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NASA NTRS1981

Symposium on Aviation Psychology, 1st, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, April 21, 22, 1981, Proceedings

The impact of modern technology on the role, responsibility, authority, and performance of human operators in modern aircraft and ATC systems was examined in terms of principles defined by Paul Fitts. Research into human factors in aircraft operations and the use of human factors engineering for aircraft safety improvements were discussed, and features of the man-machine interface in computerized cockpit warning systems are examined. The design and operational features of computerized avionics displays and HUDs are described, along with results of investigations into pilot decision-making behavior, aircrew procedural compliance, and aircrew judgment training programs. Experiments in vision and visual perception are detailed, as are behavioral studies of crew workload, coordination, and complement. The effectiveness of pilot selection, screening, and training techniques are assessed, as are methods for evaluating pilot performance.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2016

Z-2 Architecture Description and Requirements Verification Results

The Z-2 Prototype Planetary Extravehicular Space Suit Assembly is a continuation of NASA's Z series of spacesuits. The Z-2 is another step in NASA's technology development roadmap leading to human exploration of the Martian surface. The suit was designed for maximum mobility at 8.3 psid, reduced mass, and to have high fidelity life support interfaces. As Z-2 will be man-tested at full vacuum in NASA JSC's Chamber B, it was manufactured as Class II, making it the most flight-like planetary walking suit produced to date. The Z-2 suit architecture is an evolution of previous EVA suits, namely the ISS EMU, Mark III, Rear Entry I-Suit and Z-1 spacesuits. The suit is a hybrid hard and soft multi-bearing, rear entry spacesuit. The hard upper torso (HUT) is an all-composite structure and includes a 2-bearing rolling convolute shoulder with Vernier sizing mechanism, removable suit port interface plate (SIP), elliptical hemispherical helmet and self-don/doff shoulder harness. The hatch is a hybrid aluminum and composite construction with Apollo style gas connectors, custom water pass-thru, removable hatch cage and interfaces to primary and auxiliary life support feed water bags. The suit includes Z-1 style lower arms with cam brackets for Vernier sizing and government furnished equipment (GFE) Phase VI gloves. The lower torso includes a telescopic waist sizing system, waist bearing, rolling convolute waist joint, hard brief, 2 bearing soft hip thigh, Z-1 style legs with ISS EMU style cam brackets for sizing, and conformal walking boots with ankle bearings. The Z-2 Requirements Verification Plan includes the verification of more than 200 individual requirements. The verification methods include test, analysis, inspection, demonstration or a combination of methods. Examples of unmanned requirements include suit leakage, proof pressure testing, operational life, mass, isometric man-loads, sizing adjustment ranges, internal and external interfaces such as in-suit drink bag, partial pressure relief valve, purge valve, donning stand and ISS Body Restraint Tether (BRT). Examples of manned requirements include verification of anthropometric range, suit self-don/doff, secondary suit exit method, donning stand self-ingress/egress and manned mobility covering eight functional tasks. The eight functional tasks include kneeling with object pick-up, standing toe touch, cross-body reach, walking, reach to the SIP and helmet visor. This paper will provide an overview of the Z-2 design. Z-2 requirements verification testing was performed with NASA at the ILC Houston test facility. This paper will also discuss pre-delivery manned and unmanned test results as well as analysis performed in support of requirements verification.

