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At least 235 records · Page 13

Tactile Data Entry System

The patent-pending Glove-Enabled Computer Operations (GECO) design leverages extravehicular activity (EVA) glove design features as platforms for instrumentation and tactile feedback, enabling the gloves to function as human-computer interface devices. Flexible sensors in each finger enable control inputs that can be mapped to any number of functions (e.g., a mouse click, a keyboard strike, or a button press). Tracking of hand motion is interpreted alternatively as movement of a mouse (change in cursor position on a graphical user interface) or a change in hand position on a virtual keyboard. Programmable vibro-tactile actuators aligned with each finger enrich the interface by creating the haptic sensations associated with control inputs, such as recoil of a button press.

Adams, Richard J.

User's Guide for the Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation (C-MAPSS): Version 2

This report is a Users Guide for version 2 of the NASA-developed Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation (C-MAPSS) software, which is a transient simulation of a large commercial turbofan engine (up to 90,000-lb thrust) with a realistic engine control system. The software supports easy access to health, control, and engine parameters through a graphical user interface (GUI). C-MAPSS v.2 has some enhancements over the original, including three actuators rather than one, the addition of actuator and sensor dynamics, and an improved controller, while retaining or improving on the convenience and user-friendliness of the original. C-MAPSS v.2 provides the user with a graphical turbofan engine simulation environment in which advanced algorithms can be implemented and tested. C-MAPSS can run user-specified transient simulations, and it can generate state-space linear models of the nonlinear engine model at an operating point. The code has a number of GUI screens that allow point-and-click operation, and have editable fields for user-specified input. The software includes an atmospheric model which allows simulation of engine operation at altitudes from sea level to 40,000 ft, Mach numbers from 0 to 0.90, and ambient temperatures from -60 to 103 F. The package also includes a power-management system that allows the engine to be operated over a wide range of thrust levels throughout the full range of flight conditions.

Liu, Yuan

System Developed for Real-Time Blade-Flutter Monitoring in the Wind Tunnel

A real-time system has been developed to monitor flutter vibrations in turbomachinery. The system is designed for continuous processing of blade tip timing data at a rate of 10 MB/sec. A USB 2.0 interface provides uninterrupted real-time processing of the data, and the blade-tip arrival times are measured with a 50-MHz oscillator and a 24-bit pipelined architecture counter. The input stage includes a glitch catcher, which reduces the probability of detecting a ghost blade to negligible levels. A graphical user interface provides online interrogation of any blade tip from any light probe sensor. Alternatively, data from all blades and all sensors can be superimposed into a single composite scatter plot displaying the vibration amplitude of each blade.

Kurkov, Anatole P.

Assessing Upper-Level Winds on Day-of-Launch

On the day-or-launch. the 45th Weather Squadron Launch Weather Officers (LWOS) monitor the upper-level winds for their launch customers to include NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP). During launch operations, the payload launch team sometimes asks the LWO if they expect the upper level winds to change during the countdown but the LWOs did not have the capability to quickly retrieve or display the upper-level observations and compare them to the numerical weather prediction model point forecasts. The LWOs requested the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) develop a capability in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) that would allow them to plot upper-level wind speed and direction observations from the Kennedy Space Center Doppler Radar Wind Profilers and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station rawinsondes and then overlay model point forecast profiles on the observation profiles to assess the performance of these models and graphically display them to the launch team. The AMU developed an Excel-based capability for the LWOs to assess the model forecast upper-level winds and compare them to observations. They did so by creating a GUI in Excel that allows the LWOs to first initialize the models by comparing the O-hour model forecasts to the observations and then to display model forecasts in 3-hour intervals from the current time through 12 hours.

