensional position information of each of feature points in a left and a right image is calculated based on a disparity between the left and right images; a lane marker existing on a road surface is detected from each of the left and right images; based on three-dimensional position information of a lane marker in a neighboring road surface area, by extending the lane marker to a distant area, a lateral direction position, and a depth direction position, of the extended lane marker in the distant area are estimated; an edge segment of a certain length or more is detected from feature points in the distant area in each of a plurality of images; three-dimensional position information of the edge segment is calculated; and, based on the three-dimensional position information of the edge segment, and on the extended lane marker information, a road incline in the distant area is estimated.

Abstract: A rotary shaver including an outer cutter frame (18) provided on a shaver main body (10), an outer cutter (14) that is installed in this outer cutter frame (18) and has ring-shaped thin layer portions (28a, 28b) whose upper surfaces are the shaving surfaces, and an inner cutter (16) that has cutter bodies (38) that rotates and make sliding contact with the lower surface of the thin layer portions of the outer cutter to cut hair that entered hair introduction openings (30a, 30b) formed in the thin layer portions; wherein the hair introduction openings have a slit shape extending in substantially the radial direction of the thin layer portions, and the cutting edge angle (p, q) at the lower end(s) of the side wall surface(s) of the hair introduction openings (30a, 30b) defined by the ribs (32a, 32b) is an acute angle.

Abstract: A rotary shaver including an outer cutter frame (18) provided on a shaver main body (10), an outer cutter (14) that is installed in this outer cutter frame (18) and has ring-shaped thin layer portions (28a, 28b) whose upper surfaces are the shaving surfaces, and an inner cutter (16) that has cutter bodies (38) that rotates and make sliding contact with the lower surface of the thin layer portions of the outer cutter to cut hair that entered hair introduction openings (30a, 30b) formed in the thin layer portions; wherein the hair introduction openings have a slit shape extending in substantially the radial direction of the thin layer portions, and the cutting edge angle (p, q) at the lower end(s) of the side wall surface(s) of the hair introduction openings (30a, 30b) defined by the ribs (32a, 32b) is an acute angle.

Abstract: A compound semiconductor epitaxial substrate having a pseudomorphic high electron mobility field effect transistor structure which comprises an InGaAs layer as a channel layer 9 and an InGaP layer containing n-type impurities as a front side electron supplying layer 12, wherein an electron mobility in the InGaAs layer at room temperature (300 K) has become 8000 cm2/V·s or more by growing an epitaxial substrate having a pseudomorphic HEMT structure with an In composition of the channel layer 9 increased. Front side spacer layers 10 and 11 between the channel layer 9 and the front side electron supplying layer 12 may also be InGaP layers.

Abstract: An obstacle tracking apparatus includes an image input unit which acquires image sequences; an obstacle detector which detects candidate areas of an obstacle at a current time from the image sequences; a state hypothesis storage which stores a state hypothesis group including at least one state hypothesis of the obstacle at a previous time; an measurement hypothesis generator which generates a measurement hypothesis group including at least one measurement hypothesis obtained by combining measurement hypotheses for the respective positions of candidate areas of the obstacle and a measurement hypothesis in case the obstacle is not detected; a likelihood calculator which calculates likelihoods of respective combinations of the respective state hypotheses included in the state hypothesis group and the respective measurement hypotheses included in the measurement hypothesis group; a state hypothesis updater which obtains a highest likelihood from the likelihoods of the respective combinations and updates the stat

Abstract: A brake control section can select an automatic mode in which a mechanical brake is automatically transitioned from a released state to a braking state in response to the running condition of a vehicle. A diagnostic section outputs a fail signal when an abnormal condition of the brake control section is detected. A power control section automatically stops a drive power source of the vehicle when the running condition of the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition for determining a vehicle stop. When the automatic mode of the brake control section is released or when the diagnostic section outputs a fail signal of the brake control section, the power control section is inhibited to automatically stop the drive power source, so that an unintentional movement of the vehicle caused by an inclination of the road surface and the automatic stop of the drive power source can be prevented.

Abstract: A compound semiconductor epitaxial substrate having a pseudomorphic high electron mobility field effect transistor structure including an InGaAs layer as a strained channel layer and an AlGaAs layer containing n type impurities as a front side electron-donating layer, wherein said substrate contains an InGaP layer in an orderly state on the front side of the above described InGaAs layer as the strained channel layer.