Graziosi, Dave↗

NASA NTRS2021

Exploration Medical Capability Medical Scenarios

Medical systems supporting exploration class missions to cislunar space, the lunar surface, and the vicinity of Mars require an evolution in medical capability beyond that available for today’s low Earth orbit centric paradigm. Progress in developing more capable medical systems will be driven by the requirements of prolonged mission duration, increasing distance from Earth, and the realities of orbital mechanics, all necessitating a concomitant need for progressively Earth independent medical decision-making capabilities. These medical systems (which include the crewmembers) are expected to be capable of evaluating, diagnosing, treating and managing a defined list of medical conditions as well as addressing unanticipated medical conditions that may arise. The prioritized medical capabilities and associated resources needed to treat these medical conditions and support anticipated inflight medical events provide robust content that informs system designers and allows for a more complete evaluation of both medical and overall mission risk. Communication of these medical capabilities to system, vehicle, and mission designers can be enhanced using scenarios that characterize the system’s operations. Carefully considered scenarios provide the context needed to explore expected human and system interfaces, roles of ground and inflight crew (including periods of interrupted or delayed communications), identify training needs, assess data needs, etc. Mission-based scenario content varies dependent upon the needs, medical capabilities, conditions and context they are intended to illustrate. This document explicitly seeks to capture and codify those scenarios that have been useful to the Exploration Medical Capability Element of the Human Research Program in defining the enhanced medical systems required for future space exploration. It is expected that this document will continue to evolve through the refinement and characterization of current and future scenarios, respectively, as our knowledge grows, and requirements increasingly focus on Earth independent spaceflight operations.

Derek M Nusbaum↗

NASA NTRS2009

Development Status of the Carbon Dioxide and Moisture Removal Amine Swing-Bed System (CAMRAS)

Under a cooperative agreement with NASA, Hamilton Sundstrand has successfully designed, fabricated, tested and delivered three, state-of-the-art, solid amine prototype systems capable of continuous CO2 and humidity removal from a closed, habitable atmosphere. Two prototype systems (CAMRAS #1 and #2) incorporated a linear spool valve design for process flow control through the sorbent beds, with the third system (CAMRAS #3) employing a rotary valve assembly that improves system fluid interfaces and regeneration capabilities. The operational performance of CAMRAS #1 and #2 has been validated in a relevant environment, through both simulated human metabolic loads in a closed chamber and through human subject testing in a closed environment. Performance testing at Hamilton Sundstrand on CAMRAS #3, which incorporates a new valve and modified canister design, showed similar CO2 and humidity removal performance as CAMRAS #1 and #2, demonstrating that the system form can be modified within certain bounds with little to no effect in system function or performance. Demonstration of solid amine based CO2 and humidity control is an important milestone in developing this technology for human spaceflight. The systems have low power requirements; with power for air flow and periodic valve actuation and indication the sole requirements. Each system occupies the same space as roughly four shuttle non-regenerative LiOH canisters, but have essentially indefinite CO2 removal endurance provided a regeneration pathway is available. Using the solid amine based systems to control cabin humidity also eliminates the latent heat burden on cabin thermal control systems and the need for gas/liquid phase separation in a low gravity environment, resulting in additional simplification of vehicle environmental control and life support system process requirements.

Papale, William↗

NASA NTRS2019

Air Traffic Management TestBed Simulation Architect: User's Guide

The Air Traffic Management (ATM) TestBed is a Platform as a Service that is being developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to help design, configure, integrate, run, and monitor air traffic simulations. The platform provides cloud services including back-end big-data analytics tools, on-demand computing resource management, data storage, and communication middleware. The ATM TestBed reduces the time to test concepts and technologies, supports interactions among various concepts such as human-in-the-loop and automation-in-the-loop simulations, and enables collaborative simulations by sharing technologies and tools in the ATM community. The Simulation Architect application provides a graphical user interface tool for designing traffic scenarios and simulations using blocks representing components and links representing message channels linking them. This guide describes a high-level user interface design of Simulation Architect and provides information for a new user to compose traffic scenarios and simulations.

Software User Guide↗

NASA NTRS1995

Human Interfaces In Teleoperations And Virtual Environments

Conference report contains compilation of papers relating to interactions between humans and machines from perspectives of telepresence and sensorimotor adaptation, measurement and evaluation of performance, and design principles and predictive models. Topics discussed include neural networks, sensory technology, display, and feedback controls. Covers state of art of remote sensing and control by humans for space or other operations.

Durlach, Nathaniel I.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Human factors in aviation

The fundamental principles of human-factors (HF) analysis for aviation applications are examined in a collection of reviews by leading experts, with an emphasis on recent developments. The aim is to provide information and guidance to the aviation community outside the HF field itself. Topics addressed include the systems approach to HF, system safety considerations, the human senses in flight, information processing, aviation workloads, group interaction and crew performance, flight training and simulation, human error in aviation operations, and aircrew fatigue and circadian rhythms. Also discussed are pilot control; aviation displays; cockpit automation; HF aspects of software interfaces; the design and integration of cockpit-crew systems; and HF issues for airline pilots, general aviation, helicopters, and ATC.