Bauman, William H., III

Evaluation of the Next-Gen Exercise Software Interface in the NEEMO Analog

NSBRI (National Space Biomedical Research Institute) funded research grant to develop the 'NextGen' exercise software for the NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) analog. Develop a software architecture to integrate instructional, motivational and socialization techniques into a common portal to enhance exercise countermeasures in remote environments. Increase user efficiency and satisfaction, and institute commonality across multiple exercise systems. Utilized GUI (Graphical User Interface) design principals focused on intuitive ease of use to minimize training time and realize early user efficiency. Project requirement to test the software in an analog environment. Top Level Project Aims: 1) Improve the usability of crew interface software to exercise CMS (Crew Management System) through common app-like interfaces. 2) Introduce virtual instructional motion training. 3) Use virtual environment to provide remote socialization with family and friends, improve exercise technique, adherence, motivation and ultimately performance outcomes.

Hanson, Andrea

Enigma Version 12

Enigma Version 12 software combines model building, animation, and engineering visualization into one concise software package. Enigma employs a versatile user interface to allow average users access to even the most complex pieces of the application. Using Enigma eliminates the need to buy and learn several software packages to create an engineering visualization. Models can be created and/or modified within Enigma down to the polygon level. Textures and materials can be applied for additional realism. Within Enigma, these models can be combined to create systems of models that have a hierarchical relationship to one another, such as a robotic arm. Then these systems can be animated within the program or controlled by an external application programming interface (API). In addition, Enigma provides the ability to use plug-ins. Plugins allow the user to create custom code for a specific application and access the Enigma model and system data, but still use the Enigma drawing functionality. CAD files can be imported into Enigma and combined to create systems of computer graphics models that can be manipulated with constraints. An API is available so that an engineer can write a simulation and drive the computer graphics models with no knowledge of computer graphics. An animation editor allows an engineer to set up sequences of animations generated by simulations or by conceptual trajectories in order to record these to highquality media for presentation. Enigma Version 12 Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 28 NASA Tech Briefs, September 2013 Planetary Protection Bioburden Analysis Program NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California This program is a Microsoft Access program that performed statistical analysis of the colony counts from assays performed on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft to determine the bioburden density, 3-sigma biodensity, and the total bioburdens required for the MSL prelaunch reports. It also contains numerous tools that report the data in various ways to simplify the reports required. The program performs all the calculations directly in the MS Access program. Prior to this development, the data was exported to large Excel files that had to be cut and pasted to provide the desired results. The program contains a main menu and a number of submenus. Analyses can be performed by using either all the assays, or only the accountable assays that will be used in the final analysis. There are three options on the first menu: either calculate using (1) the old MER (Mars Exploration Rover) statistics, (2) the MSL statistics for all the assays, or This software implements penetration limit equations for common micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) shield configurations, windows, and thermal protection systems. Allowable MMOD risk is formulated in terms of the probability of penetration (PNP) of the spacecraft pressure hull. For calculating the risk, spacecraft geometry models, mission profiles, debris environment models, and penetration limit equations for installed shielding configurations are required. Risk assessment software such as NASA's BUMPERII is used to calculate mission PNP; however, they are unsuitable for use in shield design and preliminary analysis studies. The software defines a single equation for the design and performance evaluation of common MMOD shielding configurations, windows, and thermal protection systems, along with a description of their validity range and guidelines for their application. Recommendations are based on preliminary reviews of fundamental assumptions, and accuracy in predicting experimental impact test results. The software is programmed in Visual Basic for Applications for installation as a simple add-in for Microsoft Excel. The user is directed to a graphical user interface (GUI) that requires user inputs and provides solutions directly in Microsoft Excel workbooks. This work was done by Shannon Ryan of the USRA Lunar and Planetary Institute for Johnson Space Center. Further information is contained in a TSP (see page 1). MSC- 24582-1 Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris (MMOD) Shield Ballistic Limit Analysis Program Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas Commercially, because it is so generic, Enigma can be used for almost any project that requires engineering visualization, model building, or animation. Models in Enigma can be exported to many other formats for use in other applications as well. Educationally, Enigma is being used to allow university students to visualize robotic algorithms in a simulation mode before using them with actual hardware.

