We present a novel training method for recognizing traffic sign symbols. The symbol images captured by a car-mounted camera suffer from various forms of image degradation. To cope with degradations, similarly degraded images should be used as training data. Our method artificially generates such training data from original templates of traffic sign symbols. Degradation models and a GA-based algorithm that simulates actual captured images are established. The proposed method enables us to obtain training data of all categories without exhaustively collecting them. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method for traffic sign symbol recognition.

In this paper, experimental data of non-arcing circuit breaking phenomena in electrical contacts are presented. A dark bridge that is a non-luminous bridge between electrical contacts is an effective factor for the non-arcing circuit break. A facility of a cantilever system was established to precisely control a position of an electrode. By using this facility, dark bridges between contacts were made and the dark bridges were observed by a microscopic camera system.

In this paper, a Micro-Step-Separating System is realized for investigating phenomena of initial state of separating contacts. This system can control the contact separation in a discrete way with about 0.5 µm step. By using this system, we observed a relationship between contact voltage and contact separation gap. Ag contacts were observed. The observation showed that the contact voltage rose up and then fell down to the stable voltage at each step separation. From this observation, we expect to elucidate the contact bridge phenomena with more sophisticated way because we can approach them under the thermal equilibrium condition.

The mechanism of dark bridge formed with very slow contact separating speed was empirically shown with some discussions from the experimental results which the authors have obtained by using the cantilever system for controlling contact gap. By analyzing the obtained results, we will assume some concept of formation mechanism of dark bridge. Since the thermal effect is inevitable in the bridge formation, this will be inferred from two points; one is the a-spot change at initial state of bridge forming, and another one is the thermal expansion due to bridge current that affects the shape of bridge. This paper will show from these two points the conceptual bridge formation mechanism in case of non-melting state of contact bridge which is called here dark bridge.

From the authors' investigations on the initial instantaneous phenomena in breaking contacts, we have found the two types of bridge, i.e. one is a brightened (luminous) bridge and another one is a dark (non-luminous) one. This paper discusses on the dark bridge formed between contacts when the separation speed is very small. The following items are mentioned in this paper: a) bridge model and theory on the relationship between bridge length and diameter. b) thermal flow from bridge to its vicinity, c) deduction of a thermal equilibrium condition from the calculation of thermal flow time constant. d) experimental works, e) discussions and f) conclusions. In conclusion, we see the coincidence of the tendency of the theory and experiment carried out on the relationship between bridge diameter and length.