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Tactile graphics are useful for visually impaired students when they study mathematics and science. However, producing tactile graphics is not simple task. An intelligent computer-aided system for assisting the production of tactile graphics is needed. To develop such a system, research on mathematical graph recognition techniques is needed. This paper focuses on a method of mathematical graph recognition. When drawing a mathematical graph, we use not only solid lines, but also use broken lines. This paper describes a method for extracting and classifying broken line elements from mathematical graphs.

In this paper, the main attention is focused on transient of control input signal, and then, we propose a novel model reference adaptive controller for SISO systems with relative degree less than three. When we control real devices by using the elementally conventional adaptive controller, we have an experience that high frequency oscillations with large amplitude occur in the control input signals. This is one of serious problems in actual applications. To generate a control input signal without oscillation, a novel estimator using an observer for the output tracking error signal is proposed. Using the estimator, it is shown theoretically that the control input signal converges with any convergent rate to an ideal input signal given by adding the exact model matching input signal and a smooth exponential damping signal. From the property it can be expected that. oscillations are hard to occur in the control input signals. Moreover, it is also proved theoretically that. the transient output error responses can be specified by setting design parameters.

It is important to consider input saturation in adaptive control systems to prevent the deterioration of control performance caused by excessive adaptation. This paper deals with a model reference adaptive control problem for a first order time-invariant continuous-time unstable plant in the presence of input saturation. We propose an algorithm considering error feedback and easing reference signal conditions. Moreover the adaptation law is switched according to the input conditions to inhibit excessive adaptation caused by the input saturation. Further, we give a necessary condition for locally asymptotic stability. By this algorithm, design flexibility of the system becomes higher than conventional algorithms. These results are confirmed by simulation studies.

Stationary underwater cameras were deployed to evaluate spatial and temporal distribution of fish assemblage inhabiting a high-rise artificial reef. The camera named FISCHOM has a stereo camera or a monaural camera on board and it can operate periodically by an arbitrary interval. We can acquire the information about fish fauna and fish size distribution and their time series of reef fish assemblages by the assessment using the FISCHOMs. Two surveys were conducted in the early summer and fall of 2005 at a high-rise artificial fish reef in the Sea of Japan. In both surveys, five FISCHOMs were fixed dispersedly on the reef and operated in an hour interval. As a result, we could evaluate the spatial and temporal distribution of the fish assemblage and their seasonal variations around the reef about 20 days. In total, 48 thousands of fish were counted in both surveys. Pearl-spot chromis Chromis notata notata, jack mackerel Trachurus japonicus, and rockfish Sebastes spp. were mainly observed. We confirmed these major species had stable diurnal cycles; they were observed in daytime and rarely observed in midnight The differences of the spatial distributions of the major species were found by comparing the results of each FISCHOMs. The folk lengths of the major species were estimated by stereo measurements.

This paper deals with model reference adaptive control problem for a linear single-input single-output time invariant continuous-time plant with input saturation. We propose an algorithm in which error feedback is effectively used and reference signal conditions are weakened. We have shown that globally asymptotic stability is guaranteed. Using this algorithm, we allow the adaptive system to have higher design flexibility than conventional ones. These results are confirmed by a simulation study.

Various miniaturized and integrated in situ devices for biological and chemical oceanography have been developed in our research group. The devices targeted to analyze microbial gene, heavy metal ion (manganese: M/sup 2+/) concentration and pH of seawater are evaluated and presented here. Flow-through PCR polymerase chain reaction) can be performed with the microbial gene analysis device with integrated heating and pumping system. Mn/sup 2+/ ion concentration is quantified by applying chemiluminescence reaction by the heavy metal ion analysis device. Micropumps are integrated to develop well-integrated pH measurement device. All devices are based on PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) microchannel chip fabricated with conventional molding method.

This paper presents a chemical analyzer using PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) microfluidic devices. Microfluidic devices give us many advantages, for example, miniaturization of systems, higher reaction speed, smaller amount of reagents. These are also attractive features for the developments of in situ chemical analysis systems for environmental monitoring. The analyzer developed in this study can measure a concentration of manganese ion (Mn/sup 2+/) using luminol chemiluminescence reaction. The device is fabricated utilizing photolithography techniques and evaluated using prepared samples containing Mn/sup 2+/ in the range of nM.

This paper will discuss functions with hyperstructure based on Min, Max, and Universal Literal operations on {0, 1, 2}. These three types of operations will be expanded into operations on the set P/sub 3/ of non-empty subsets of {0, 1, 2}. Then, the paper will define a special type of compositions, called formulas, and will show a necessary and sufficient condition for a function on P/sub 3/ to be expressed by a formula.

With the growth of high-speed access networks, we can copy video streaming services (both live streaming and video-on-demand) via the Internet at home. For higher perceptual video quality, it is necessary to monitor the video quality of each user flow in real time and control network source based on it. In this paper we propose a streaming quality management (SQM) system that estimates perceptual video quality of each user flow by capturing control messages of streaming protocol between server and client at server side. In addition, we equipped SQM system for Windows Media Technologies (WMT), Real System, and Mpeg2. The equipped SQM system has desirable characteristics; estimated streaming quality obtained from the system is almost the same as that from DMOS (Degradation Mean Opinion Score) defined by ITU-T [1] and the system has high scalability. Furthermore, we present network control schemes based on the streaming quality, and propose value-added services (ex. which part of content was viewed the most or how many times the content was viewed) using the streaming monitoring record each user, which could be collected by the SQM system.

In this paper we propose three strategies for analysis of solitary pulmonary nodules in contrast enhanced dynamic CT images. First we collect contrasted images with regale time interval, and we analyze their CT values with respect to the time variation. In the second, we compare the shape spectra characteristic of each contrasted image. The third strategy consists of subtracting the noncontrasted images from contrasted images. The results show that each starkly promise good differentiation between benign and malignant nodule. So we try differential diagnosis.

Some properties of the partially specified fuzzy logic functions with constants are investigated and the identification problem of logic formula is solved. A fuzzy logic (switching) function is a mapping represented by means of logic formula which consists n variables, three logical connectives, and two constants of 0 and 1. In this paper, any truth values of [0,1] are allowed to be constants in logic formula. The fuzzy logic function with arbitrary constants is called multiple-valued Kleenean function. Main result is a necessary and sufficient condition for an identification problem of Kleenean function to be solved. >

Many types of fuzzy truth values have been proposed, for example, numerical truth values, interval truth values, triangular truth values and trapezoid truth values and so on. This paper will discuss on algebraic structures on a new type of fuzzy truth values called multi-interval truth values. A multi-interval truth value is defined by the union of some of interval truth values. The operations on multi-interval truth values will be defined by applying the extension principle to the operations AND, OR, and NOT on numerical truth values. Then, the paper will show that an algebraic structure of multi-interval truth values with the operations defined is a de Morgan bisemilattice, which is a bisemilattice with the unit and zero, and with a unary operation that satisfies the involution and de Morgan's laws.