Shores, David

TIGER: A graphically interactive grid system for turbomachinery applications

Numerical grid generation algorithm associated with the flow field about turbomachinery geometries is presented. Graphical user interface is developed with FORMS Library to create an interactive, user-friendly working environment. This customized algorithm reduces the man-hours required to generate a grid associated with turbomachinery geometry, as compared to the use of general-purpose grid generation softwares. Bezier curves are utilized both interactively and automatically to accomplish grid line smoothness and orthogonality. Graphical User Interactions are provided in the algorithm, allowing the user to design and manipulate the grid lines with a mouse.

Shih, Ming-Hsin

ACDC (Automated Campbell Diagram Code) [SWR-26-042]

This application provides a web-based graphical user interface to generating Campbell Diagrams and visualizing mode shapes for OpenFAST turbine models. Determining the aeroelastic stability and dynamic characteristics of wind turbines is a critical step in turbine design and analysis. Historically, extracting natural frequencies and mode shapes from OpenFAST—the industry-standard whole-turbine simulation code—has been a fragmented and tedious process. It required manual model configuration, command-line linearization execution, and complex post-processing via proprietary scripts to handle rotating-frame dynamics. To address these workflow bottlenecks, we present the Automated Campbell Diagram Code (ACDC), an open-source graphical software tool developed by the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) under the DOE-funded Distributed Wind Aeroelastic Modeling (dWAM) project. ACDC streamlines the end-to-end linearization and stability analysis workflow into a single, intuitive cross-platform application. The software guides users through OpenFAST model configuration, definition of operating points, and the automated execution of steady-state trim and linearization simulations. Under the hood, ACDC automates the complex mathematical post-processing steps required for rotating systems, including Multi-Blade Coordinate (MBC) transformations, eigenanalysis, and advanced modal tracking utilizing the Modal Assurance Criterion (MAC) and spectral clustering. Finally, ACDC processes these results to automatically generate Campbell diagrams and features a robust 3D visualization engine to animate full-system mode shapes. By eliminating the reliance on external post-processing environments and manual data manipulation, ACDC significantly accelerates dynamic analysis and lowers the barrier to entry for wind energy researchers and engineers.

Summerville, Brent [National Laboratory of the Roc

Grid generation for 3D turbomachinery configurations

A numerical grid generation algorithm associated with the flow field about turbomachinery geometries is presented. Graphical user interface is developed with the FORMS Library to create an interactive, user-friendly working environment. This customized algorithm reduces the man-hours required to generate a grid associated with turbomachinery geometry, as compared to those required by general-purpose grid generation softwares. Bezier curves are utilized both interactively and automatically to accomplish grid line smoothness and orthogonality. Graphical user interactions are provided in the algorithm and allow the user to design and manipulate the grid lines with a mouse.

Shih, Ming-Hsin

Tactile Data Entry for Extravehicular Activity

In the task-saturated environment of extravehicular activity (EVA), an astronaut's ability to leverage suit-integrated information systems is limited by a lack of options for data entry. In particular, bulky gloves inhibit the ability to interact with standard computing interfaces such as a mouse or keyboard. This paper presents the results of a preliminary investigation into a system that permits the space suit gloves themselves to be used as data entry devices. Hand motion tracking is combined with simple finger gesture recognition to enable use of a virtual keyboard, while tactile feedback provides touch-based context to the graphical user interface (GUI) and positive confirmation of keystroke events. In human subject trials, conducted with twenty participants using a prototype system, participants entered text significantly faster with tactile feedback than without (p = 0.02). The results support incorporation of vibrotactile information in a future system that will enable full touch typing and general mouse interactions using instrumented EVA gloves.

Adams, Richard J.

The Virtual Solar Observatory: What Are We Up To Now?

