Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Akinori Watabe

Atsushi Nakamura

Junichi Shimada

Yoshitada Katagiri

Hidenao Tanaka

Kazuyoshi Tateishi

Tomoichi Takahashi

An apparatus is presented for extracting configurational features of an object formed by a number of surfaces with a two-dimensional laser pattern. Changes in the shape can be tracked, and speedy three-dimensional measurements are made possible in a small memory area without requiring parameter adjustment. The device comprises a two-dimensional laser pattern generating device 61 which projects laser light in a desired two-dimensional pattern configuration, a three-dimensional position calculating device 62 which synchronizes the timing of the laser light illumination with the timing of the detection of two-dimensional points. Three-dimensional coordinates of a surface point are rapidly calculated, then the surface parameters are determined by the three-dimensional positions of a number of points (three points or more). A pattern information generating device 63 varies the pattern to be projected in accordance with the surface parameters so obtained, and a pattern recognition device 64 controls the movements of a robot in accordance with variations in configuration based on the edge lines, vertexes and other features determined by a number of plane surfaces.

Apparatus for extracting pattern features

An apparatus is presented for extracting configurational features of an object formed by a number of surfaces with a two-dimensional laser pattern. Changes in the shape can be tracked, and speedy three-dimensional measurements are made possible in a small memory area without requiring parameter adjustment. The device comprises a two-dimensional laser pattern generating device which projects laser light in a desired two-dimensional pattern configuration, a three-dimensional position calculating device which synchronizes the timing of the laser light illumination with the timing of the detection of two-dimensional points. Three-dimensional coordinates of a surface point are rapidly calculated, then the surface parameters are determined by the three-dimensional positions of a number of points (three points or more). A pattern information generating device varies the pattern to be projected in accordance with the surface parameters so obtained, and a pattern recognition device controls the movements of a robot in accordance with variations in configuration based on the edge lines, vertexes and other features determined by a number of plane surfaces.

A semiconductor laser apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate, a first cladding layer, an active layer, a second cladding layer, a second electrode, and a pair of resonator mirrors. The semiconductor substrate has a first electrode on one surface. The first cladding layer is formed on the other surface of the semiconductor substrate. The active layer is placed on the cladding layer. The second cladding layer is placed on the active layer. The second electrode is placed on the second cladding layer. The pair of resonator mirrors are placed in a waveguide direction perpendicular to the surfaces of the semiconductor substrate to oppose each other. The active layer is constituted by a quantum well layer having a tensilely strain. The second electrode is separated into portions not less than two portions.

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Hannou, Japan

Akinori Watabe