Abstract: A rotary shaver including an outer cutter frame (18) provided on a shaver main body (10), an outer cutter (14) that is installed in this outer cutter frame (18) and has ring-shaped thin layer portions (28a, 28b) whose upper surfaces are the shaving surfaces, and an inner cutter (16) that has cutter bodies (38) that rotates and make sliding contact with the lower surface of the thin layer portions of the outer cutter to cut hair that entered hair introduction openings (30a, 30b) formed in the thin layer portions; wherein the hair introduction openings have a slit shape extending in substantially the radial direction of the thin layer portions, and the cutting edge angle (p, q) at the lower end(s) of the side wall surface(s) of the hair introduction openings (30a, 30b) defined by the ribs (32a, 32b) is an acute angle.

Abstract: A rotary shaver including an outer cutter frame (18) installed on the shaver main body (10), an outer cutter (14) installed in this outer cutter frame (18) and is formed with hair introduction openings (30a, 30b) in ring-shaped thin layer portions (28a, 28b) whose upper surfaces make the shaving surfaces, and an inner cutter (16) that has a cutter body (38) that rotates while making sliding contact from below with the lower surface of the thin layer portions to cut hair that entered the hair introduction opening; wherein the hair introduction openings have a slit shape of substantially constant width and extend in the thin layer portions (28a, 28b) in substantially the radial direction, and they are also curved in a substantially wave shape in their lengthwise direction.

Abstract: A rotary type electric shaver with an outer cutter frame 20 provided on a shaver main body 10, an outer cutter 14 installed in this outer cutter frame 20 and having its shaving surface on the upper surface of a ring-shaped thin layer portion 28, and an inner cutter 16 having a cutter body 38 that rotates and makes sliding contact from below with the lower surface of the outer cutter 14, wherein a thin layer portion 28 is formed in a substantially arc shape that is convex upward in a radial and vertical cross section that includes a center axis line A which is the rotational center of the inner cutter 16, and the thickness of the thin layer portion near the apex of the upward convex is smallest at the apex and gradually becomes thicker as distance increases away from the apex.

Abstract: In a compound semiconductor epitaxial substrate used for a strain channel high electron mobility field effect transistor which comprises an InGaAs layer as a channel layer 9 and AlGaAs layers containing n-type impurities as electron supplying layers 6 and 12, the channel layer 9 has an electron mobility at room temperature of 8300 cm2/V·s or more by adjusting an In composition of the InGaAs layer composing the channel layer 9 to 0.25 or more and optimizing the In composition and the thickness of the channel layer 9. GaAs layers 8 and 10 having a thickness of 4 nm or more each may be laminated respectively in contact with a top surface and a bottom surface of the channel layer 9.

Abstract: A compound semiconductor epitaxial substrate having a pseudomorphic high electron mobility field effect transistor structure which comprises an InGaAs layer as a channel layer 9 and an InGaP layer containing n-type impurities as a front side electron supplying layer 12, wherein an electron mobility in the InGaAs layer at room temperature (300 K) has become 8000 cm2/V·s or more by growing an epitaxial substrate having a pseudomorphic HEMT structure with an In composition of the channel layer 9 increased. Front side spacer layers 10 and 11 between the channel layer 9 and the front side electron supplying layer 12 may also be InGaP layers.

Abstract: An electric rotary shaver comprising: a cutter frame having a plurality of outer cutter holes, outer cutters disposed in outer cutter holes so as to be tiltable in any direction, and inner cutters rotatably disposed inside the outer cutters and connected to inner cutter drive shafts that are rotationally driven and urged in a direction that causes the inner cutter drive shafts to protrude outward; wherein a cutter retaining plate is provided inside the cutter frame so as to be on a main body side of the electric shaver, and fulcrum plates are tiltably shaft-supported in the cutter retaining plate so as to be positionally correspond to the outer cutter holes; and the outer cutters are shaft-supported in the fulcrum plates via supporting members in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction in which the fulcrum plates are shaft-supported by the cutter retaining plate, thus being tiltable.

Abstract: An electric rotary shaver including a cutter retaining plate equipped with cutter units each having an inner cutter and an outer cutter and detachably attached to an outer cutter frame of the shaver, and the shaver further including an attachment-detachment mechanism for mounting the cutter retaining plate to the outer cutter frame in a detachable fashion. The attachment-detachment mechanism includes a triangular boss and an engagement projection. The triangular boss is formed on the outer cutter frame and has engagement openings opened in its side surfaces, and the engagement projection is formed on a mounting knob held in cutter retaining plate. By turning the mounting knob with its engagement projection inserted in the boss and thus letting the engagement projection be engaged with the engagement opening, the cutter retaining plate is mounted to the outer cutter frame of the shaver in a detachable fashion.