National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Shizuoka University

Ishikawa Trading Co., Ltd

Toshio Shiomi

Koji Suzuki

Sanekazu Igari

Futoshi Iwata

Katsuhiko Kikuchi

Hideo Ishikawa

A light source position detection apparatus () has a condensing lens () that condenses light emitted from the sun, an image pickup device () that receives the light condensed by the condensing lens (), and a CPU () that detects the position of the sun based on per-pixel light reception information received by the image pickup device (), and the CPU () changes the shutter speed of the image pickup device () and adjusts the quantity of the light received by the image pickup device in response to the quantity of light emitted from the sun. The light source position detection apparatus () can detect the position of a light source with high accuracy, and can detect the position of the light source with high accuracy even when the light source is hidden behind clouds, for example.

Light source position detection apparatus, light source tracking apparatus, control method and program

A contact state detection apparatus which can accurately detect the pressed state of a contact body such as a probe against an object without damaging the contact body or the object includes a contact body approach section, a probe light source, an imaging device, and a computer unit. The contact body approach section holds a contact body in an inclined attitude with respect to a target contact surface of an object, and displaces the contact body toward the object. The probe light source irradiates light toward the contact body which is being displaced toward the object. The imaging device captures an image of the illuminated contact body and outputs contact body captured image information to the computer unit. The computer unit detects the state of the contact body being pressed against the object based on a change in the contact body captured image information.

Contact state detection apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Hamamatsu, Japan

Toshio Shiomi