Robust control of multi-jointed arm with a decentralized autonomous control mechanism

A decentralized autonomous control mechanism applied to the control of three dimensional manipulators and its robustness to partial damage was assessed by computer simulation. Decentralized control structures are believed to be quite robust to time delay between the operator and the target system. A 10-jointed manipulator based on our control mechanism was able to continue its positioning task in three-dimensional space without revision of the control program, even after some of its joints were damaged. These results suggest that this control mechanism can be effectively applied to space telerobots, which are associated with serious time delay between the operator and the target system, and which cannot be easily repaired after being partially damaged

Clinical significance of basophil leucocytes in bronchial asthma

Changes of basophil leucocyte counts of the peripheral blood in bronchial asthma were investigated mainly by our improved method of KOVACS (4). The results are as follows. I) The basophils in bronchial asthma generally show a higher count than in healthy controls. 2) During the interval of repeated asthmatic attacks the basophil count is higher than in the asymptomatic period. 3) Particularly in an episode of asthmatic attack, the basophils increase immediately before the attack and decrease to the normal level or lower after the attack has begun. 4) During asthmatic attacks it may be possible to expect another attack, if the basophil count again tends to increase from the previous low count. 5) This counting method of basophils is easy enough for the routine examination like calculation of peripheralleucocytes. 6) Observation of the changes of peripheral basophils appears to be a useful laboratory aid for the diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation of bronchial asthma, making possible an early detection of the next attack. A discussion is given of the behavior of the basophils in bronchial asthma.</p

Discotic liquid crystals of transition metal complexes, 53: synthesis and mesomorphism of phthalocyanines substituted by m-alkoxyphenylthio groups

We have successfully synthesized a series of novel octakis(m-alkoxyphenylthio) phthalocyaninato copper(II) complexes, (m-CnOPhS)(8)PcCu (n = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16: 1b similar to 1i), by our developed method to reveal their mesomorphism. The phase transition behavior and mesophase structures have been established by using a polarizing optical microscope, a differential scanning calorimeter, and a temperature-dependent small angle X-ray diffractometer. Interestingly, the very short chain-substituted derivatives, (m-C1OPhS)(8)PcCu (1a) and (m-C2OPhS)(8)PCu (1b), show a hexagonal ordered columnar (Col(ho)) mesophase, whereas each of the other longer-chain-substituted derivatives, (m-CnOPhS)(8)PcCu (n = 4 similar to 16: 1c similar to 1i), shows only rectangular ordered columnar (Col(ro)) mesophase(s). In contrast to the present longer-chain-substituted phenylthio derivatives, each of the previous longer-chain-substituted phenoxy derivatives, (m-CnOPhO)(8)PcCu (n = 10-20), shows a different columnar mesophase of Colho. We discuss this difference of mesomorphism from the viewpoint of the different steric hindrance originated by the peripheral substituents, PhO and PhS groups. Moreover, we could estimate the optical band gaps of (m-C10OPhO)(8)PcCu and (m-C10OPhS)(8)PcCu (1f) from absorption edge of the Q-bands to be 1.79 eV and 1.70 eV, respectively. Therefore, the phenylthio-substituted derivative gave a narrower band gap by ca. 0.1 eV in comparison with the phenoxy-substituted derivative.ArticleJOURNAL OF PORPHYRINS AND PHTHALOCYANINES. 21(3):159-178 (2017)journal articl

Antenna-assembling mechanism test on ETS-7

The Communications Research Laboratory plans to test an antenna-assembling mechanism on the Engineering Test Satellite 7. The test is one of the application missions for the space robotics experiments that will be conducted mainly by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). The purpose of the test is to verify the ability of the antenna assembling mechanism to function in space and to experiment on the teleoperation of a space robot to develop antenna-assembling technology. We present the test experiment plans and the outline of the onboard assembling mechanism

Carbon footprint assessment of a whole dairy farming system with a biogas plant and the use of solid fraction of digestate as a recycled bedding material

Biogas generated from livestock manure is a renewable energy source and the digestate is used as a fertilizer. Moreover, dewatered biogas digestate can be used as a bedding material (recycled bedding material). The aims of the present study were to model a whole dairy system with a biogas plant using recycled bedding material and to assess the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Emissions from the material flow of dairy cattle production, manure treatment and organic fertilizer application to on-farm crops were evaluated. In the emissions from organic fertilizer storage and recycled bedding material production, CH4 emission was decreased by 43.0%, and consequently the system with a biogas plant reduced total GHG emissions by 6.8% compared with conventional slurry storage and straw bedding. The use of recycled bedding material from a biogas plant has the potential to create a resource cycle and to be beneficial as a GHG mitigation strategy