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At least 253 records · Page 14

Dynamic compensatory pattern matching in a fuzzy rule-based control system

A dynamic compensatory matching procedure is suggested as a method to generate an aggregated measure for evaluating the appropriateness of rules for control systems. It is a dynamic weighted matching technique which takes into account incomplete information under real-time requirements. The initial weights of importance of variables are generated with a generalized neural network architecture and a gradient descent algorithm. An intuitive compensatory scheme based on correlations among input variables of training data is adopted so that the system is coherent to a noisy environment.

Sun, Chuen-Tsai↗

Satellite delivery of B-ISDN services

This paper will address the role of technology in the satellite delivery of B-ISDN services. Satellites excel in serving remote users and in providing multicast and broadcast services. Benefits to potential users employing these satellite broadband services will be examined together with their respective network architecture. Two application requirements are then proposed. The critical technologies needed in the realization of these architectures will be identified.

Kwan, R. K.↗

Neural network training by integration of adjoint systems of equations forward in time

A method and apparatus for supervised neural learning of time dependent trajectories exploits the concepts of adjoint operators to enable computation of the gradient of an objective functional with respect to the various parameters of the network architecture in a highly efficient manner. Specifically, it combines the advantage of dramatic reductions in computational complexity inherent in adjoint methods with the ability to solve two adjoint systems of equations together forward in time. Not only is a large amount of computation and storage saved, but the handling of real-time applications becomes also possible. The invention has been applied it to two examples of representative complexity which have recently been analyzed in the open literature and demonstrated that a circular trajectory can be learned in approximately 200 iterations compared to the 12000 reported in the literature. A figure eight trajectory was achieved in under 500 iterations compared to 20000 previously required. The trajectories computed using our new method are much closer to the target trajectories than was reported in previous studies.

Toomarian, Nikzad↗

Fault-tolerant onboard digital information switching and routing for communications satellites

The NASA Lewis Research Center is developing an information-switching processor for future meshed very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) communications satellites. The information-switching processor will switch and route baseband user data onboard the VSAT satellite to connect thousands of Earth terminals. Fault tolerance is a critical issue in developing information-switching processor circuitry that will provide and maintain reliable communications services. In parallel with the conceptual development of the meshed VSAT satellite network architecture, NASA designed and built a simple test bed for developing and demonstrating baseband switch architectures and fault-tolerance techniques. The meshed VSAT architecture and the switching demonstration test bed are described, and the initial switching architecture and the fault-tolerance techniques that were developed and tested are discussed.

Shalkhauser, Mary JO↗

Center for Aeronautics and Space Information Sciences

This report summarizes the research done during 1991/92 under the Center for Aeronautics and Space Information Science (CASIS) program. The topics covered are computer architecture, networking, and neural nets.

Flynn, Michael J.↗

Clustering of tethered satellite system simulation data by an adaptive neuro-fuzzy algorithm

Recent developments in neuro-fuzzy systems indicate that the concepts of adaptive pattern recognition, when used to identify appropriate control actions corresponding to clusters of patterns representing system states in dynamic nonlinear control systems, may result in innovative designs. A modular, unsupervised neural network architecture, in which fuzzy learning rules have been embedded is used for on-line identification of similar states. The architecture and control rules involved in Adaptive Fuzzy Leader Clustering (AFLC) allow this system to be incorporated in control systems for identification of system states corresponding to specific control actions. We have used this algorithm to cluster the simulation data of Tethered Satellite System (TSS) to estimate the range of delta voltages necessary to maintain the desired length rate of the tether. The AFLC algorithm is capable of on-line estimation of the appropriate control voltages from the corresponding length error and length rate error without a priori knowledge of their membership functions and familarity with the behavior of the Tethered Satellite System.

Mitra, Sunanda↗

Neural networks for structural design - An integrated system implementation

The development of powerful automated procedures to aid the creative designer is becoming increasingly critical for complex design tasks. In the work described here Artificial Neural Nets are applied to acquire structural analysis and optimization domain expertise. Based on initial instructions from the user an automated procedure generates random instances of structural analysis and/or optimization 'experiences' that cover a desired domain. It extracts training patterns from the created instances, constructs and trains an appropriate network architecture and checks the accuracy of net predictions. The final product is a trained neural net that can estimate analysis and/or optimization results instantaneously.