In the nearly ten years of a functional Virtual Solar Observatory (VSO), http://virtualsolar.org/ we have made it possible to query and access sixty-seven distinct solar data products and several event lists from nine spacecraft and fifteen observatories or observing networks. We have used existing VSO technology, and developed new software, for a distributed network of sites caching and serving SDO HMI and/ or AlA data. We have also developed an application programming interface (API) that has enabled VSO search and data access capabilities in IDL, Python, and Java. We also have quite a bit of work yet to do, including completion of the implementation of access to SDO EVE data, and access to some nineteen other data sets from space- and ground-based observatories. In addition, we have been developing a new graphic user interface that will enable the saving of user interface and search preferences. We solicit advice from the community input prioritizing our task list, and adding to it

Gurman, J. B.

Software for Analyzing Sequences of Flow-Related Images

Spotlight is a computer program for analysis of sequences of images generated in combustion and fluid physics experiments. Spotlight can perform analysis of a single image in an interactive mode or a sequence of images in an automated fashion. The primary type of analysis is tracking of positions of objects over sequences of frames. Features and objects that are typically tracked include flame fronts, particles, droplets, and fluid interfaces. Spotlight automates the analysis of object parameters, such as centroid position, velocity, acceleration, size, shape, intensity, and color. Images can be processed to enhance them before statistical and measurement operations are performed. An unlimited number of objects can be analyzed simultaneously. Spotlight saves results of analyses in a text file that can be exported to other programs for graphing or further analysis. Spotlight is a graphical-user-interface-based program that at present can be executed on Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems. A version that runs on Macintosh computers is being considered.

Klimek, Robert

Imaging Bragg Edge Analysis TooLs for Engineering Structures (iBeatles)

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) provides pulsed neutrons with energies varying from epithermal to cold. In preparation for VENUS, the neutron imaging beamline to be located at beam port 10, we have performed a series of experiments focused on wavelength-dependent radiography and computed tomography for a broad range of applications, from materials science to biological tissues.One of the time-of-flight (TOF) techniques that is of interest to the scientific community is the 2-dimensional mapping of phases and average crystalline plane orientation in samples both ex-situ and during applied stresses such as tensile loading and heating. This technique is known as Bragg edgeimaging and relies on the identification of changes of transmission values, fitting of the edge to measure its displacement, and thus identify the shift in lattice parameter due to stresses. One of the challenges of TOF imaging measurements is the amount of data and the inability to observe Bragg edge shifts in real time during an experiment. Thus, we have been focusing on creating a Python-based interface that allows fast data processing and instantaneous mapping and fitting of the Bragg edges, and their evolution through time. Python libraries and Jupyter notebooks have been implemented to facilitate decision making during an experiment. The advantage of the notebooks is the possibility to guide an experiment as they can quickly process and display Bragg edge data. These notebooks can be used independently, or can be combined in a Python Graphical User Interface (GUI) tool called iBeatles. This interface permits visualization and fitting of the Bragg edges, and ultimately back-projects the fitting results onto the radiographs to display a strain map. Assuming data collection has sufficient statistics, the strain mapping analysis can be performed on a pixel-by-pixel basis. This development is a step forward toward a better user experience at the future VENUS beamline in terms of live feedback and productivity. Analysis that used to take days of switching between different applications can now be done in minutes within the

