This paper describes the development of an automatic steering vehicle for use in a 20th Century pear orchard in Japan. A video camera takes color pictures of a red target board on the vehicle. A 16 bit-personal computer with a color-image processing board detects the position of the red target board. This information was used to operate the brake and clutch on the rubber crawler tractor by two wireless modems to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was able to approach along straight line from 15 m distance to the video camera near the 16-bit personal computer with no operator by an improved program.

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In this paper, a method of vertical structure analysis by superposition of HIMAWARI's cloud pictures is proposed. This aims at estimating type and height etc. of clouds from the superposition of infrared(H) and visible(I) pictures which have been taken at the same area and at the same time. An outline of procedures is as follows: (1) Received infrared and visible pictures are painted green and red in 16 mono-tone gradations respectively, by using a color pallet of the computer system. (2) Each picture file with color information is transfered to a DOS/V personal computer through a TV convertor. (3) Two pictures are superimposed by Photoshop software, which is a picture- processing software program. (4) Type and height of clouds are estimated by a cloud discrimination diagram and color pattern. From an analysis of received pictures of fiscal 1997, it was concluded that this method clearly revealed characteristics of clouds quite easily and has become a powerful support tool for weather analysis and forecasting.

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[in Japanese]

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In a previous study we have shown that MCPB-ethyl has a blossom thinning effect on the Fuji apple. This study was conducted to determine spray conditions and influences on fruit growth and quality for practical use of MCPB-ethyl. The thinning effect was observed when sprayed at one day to five days after king flower full bloom with 10 to 30 ppm. However, it was thought that the best result is obtained by spraying at one to three days after king flower full bloom with 15 ppm. Nevertheless, it caused severe inhibition of fruit set at the time of preblossom, with no effect on pollinated flowers. In spite of lengthened peduncles, no negative characteristics assumedly attributable to MCPB-ethyl concerning fruit shape, fruit size and quality were observed. The thinning effect of a combined treatment with carbaryl was not recognized.

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A cultivation system using a water spout that consists of a cultivation tray, a cultivation pool, and a guidance device was developed. We discussed the relationship between a cultivation tray and a water spout for thrust, velocity, and effectivre work. The following results were obtained; l)Using a water spout and guidance device, each cultivation tray was transferred . 2)The thrust increased with the increase in a water spout. 3)The velocity increased with the increase in a water spout. 4)The effective work decreased with the increase in a water spout. 5)The theoretical velocity of cultivation tray transfer was 2.68cm/s, and the water spout was 54L/min for the condition where the cultivated plant was a tomato and the type of work was planting.

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