1. A method, comprising:
injecting electromagnetic radiation (EMR) into a medium such that some of said EMR propagates into said medium, wherein if an object is located within the path of said EMR in said medium, a shadow of said object will be produced; and
detecting said shadow to produce at least one detected shadow.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said area is about where said EMR meets said medium.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said area is about an interface where said EMR meets said medium.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said medium comprises a scattering medium.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a spatial map of said object from said at least one detected shadow.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said EMR comprises at least one of an intensity and a wavelength sufficient to propagate to at least one depth within said object to produce said at least one shadow of said object.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said EMR comprises near infrared (NIR) light.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein said NIR light comprises a wavelength within a range from about 0.75 \u03bcm to about 1.4 \u03bcm.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said EMR comprises near infrared (NIR) light, wherein a first part of said NIR light is reflected from said interface of said medium to produce specularly reflected (SP) light, wherein a second part of said NIR light propagates into said medium to produce near surface (NS) scattered light and wherein a third part of said NIR light propagates into said medium to produce deep surface (DS) scattered light, wherein said at least one shadow is formed when said DS scattered light is attenuated or blocked by said object.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising eliminating a portion of at least one of said SP light and said DS light.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising injecting second EMR into said medium, wherein if a second part of said object is located within the path of said second EMR in said medium, said at least one shadow will comprise a second shadow of said object will be produced; and
detecting said second shadow to produce a second detected shadow.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising imaging said at least one detected shadow to produce at least one image.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein said EMR is configured in a structured pattern.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein said object comprises an index of refraction that is different from that of said medium.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising propagating said EMR to a series of areas about where said EMR meets said medium and detecting an image at each area of said series of areas.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein said EMR is propagated onto said medium in line.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein said pattern of structured illumination comprises a line.
18. The method of claim 1, further comprising observing said at least one image while inserting at least one element into said medium.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein said element comprises a periodic structure on a surface of said at least one element.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein said periodic structure comprises a diffraction grating.
21. The method of claim 18, wherein said at least one element comprises a hypodermic needle.
22. The method of claim 1, wherein said EMR is injected into said medium at a plurality of angles.
23. The method of claim 1, wherein said medium is selected from the group consisting of tissue, smoke, dust, gas and liquid.
24. The method of claim 10, further comprising imaging said at least one image of said at least one shadow to produce at least one image, wherein the step of eliminating said portion comprises digitally zeroing portions of said at least one image that contain pixel intensity higher than a predetermined value.
25. An apparatus, comprising:
means for injecting electromagnetic radiation (EMR) into a medium such that some of said EMR propagates into said medium, wherein if an object is located within the path of said EMR in said medium, a shadow of said object will be produced; and
means for detecting said shadow to produce at least one detected shadow.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A mobile robot apparatus having an action part, comprising:
action detection means for detecting the information contained in an action output by another robot apparatus;
action part control means for controlling said action part, based on the information detected by said action detection means; and
means for measuring the number of times of reactions of said other robot apparatus corresponding to the actions output by said action part;
said action part control means outputting an action by said action part depending on the number of times of reactions of said other robot apparatus.
2. The robot apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said information is the emotion information of said other robot apparatus.
3. A robot apparatus comprising:
action detection means for detecting the information contained in an action output by another robot apparatus; and
action outputting means for outputting an action corresponding to the information as detected by said action detection means.
4. The robot apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said information is the information on the meaning of said action.
5. The robot apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the output action is an outputting action of outputting a sound signal.
6. The robot apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the robot apparatus changes the emotion based on an external environment andor the internal state and executes an autonomous behavior based on said emotion.
7. The robot apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said other robot apparatus changes the emotion based on an external environment andor on an internal state and expresses the emotion in said action to output said action; and wherein
said action detection means detects the emotion performed in said action as said information.
8. The robot apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising:
communication means for transmitting receiving the information with said other robot apparatus.
9. The robot apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said communication means sends the information on the meaning of said action in association with the action output by said action outputting means.
10. The robot apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the robot apparatus holds said meaning information detectable by said other robot apparatus as a database;
said communication means sending said meaning information in association with an action output by said action outputting means.
11. The robot apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the robot apparatus receives by said communication means the meaning information of said action transmitted by said other robot apparatus, in association with an action output by said other robot apparatus;
said action detection means detecting said meaning information received by said communication means as the information contained in said action.
12. The robot apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the robot apparatus holds said meaning information transmitted by said other robot apparatus as a database;
said action detection means selecting the contents of said meaning based on said database from a signal received by said communication means to detect the so selected meaning information as the information contained in said action.
13. The robot apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said communication means executes communication by the scale sound.
14. The robot apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said communication means executes communication by infrared ray signals.