Bilheux, JeanChristophe [Oak Ridge National Labora

PLOT3D Export Tool for Tecplot

The PLOT3D export tool for Tecplot solves the problem of modified data being impossible to output for use by another computational science solver. The PLOT3D Exporter add-on enables the use of the most commonly available visualization tools to engineers for output of a standard format. The exportation of PLOT3D data from Tecplot has far reaching effects because it allows for grid and solution manipulation within a graphical user interface (GUI) that is easily customized with macro language-based and user-developed GUIs. The add-on also enables the use of Tecplot as an interpolation tool for solution conversion between different grids of different types. This one add-on enhances the functionality of Tecplot so significantly, it offers the ability to incorporate Tecplot into a general suite of tools for computational science applications as a 3D graphics engine for visualization of all data. Within the PLOT3D Export Add-on are several functions that enhance the operations and effectiveness of the add-on. Unlike Tecplot output functions, the PLOT3D Export Add-on enables the use of the zone selection dialog in Tecplot to choose which zones are to be written by offering three distinct options - output of active, inactive, or all zones (grid blocks). As the user modifies the zones to output with the zone selection dialog, the zones to be written are similarly updated. This enables the use of Tecplot to create multiple configurations of a geometry being analyzed. For example, if an aircraft is loaded with multiple deflections of flaps, by activating and deactivating different zones for a specific flap setting, new specific configurations of that aircraft can be easily generated by only writing out specific zones. Thus, if ten flap settings are loaded into Tecplot, the PLOT3D Export software can output ten different configurations, one for each flap setting.

Alter, Stephen

Benefits of using Electronic Data Sheets (EDS) with coreFlight Systems (cFS) - A Project Example

Recently there has been interest in the incorporation of core Flight Systems (cFS) with Spacecraft Onboard Interface Services (SOIS) Electronic Data Sheets (EDS) in the spaceflight software community. The Regenerative Fuel Cell project at the Glenn Research Center is using cFS architecture with EDS support for its monitoring and control software. The presentation will outline the benefits to using cFS with EDS support: First, EDS establishes a single source of truth for the definitions of data structures used throughout an entire mission that may otherwise be programmed in different languages and designed with different processor architectures. Not only does this help with inter-application communication via the software bus, but it also greatly simplifies communication between systems. An EDS Application Programming Interface (API) library allows the conversion of EDS data structures to and from native data structures. Second, bindings for other programming languages (e.g. Lua, Python, JSON) have been written to allow the creation and manipulation of EDS data objects within those languages. The RFC project uses Lua scripts to automatically generate binary configuration files at build time to be loaded into our cFS programs. We also use Python bindings in a graphical user interface (GUI) to allow an operator to send commands and view telemetry messages sent from cFS instances. Finally, using Lua scripts we can set up specific simulation scenarios to perform automatic functional testing. During the development of the RFC software, the software team put together a generic python GUI called “cFS-EDS-GroundStation” that provides a basic interface to an instance of cFS with EDS support. The GUI includes a basic telecommand and telemetry system that reads directly from the generated EDS databases. In the telecommand system, dropdown menus are populated with all user commands that are defined in EDS. In the telemetry system, telemetry messages are automatically decoded, written to the screen, and saved to a binary file. Additional Python scripts have been written to convert the binary data files into a comma separated value (CSV) format for further processing. We will demonstrate the basic use of the cFS-EDS-GroundStation software including adding additional commands and telemetry payload values in EDS and see them appear automatically in the cFS-EDS-Groundstation software. About the RFC project: The Regenerative Fuel Cell project is tasked with developing and demonstrating a power system consisting of a fuel cell and electrolyzer to provide power during a lunar day/night cycle. During the night, the fuel cell takes Hydrogen and Oxygen gasses and converts them into electricity, water, and heat. During the day, the electrolyzer takes input power (e.g. from a photovoltaic array) and converts water back into Hydrogen and Oxygen gasses.

Mathew Mccaskey

A demonstration of an intelligent control system for a reusable rocket engine

An Intelligent Control System for reusable rocket engines is under development at NASA Lewis Research Center. The primary objective is to extend the useful life of a reusable rocket propulsion system while minimizing between flight maintenance and maximizing engine life and performance through improved control and monitoring algorithms and additional sensing and actuation. This paper describes current progress towards proof-of-concept of an Intelligent Control System for the Space Shuttle Main Engine. A subset of identifiable and accommodatable engine failure modes is selected for preliminary demonstration. Failure models are developed retaining only first order effects and included in a simplified nonlinear simulation of the rocket engine for analysis under closed loop control. The engine level coordinator acts as an interface between the diagnostic and control systems, and translates thrust and mixture ratio commands dictated by mission requirements, and engine status (health) into engine operational strategies carried out by a multivariable control. Control reconfiguration achieves fault tolerance if the nominal (healthy engine) control cannot. Each of the aforementioned functionalities is discussed in the context of an example to illustrate the operation of the system in the context of a representative failure. A graphical user interface allows the researcher to monitor the Intelligent Control System and engine performance under various failure modes selected for demonstration.