Berke, Laszlo↗

Adaptive fuzzy leader clustering of complex data sets in pattern recognition

A modular, unsupervised neural network architecture for clustering and classification of complex data sets is presented. The adaptive fuzzy leader clustering (AFLC) architecture is a hybrid neural-fuzzy system that learns on-line in a stable and efficient manner. The initial classification is performed in two stages: a simple competitive stage and a distance metric comparison stage. The cluster prototypes are then incrementally updated by relocating the centroid positions from fuzzy C-means system equations for the centroids and the membership values. The AFLC algorithm is applied to the Anderson Iris data and laser-luminescent fingerprint image data. It is concluded that the AFLC algorithm successfully classifies features extracted from real data, discrete or continuous.

Newton, Scott C.↗

A radial basis function neurocomputer implemented with analog VLSI circuits

An electronic neurocomputer which implements a radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) is described. The RBFNN is a network that utilizes a radial basis function as the transfer function. The key advantages of RBFNNs over existing neural network architectures include reduced learning time and the ease of VLSI implementation. This neurocomputer is based on an analog/digital hybrid design and has been constructed with both custom analog VLSI circuits and a commercially available digital signal processor. The hybrid architecture is selected because it offers high computational performance while compensating for analog inaccuracies, and it features the ability to model large problems.

Watkins, Steven S.↗

Fuzzy expert systems vs. neural networks - Truck backer-upper control revisited

It is pointed out that by merging the advantages of fuzzy expert systems and neural networks one can arrive at a more powerful yet more flexible system for inferencing and learning. The advantages of fuzzy expert systems are their ability to provide nonlinear mapping through the membership functions and fuzzy rules, and the ability to deal with fuzzy information and incomplete and/or imprecise data. The merger of these two concepts is explained using the truck backer-upper control problem. Novel network architectures obtained by merging these two concepts and simulation results for the truck backer-upper problem using the architecture are shown.

Ramamoorthy, P. A.↗

Classification of remotely sensed data using OCR-inspired neural network techniques

Neural networks have been applied to classifications of remotely sensed data with some success. To improve the performance of this approach, an examination was made of how neural networks are applied to the optical character recognition (OCR) of handwritten digits and letters. A three-layer, feedforward network, along with techniques adopted from OCR, was used to classify Landsat-4 Thematic Mapper data. Good results were obtained. To overcome the difficulties that are characteristic of remote sensing applications and to attain significant improvements in classification accuracy, a special network architecture may be required.

Kiang, Richard K.↗

Timing in private digital telecommunication networks

For proper operation of today's large digital private networks, high quality synchronization must be achieved. A general telecommunication performance objective is to maintain long-term frequency accuracy of ten parts per trillion at all synchronous digital equipment in the network. Many times, however, this is not achieved in private networks. Low quality clocks, errored transmission facilities, and incorrectly designed synchronization plans are often cause for poor performance. It is shown that properly-designed private networks can operate with long term frequency averages between ten parts per trillion to ten parts per million. These performance levels can adversely impact customer applications. The most demanding applications are digital and voice band data, encrypted voice, facsimile, and video. In a typical private network operating at 0.01 parts per million, the user would experience reduced data throughput, dropped encrypted calls, unreadable facsimile pages, or interrupted video transmission dozens of times per day. The major contribution to poor private network synchronization performance is the interaction of Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) clocks and the network facilities used to distribute timing. The performance of typical CPE clocks and facilities, and their impact on customer applications, are discussed. CPE clock performance issues, along with private network architectural constraints, make synchronization planning extremely difficult. Planning is usually costly and requires specialized expertise.

Abate, J. E.↗

Self-organization via active exploration in robotic applications. Phase 2: Hybrid hardware prototype

In many environments human-like intelligent behavior is required from robots to assist and/or replace human operators. The purpose of these robots is to reduce human time and effort in various tasks. Thus the robot should be robust and as autonomous as possible in order to eliminate or to keep to a strict minimum its maintenance and external control. Such requirements lead to the following properties: fault tolerance, self organization, and intelligence. A good insight into implementing these properties in a robot can be gained by considering human behavior. In the first phase of this project, a neural network architecture was developed that captures some fundamental aspects of human categorization, habit, novelty, and reinforcement behavior. The model, called FRONTAL, is a 'cognitive unit' regulating the exploratory behavior of the robot. In the second phase of the project, FRONTAL was interfaced with an off-the-shelf robotic arm and a real-time vision system. The components of this robotic system, a review of FRONTAL, and simulation studies are presented in this report.

