Robot - 2

http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/aut-researchers-reveal-brain-controlled-robot-4015614

AUT 研究者、脳で制御するロボットを公開。２０１１年２月７日。配給元ONEニュース

脳で制御するロボット、配給元ONE News

脳のシグナルのみによって、命令を受信遂行するロボットが、AUT大学の研究者たちによって公開された。

彼らは、国際科学者グループの一部で、脳機能をマッピングし、シグナルを行動に移行させる研究に従事している。

この小さな創作品はウイズと呼ばれ、９つの充電式電池でキーキーという音を出して動き、脳からの指令のみ受け付ける。

脳で制御できるロボットが、人生を変えるほど高度な技術につながるものと期待される。

｢脳の指令で物がコントロールできるとなると、麻痺を抱える人が、義肢や車椅子をあやつる時に助かる｣と、カサボフ教授はONEニュースに語った。

現在、AUTのチームは、ウイズを顔の表情に反応するようにプログラムしてある。理由として、顔の表情は比較的強い脳のシグナルである事、また探知が容易である事を挙げている。

しかし技術的には、どんな思考でもウイズのコントロールは可能で、要はもっと複雑なシグナルをプログラミングするだけの問題だ。

Robot

http://www.asahi.com/science/update/0129/TKY201101290363.html

Tsuruoka College of Technology team develops a “thinking robot” – no programming necessary

Feb 10, 2011 7:19

   Prof. Sato (right) and his team operating the “intelligent　robot” they developed. Yamagata Pref. Tsuruoka city. Tsuruoka College of Technology.

A team from Tsuruoka College of Technology – Department of Control and Information Systems Engineering (Yamagata Pref. Tsuruoka city) has successfully developed an “independent type intellectual arm robot”, which thinks for itself to move as required without programming in advance. In the future, if practically implemented, it could be applied to producing small quantities of multi products in quick response as it can be operated by voice of an operator with no expertise.

It was developed over 2 years by Prof. Sato (intelligence control system) from the department of control and information system engineering and 13 students from the research team after contemplating, “Could a machine possess the learning and deciding ability of a human being?” The theory was presented at the International Conference on System Sciences last July and the trial product was demonstrated at the school on Jan 28.　

The developed robot combined a small camera, as used in mobile phones, pictures, image processing software, voice recognizing unit and coupling control software to the usual arm robot which can sort or carry objects.

Compared to the usual arm robot which can only respond to preprogrammed movements, the developed robot receives instructions through voice recognition software, uses a camera to recognize the colour and shape of the object then decide by itself to select. Even if the object was repositioned or stacked, it is said to sort the object out and pick it up.

The demonstration of the trial product was done by arranging three different coloured cubic blocks, red, blue and yellow. Despite rearranging the order, it picked the correct coloured block as instructed.

Prof. Sato tied the image processing algorithm (mathematical rules to solve problems) and the centre of gravity searching system to a voice recognizing device in the application. The algorithm was developed while he was working on target tracking in a heavy industry company in relation to space aviation development, before taking up this position.                     

According to Prof. Sato, “Recent robot programmes are complicated and difficult to handle without expertise but vocal instructions can be given by anyone. Instead of making preset movements, this one can decide by itself. Therefore, it is expected that the working efficiency will grow when it is applied to a production process of small quantities of multi products, where the necessary movements change frequently.” (by Mizoguchi, translation by Miyake)

Sample 2

http://www.asahi.com/business/update/0206/TKY201102050367.html

Aust-Japan EPA negotiations - Change of time, Wipeout. A trying time for the farmers. Feb 6, 2011, 01:59 

Sugar beet on a belt conveyor=Japan Sugar Beet Co. Mihoro processing plant at Mihoro, Hokkaido. Photo by Yamamoto.

Cow shed at “Nozaki”,Wagyu breeding agriculture produce corp,.in Satsuma-kawauchi City, Kagoshima Pref. Photo by Yamamoto.