Musgrave, Jeffrey L.

X-Windows PVT Widget Class

The X-Windows Process Validation Table (PVT) Widget Class ( Class is used here in the object-oriented-programming sense of the word) was devised to simplify the task of implementing network registration services for Information Sharing Protocol (ISP) graphical-user-interface (GUI) computer programs. Heretofore, ISP PVT programming tasks have required many method calls to identify, query, and interpret the connections and messages exchanged between a client and a PVT server. Normally, programmers have utilized direct access to UNIX socket libraries to implement the PVT protocol queries, necessitating the use of many lines of source code to perform frequent tasks. Now, the X-Windows PVT Widget Class encapsulates ISP client server network registration management tasks within the framework of an X Windows widget. Use of the widget framework enables an X Windows GUI program to interact with PVT services in an abstract way and in the same manner as that of other graphical widgets, making it easier to program PVT clients. Wrapping the PVT services inside the widget framework enables a programmer to treat a PVT server interface as though it were a GUI. Moreover, an alternate subclass could implement another service in a widget of the same type. This program was written by Matthew R. Barry of United Space Alliance for Johnson Space Center. For further information, contact the Johnson Technology Transfer Office at (281) 483-3809. MSC-23582 Shuttle Data Center File- Processing Tool in Java A Java-language computer program has been written to facilitate mining of data in files in the Shuttle Data Center (SDC) archives. This program can be executed on a variety of workstations or via Web-browser programs. This program is partly similar to prior C-language programs used for the same purpose, while differing from those programs in that it exploits the platform-neutrality of Java in implementing several features that are important for analysis of large sets of time-series data. The program supports regular expression queries of SDC archive files, reads the files, interleaves the time-stamped samples according to a chosen output, then transforms the results into that format. A user can choose among a variety of output file formats that are useful for diverse purposes, including plotting, Markov modeling, multivariate density estimation, and wavelet multiresolution analysis, as well as for playback of data in support of simulation and testing.

Barry, Matthew R.

Mission Operations Center (MOC) - Precipitation Processing System (PPS) Interface Software System (MPISS)

MPISS is an automatic file transfer system that implements a combination of standard and mission-unique transfer protocols required by the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) Precipitation Processing System (PPS) to control the flow of data between the MOC and the PPS. The primary features of MPISS are file transfers (both with and without PPS specific protocols), logging of file transfer and system events to local files and a standard messaging bus, short term storage of data files to facilitate retransmissions, and generation of file transfer accounting reports. The system includes a graphical user interface (GUI) to control the system, allow manual operations, and to display events in real time. The PPS specific protocols are an enhanced version of those that were developed for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). All file transfers between the MOC and the PPS use the SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). For reports and data files generated within the MOC, no additional protocols are used when transferring files to the PPS. For observatory data files, an additional handshaking protocol of data notices and data receipts is used. MPISS generates and sends to the PPS data notices containing data start and stop times along with a checksum for the file for each observatory data file transmitted. MPISS retrieves the PPS generated data receipts that indicate the success or failure of the PPS to ingest the data file and/or notice. MPISS retransmits the appropriate files as indicated in the receipt when required. MPISS also automatically retrieves files from the PPS. The unique feature of this software is the use of both standard and PPS specific protocols in parallel. The advantage of this capability is that it supports users that require the PPS protocol as well as those that do not require it. The system is highly configurable to accommodate the needs of future users.

Ferrara, Jeffrey