Sony Broadcast & Professional Research Laboratories

About: Sony Broadcast & Professional Research Laboratories is a company organization based out in Taipei, Taiwan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Signal & Image processing. The organization has 38708 authors who have published 63864 publications receiving 865637 citations.

Daily HRI evaluation at a classroom environment: reports from dance interaction experiments

Abstract: The design and development of social robots that interact and assist people in daily life requires moving into unconstrained daily-life environments. This presents unexplored methodological challenges to robotic researchers. Is it possible, for example, to perform useful experiments in the uncontrolled conditions of everyday life environments? How long do these studies need to be to provide reliable results? What evaluations methods can be used?In this paper we present preliminary results on a study designed to evaluate an algorithm for social robots in relatively uncontrolled, daily life conditions. The study was conducted as part of the RUBI project, whose goal is to design and develop social robots by immersion in the environment in which the robots are supposed to operate. First we found that in spite of the relative chaotic conditions and lack of control existing in the daily activities of a child-care center, it is possible to perform experiments in a relatively short period of time and with reliable results. We found that continuous audience response methods borrowed from marketing research provided good inter-observer reliabilities, in the order of 70%, and temporal resolution (the cut-off frequency is in the order of 1 cycle per minute) at low cost (evaluation is performed continuously in real time). We also experimented with objective behavioral descriptions, like tracking children's movement across a room. These approaches complemented each other and provided a useful picture of the temporal dynamics of the child-robot interaction, allowing us to gather baseline data for evaluating future systems. Finally, we also touch the ongoing study of behavior analysis through 3 months long-term child-robot interaction.

Curvature continuous path generation for autonomous vehicle using B-spline curves

Abstract: In this paper we introduce a roadmap algorithm for generating collision-free paths in terms of cubic B-spline curves for unmanned vehicles used in mining operations. The algorithm automatically generates collision-free paths that are curvature continuous with an upper bounded curvature and a small slope discontinuity of curvature at knots, when we are given the locations of the obstacles, the boundary geometry of the working area, positions and directions of the vehicle at the start, loading, and the goal points. Our algorithm also allows us to find a switch back point where the vehicle reverses its direction to enter the loading area. Examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.

Video viewing and recording system

Abstract: Disclosed is a video recording system which permits one to participate in a recording of an event utilizing predetermined views in a manner which ensures security of the participant's video recording equipment. The system includes several cameras arranged in a recording area to provide images from several views. The images are provided to the user's own equipment which is secured within locked compartments. According to another aspect, there is disclosed a video recording system which permits "real time" editing of recorded events so as to customize a recording made using the several cameras. According to still another aspect of the invention, the user interfaces with a central viewstation, selecting desired views, either prerecorded or live broadcasts, to be recorded on either the user's own equipment or equipment provided to the user at the event site.

Illumination apparatus, color conversion device, and display apparatus

Abstract: An illumination apparatus includes a transparent substrate, a phosphor layer, an optical wavelength selection filter layer, and a light-emitting device. The transparent substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposing each other. The phosphor layer is disposed on the first surface side of the transparent substrate. The optical wavelength selection filter layer is disposed on the second surface side of the transparent substrate and configured to transmit light of a first wavelength therethrough and reflect light of a second wavelength that is emitted from the phosphor layer by being excited by the light of the first wavelength. The light-emitting device is configured to emit the light of the first wavelength from the optical wavelength selection filter layer side thereof toward the optical wavelength selection filter layer.

Telecommunication system, radio base station thereof, and portable telecommunication terminal thereof

Abstract: A service area is divided into a plurality of cells. Radio base stations are disposed corresponding to individual cells. Each radio base station stores regional information such as disaster information, advertisement information, and shopping information. When a communication is made between a radio base station and a portable telephone terminal, regional information such as disaster information, advertisement information, and shopping information is transmitted from the base station to the portable telephone terminal.