Negotiation between Japan and Australia heading to the conclusion of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) will begin on the 7^th after 10 month absence. For Kan administration who is considering joining Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), this is a first touchstone to answer the critics of its resolution to open up the market. The focus is on abolishing the tariff for sugar and beef, which Australia has demanded and Japan has refused. I went to see the frontline of production.  　

Early February, at the Okhotsk seaside town of Mihoro, Hokkaido. Under the sky of sub zero temperature, white smoke rises from the 50-plus years old factory along with the drifting of sweet smell. Mihoro processing plant of Japan Sugar Beet Co. Locally harvested sugar beets travel on the conveyor belts and are processed one by one.  　

This prominent factory employs about 250 farmers during the off-season. The manager, Mr. Ohta (58) laments, “If cheap sugar enters the market from overseas by free trade, we will tread the same path as the coal industry. I wonder how long we can survive.” 

For a few years, the wholesale price of domestic sugar has been around 170 yen per kilo. The Australian sugar, in comparison, is 50 yen and the difference is as wide as three times plus. The reason for making it this far rests on the tariff that can be set as high as 328% and the “adjustment cost” which can be claimed to the tune of 50 billion yen annually from domestic confectionary manufacturers who buy imported materials. This cost had filled the gap between the two prices.  

There is no difference in quality between the domestic and imported sugar so it is difficult to compete by the adding of value. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is predicting that when the protection is gone, annual production, including the sugar canes from Okinawa and Kagoshima Prefectures, worth 150 billion yen will become zero and 35,000 sweet crop farmers around the country will be wiped out.

However, not all items seem to disappear due to the abolishing of tariffs. For example, restriction on beef import had been abolished in 1991. Tariff rate was gradually lowered to the current 38.5%. Number of cattle farms around the country decreased to a third of what use to be. In 1991, there were 221,000, now (2010) there are 74,000. The progressive farmers are accelerating their efforts on cost cutting and move to high quality.  

Kagoshima Pref. Satsuma-kawauchi City. At “Nozaki”, an agriculture produce corp., which breed 4500 black haired Wagyu beef, 13 young employees around 20 years of age focus on looking after the cows. Disposal of cow dung is delegated to construction contractors to cut costs. “Nozaki Beef” with its magnificent marbled fat is served at exclusive foreign-owned hotels and traditional Japanese restaurants in metropolitan Tokyo as well as exported to Macau (China),　destined to the rich, high class society.     “Free trade is a flow of time and unavoidable”, says Managing Director, Mr. Nozaki (62). He sensed the economical globalisation and the entry of cheap beef when he saw the demolition of the Berlin wall in 1989. He purchased 130 cattle from his stockbreeder father and embarked on expanding its scale. By financing from the local bank with the cattle as collateral, he rose to be one of the prominent Japanese stockbreeders with the estimated annual turnover of around 2 billion yen. “I will exceed 5000 cattle in less than two years”. There is no time to be restless about the debate over opening up of the market. (by Yamamoto, translation by Miyake) 

sample 1

http://www.asahi.com/business/update/1226/TKY201012260264.html

Major New Zealand dairy company says, “No. 1 concern is the opening up of the US dairy market.”  

December 27, 2010, 9:13

Mr. Ken Geard, Fonterra. Photo by Takano at Auckland.

Ken Geard, a trade policy consultant at the world’s prominent dairy company Fonterra Cooperative Group (New Zealand) said in the interview with Asahi Shimbun Newspaper regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement that, the most concerning matter for New Zealand is whether United States proceeds to open its market on dairy products or not. 

In the United States, opposition to the free trade of sugar and dairy goods are strong and voices are emerging in New Zealand, where the TPP secretariat is situated, that if dairy goods are not included, the agreement should not be signed. Mr Geard said, “If dairy goods were excluded from the subject of lowering the tariff, many countries including the future partners will start to object to various products, denying the high standard of the Agreement to exist”, implying that the United States’ attitude may affect the whole negotiation.

As for the attitude of Japan, he said, “The aging farming population and the permanently high price are the problems even before the free trade discussion. It may be time the structure needs a reform”, suggesting that opening up the agriculture market is inevitable in order to join TPP. (by Takano, translation by Miyake)