Oegmen, Haluk↗

A European mobile satellite system concept exploiting CDMA and OBP

This paper describes a novel Land Mobile Satellite System (LMSS) concept applicable to networks allowing access to a large number of gateway stations ('Hubs'), utilizing low-cost Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT's). Efficient operation of the Forward-Link (FL) repeater can be achieved by adopting a synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technique, whereby inter-code interference (self-noise) is virtually eliminated by synchronizing orthogonal codes. However, with a transparent FL repeater, the requirements imposed by the highly decentralized ground segment can lead to significant efficiency losses. The adoption of a FL On-Board Processing (OBP) repeater is proposed as a means of largely recovering this efficiency impairment. The paper describes the network architecture, the system design and performance, the OBP functions and impact on implementation. The proposed concept, applicable to a future generation of the European LMSS, was developed in the context of a European Space Agency (ESA) study contract.

Vernucci, A.↗

Techniques and resources for storm-scale numerical weather prediction

The topics discussed include the following: multiscale application of the 5th-generation PSU/NCAR mesoscale model, the coupling of nonhydrostatic atmospheric and hydrostatic ocean models for air-sea interaction studies; a numerical simulation of cloud formation over complex topography; adaptive grid simulations of convection; an unstructured grid, nonhydrostatic meso/cloud scale model; efficient mesoscale modeling for multiple scales using variable resolution; initialization of cloud-scale models with Doppler radar data; and making effective use of future computing architectures, networks, and visualization software.

Droegemeier, Kelvin↗

Cascaded clocks measurement and simulation findings

This paper will examine aspects related to network synchronization distribution and the cascading of timing elements. Methods of timing distribution have become a much debated topic in standards forums and among network service providers (both domestically and internationally). Essentially these concerns focus on the need to migrate their existing network synchronization plans (and capabilities) to those required for the next generation of transport technologies (namely, the Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH), Synchronous Optical Networks (SONET), and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). The particular choices for synchronization distribution network architectures are now being evaluated and are demonstrating that they can indeed have a profound effect on the overall service performance levels that will be delivered to the customer. The salient aspects of these concerns reduce to the following: (1) identifying that the devil is in the details of the timing element specifications and the distribution of timing information (i.e., small design choices can have a large performance impact); (2) developing a standardized method of performance verification that will yield unambiguous results; and (3) presentation of those results. Specifically, this will be done for two general cases: an ideal input, and a noisy input to a cascaded chain of slave clocks.

Chislow, Don↗

CFD Research, Parallel Computation and Aerodynamic Optimization

During the last five years, CFD has matured substantially. Pure CFD research remains to be done, but much of the focus has shifted to integration of CFD into the design process. The work under these cooperative agreements reflects this trend. The recent work, and work which is planned, is designed to enhance the competitiveness of the US aerospace industry. CFD and optimization approaches are being developed and tested, so that the industry can better choose which methods to adopt in their design processes. The range of computer architectures has been dramatically broadened, as the assumption that only huge vector supercomputers could be useful has faded. Today, researchers and industry can trade off time, cost, and availability, choosing vector supercomputers, scalable parallel architectures, networked workstations, or heterogenous combinations of these to complete required computations efficiently.

Ryan, James S.↗

New applications for the EUTELTRACS service

The EUTELTRACS two-way Mobile Satellite Messaging and Automatic Satellite Position Reporting (ASPR) service is Europe's first commercially operated Mobile Satellite Service. It was introduced by the European Telecommunications Satellite Organization (EUTELSAT) for commercial service in 1991. The system is based on a centralized network architecture organized around a single hub station operated by EUTELSAT. Initially the system was designed with a close user group architecture enabling a mobile user to communicate exclusively with its own headquarters. This paper describes the new applications (design and tests prior to their introduction into service) especially developed for the European market and particularly the Double Hop Services opening the system to authorized external entities. In addition, the European Commission (EC) pilot demonstrations in which the EUTELTRACS system is involved are described.

Colcy, Jean-Noel↗