A method and devices for estimating a mechanical property of a rock joint are presented. The method comprises obtaining a plurality of at least partly overlapping photos of the rock joint by at least one optical sensor comprised in a device, wherein said photos represents the rock joint from different perspectives or positions, generating a digital three-dimensional representation of the rock joint based on said plurality of photos, and determining the mechanical property of the rock joint based on the generated digital three-dimensional representation

One aspect provides a method, including: obtaining sensor data from a ground penetrating radar (GPR) unit; analyzing, using a processor, the sensor data to detect a first object and a second object, the second object being associated with the first object based on location; identifying, with the processor, an underground pipe feature based on the analyzing; associating a position of the underground pipe feature with a location in a pipe network; selecting a subset of the pipe network including a pipe segment associated with the position of the underground pipe feature; and providing the subset of the pipe network as displayable data to a display device. Other aspects are described and claimed.

One aspect provides a method, including: obtaining sensor data from a ground penetrating radar (GPR) unit; analyzing, using a processor, the sensor data to detect a first object and a second object, the second object being associated with the first object based on location; identifying, with the processor, an underground pipe feature based on the analyzing; associating a position of the underground pipe feature with a location in a pipe network; selecting a subset of the pipe network including a pipe segment associated with the position of the underground pipe feature; and providing the subset of the pipe network as displayable data to a display device. Other aspects are described and claimed.

A occupancy sensor device comprising an occupancy sensor to output a detection signal, the detection signal including one or more pulses, the one or more pulses comprising one or more characteristics indicative of either detection of a motion or detection of a disturbance; a controller coupled with the sensor to receive the detection signal, the controller programmed to compare the one or more characteristics of the one or more pulses against a predetermined characteristic threshold, and based on the comparison, determine whether the one or more pulses indicate detection of the motion or detection of the disturbance. A machine readable-medium to comprise code for the controller. And, a device comprising an occupancy sensor and a vibration sensor to correlate vibrations with an output from the occupancy sensor to prevent false triggers.

Embodiments include a method for retrieving atmospheric aerosol based on statistical segmentation. Firstly a multi-band remote sensing image including an apparent reflectance and an aerosol optical thickness look-up table corresponding to a retrieval band is obtained, then pixels are partitioned and screened according to apparent reflectance segments of a mid-infrared 2.1 micrometer band. After that the retained pixel sets are further partitioned and screened according to the apparent reflectance segments of the mid-infrared 1.6 micrometer band. Finally the obtained pixel sets are partitioned into two categories according to the pixel number, one category including pixels having more pixels, the other including those with less pixels. The category with more pixels is taken as the reference part for retrieval.

An optical probe and method for analysing a soil located in an underground area are provided. The optical probe includes a probe head insertable into the underground area, the probe head including a transparent wall defining a hollow chamber within the probe head; a light source mounted in the hollow chamber, configured to generate an illumination beam towards the soil, the illumination beam passing through the transparent wall to irradiate the soil, thereby producing a resulting light emanating from the soil, a portion of the resulting light returning towards the probe head and being guided in the transparent wall by total internal reflection along the optical path; a detector configured to receive the portion of the resulting light and outputting an output signal representative of characteristic(s) of the soil; and an optical element guiding the portion of the resulting light from the transparent wall to the detector.

An optical probe and method for analysing a soil located in an underground area are provided. The optical probe includes a probe head insertable into the underground area, the probe head including a transparent wall defining a hollow chamber within the probe head; a light source mounted in the hollow chamber, configured to generate an illumination beam towards the soil, the illumination beam passing through the transparent wall to irradiate the soil, thereby producing a resulting light emanating from the soil, a portion of the resulting light returning towards the probe head and being guided in the transparent wall by total internal reflection along the optical path; a detector configured to receive the portion of the resulting light and outputting an output signal representative of characteristic(s) of the soil; and an optical element guiding the portion of the resulting light from the transparent wall to the detector.

In an object determination apparatus, a same-object determiner is configured to make a same-object determination as to whether a first object ahead of a subject vehicle that is a vehicle carrying the object determination apparatus, detected by an electromagnetic wave sensor, and a second object ahead of the subject vehicle, detected by an image sensor, are the same object. A candidate-object identifier is configured to identify a candidate for the first object, between which and the second object the same-object determination is to be made, as a candidate object. A candidate-object selector is configured to, in response to there being a plurality of the candidate objects, preferentially select, from the plurality of candidate objects, a candidate object whose likelihood for the identified object type of the second object is higher than a predetermined likelihood threshold, as a candidate object to be subjected to the same-object determination.

An optical probe and method for analysing a soil located in an underground area are provided. The optical probe includes a probe head insertable into the underground area, the probe head including a transparent wall defining a hollow chamber within the probe head; a light source mounted in the hollow chamber, configured to generate an illumination beam towards the soil, the illumination beam passing through the transparent wall to irradiate the soil, thereby producing a resulting light emanating from the soil, a portion of the resulting light returning towards the probe head and being guided in the transparent wall by total internal reflection along the optical path; a detector configured to receive the portion of the resulting light and outputting an output signal representative of characteristic(s) of the soil; and an optical element guiding the portion of the resulting light from the transparent wall to the detector.

An optical probe and method for analysing a soil located in an underground area are provided. The optical probe includes a probe head insertable into the underground area, the probe head including a transparent wall defining a hollow chamber within the probe head; a light source mounted in the hollow chamber, configured to generate an illumination beam towards the soil, the illumination beam passing through the transparent wall to irradiate the soil, thereby producing a resulting light emanating from the soil, a portion of the resulting light returning towards the probe head and being guided in the transparent wall by total internal reflection along the optical path; a detector configured to receive the portion of the resulting light and outputting an output signal representative of characteristic(s) of the soil; and an optical element guiding the portion of the resulting light from the transparent wall to the detector.