15. The robot apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the action outputting means outputs a preset action when in a preset state.
16. The robot apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the robot apparatus changes the emotion based on an external environment andor on the internal state; and
wherein when the level of the emotion is at a preset level as said preset state, said action outputting means causes the emotion to be expressed in its action to output the resulting action.
17. The robot apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said preset action is output when the presence of said other robot apparatus has been detected as said preset state.
18. The robot apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said action detection means detects the information contained in the action output when the other robot apparatus is at a preset state.
19. The robot apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said action outputting means responsive to said information detected by said action detection means modulates a previous action, which has caused an action of said other robot apparatus, in association with the information detected by said action detection means, to output the so modulated previous action.
20. The robot apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said previous action is an action of outputting the scale sound, and wherein
said action outputting means modulates said scale sound to output the so modulated scale sound.
21. A method for controlling the action of a mobile robot apparatus having an action part, said method comprising:
an action detection step of detecting the information contained in an action output by another robot apparatus;
an action part controlling step of controlling said action part, based on the information detected by said action detections step; and
a step of measuring the number of times of reactions of said other robot apparatus based on the actions output by said action part;
said action part controlling step outputting an action by said action part depending on the number of times of reactions of said other robot apparatus.
22. The action controlling method according to claim 21 wherein said information is the emotion information of said other robot apparatus.
23. A method for controlling the action of a robot apparatus comprising:
an action detection step of detecting the information contained in an action output by another robot apparatus and
an action outputting step of causing one of the robot apparatus to output an action corresponding to the information as detected by said action detection step.
24. The action controlling method according to claim 23 wherein said information is the information on the meaning of said action.
25. The action controlling method according to claim 23 wherein the output action is an action of outputting a sound signal.
26. The action controlling method according to claim 23 further comprising:
a transmission step of transmitting the information on the meaning of said action in association with an action output at said action outputting step.
27. The action controlling method according to claim 23 further comprising:
a receipt step of receiving the information on the meaning of said action transmitted by said other robot apparatus in association with an action output by said other robot apparatus;
said action detecting step detecting said meaning information received at said receipt step as the information contained in said action.
28. An action control system for a plurality of robot apparatus performing an action corresponding to an action of a counterpart robot apparatus, said system comprising:
a plurality of robot apparatus including action detection means for detecting the information contained in an action output by said counterpart robot apparatus; and
action outputting means for outputting an action corresponding to said information detected by said action detection means.
29. The action control system for the robot apparatus according to claim 28 wherein said information is the information on the meaning of said action.
30. The action control system for the robot apparatus according to claim 28 wherein said action outputting means outputs a preset action when the action outputting means is in a preset state; and
wherein one of the robot apparatus when in a preset state outputs a preset action by said action outputting means,
the other robot apparatus outputting an action corresponding to said preset action output by said one robot apparatus.
31. The action control system for the robot apparatus according to claim 30 wherein said robot apparatus changes its emotion based on an external environment andor on an internal state;
said action outputting means expressing the emotion on an action to output the resulting action when the preset level of the emotion as said preset state is reached.
32. The action control system for the robot apparatus according to claim 30 wherein
said preset action is output when the presence of other robot apparatus is detected as said preset state.
33. The action control system for the robot apparatus according to claim 28 wherein said action is the action of outputting the sound.
34. The action control system for the robot apparatus according to claim 28 wherein
said action outputting means modulates a previous action, which has caused an action of said other robot apparatus, in association with said information detected by said action detection means, to output the so modulated previous action.
35. The action control system for the robot apparatus according to claim 28 wherein
the robot apparatus includes communication means for transmittingreceiving the information with a counterpart robot apparatus; and
wherein one of the robot apparatus transmits the meaning information of said action, by said communication means, in association with an action output by said action outputting means;
the other robot apparatus receiving said meaning information by said communication means and detecting the meaning information by said action detection means as the information contained in said action.
36. The action control system for the robot apparatus according to claim 35 wherein said communication means performs communication with the scale sound.
37. The action control system for the robot apparatus according to claim 35 wherein said communication means performs communication with the infrared rays.
38. A method for controlling the action of a robot apparatus in association with an action of a counterpart robot apparatus, said method comprising:
an action outputting step of one of the robot apparatus outputting a preset action when one of the robot apparatus is at a preset state; and
a reactive action outputting step of the other robot apparatus outputting an action corresponding to said preset action output by said one robot apparatus.
39. The action control system for the robot apparatus according to claim 38 wherein
said information is the information on the meaning of said action.
40. The action control system for the robot apparatus according to claim 38 wherein
said one robot apparatus is changing the emotion based on an external environment andor on the internal state;
said one robot apparatus when at a preset level of the emotion which is said preset state causing sad emotion to be expressed in an action to output the resulting action.