Wiener, Earl L.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Re-Design and Beat Testing of the Man-Machine Integration Design and Analysis System: MIDAS

The Man-machine Design and Analysis System (MIDAS) is a human factors design and analysis system that combines human cognitive models with 3D CAD models and rapid prototyping and simulation techniques. MIDAS allows designers to ask 'what if' types of questions early in concept exploration and development prior to actual hardware development. The system outputs predictions of operator workload, situational awareness and system performance as well as graphical visualization of the cockpit designs interacting with models of the human in a mission scenario. Recently, MIDAS was re-designed to enhance functionality and usability. The goals driving the redesign include more efficient processing, GUI interface, advances in the memory structures, implementation of external vision models and audition. These changes were detailed in an earlier paper. Two Beta test sites with diverse applications have been chosen. One Beta test site is investigating the development of a new airframe and its interaction with the air traffic management system. The second Beta test effort will investigate 3D auditory cueing in conjunction with traditional visual cueing strategies including panel-mounted and heads-up displays. The progress and lessons learned on each of these projects will be discussed.

Shively, R. Jay↗

NASA NTRS2008

Software Simulates Sight: Flat Panel Mura Detection

In the increasingly sophisticated world of high-definition flat screen monitors and television screens, image clarity and the elimination of distortion are paramount concerns. As the devices that reproduce images become more and more sophisticated, so do the technologies that verify their accuracy. By simulating the manner in which a human eye perceives and interprets a visual stimulus, NASA scientists have found ways to automatically and accurately test new monitors and displays. The Spatial Standard Observer (SSO) software metric, developed by Dr. Andrew B. Watson at Ames Research Center, measures visibility and defects in screens, displays, and interfaces. In the design of such a software tool, a central challenge is determining which aspects of visual function to include while accuracy and generality are important, relative simplicity of the software module is also a key virtue. Based on data collected in ModelFest, a large cooperative multi-lab project hosted by the Optical Society of America, the SSO simulates a simplified model of human spatial vision, operating on a pair of images that are viewed at a specific viewing distance with pixels having a known relation to luminance. The SSO measures the visibility of foveal spatial patterns, or the discriminability of two patterns, by incorporating only a few essential components of vision. These components include local contrast transformation, a contrast sensitivity function, local masking, and local pooling. By this construction, the SSO provides output in units of "just noticeable differences" (JND) a unit of measure based on the assumed smallest difference of sensory input detectable by a human being. Herein is the truly amazing ability of the SSO, while conventional methods can manipulate images, the SSO models human perception. This set of equations actually defines a mathematical way of working with an image that accurately reflects the way in which the human eye and mind behold a stimulus. The SSO is intended for a wide variety of applications, such as evaluating vision from unmanned aerial vehicles, measuring visibility of damage to aircraft and to the space shuttles, predicting outcomes of corrective laser eye surgery, inspecting displays during the manufacturing process, estimating the quality of compressed digital video, evaluating legibility of text, and predicting discriminability of icons or symbols in a graphical user interface.

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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Interface Consistency: Phase I Results & Phase II Status

Future exploration missions will rely on designing and developing vehicles and complex systems from within NASA and through multiple external commercial partners to meet mission goals. Despite existing consistency-related agency requirements, NASA’s approach to commercial spaceflight development encourages providers’ flexibility and innovation. This strategy is resulting in significant design diversity across Artemis vehicles. Design best practices and guidelines champion interface consistency to promote mental model development and knowledge transfer. However, research investigating the benefits of consistency is mixed, and little is known about its role in complex systems. Determining the level of risk that system diversity presents is difficult, as there is no established method for quantifying the degree of consistency within and across interfaces, nor is there information about the differential impacts of different types of inconsistency. Phase I of this project (Characterization and Measurement) served as a starting point to better understand the construct of consistency, its application, and the range of studies and methods for measuring it. The project team created a taxonomy of consistency to apply to interfaces as a framework to guide the development of tools to assess intersystem consistency. Checklist and cognitive walkthrough methods were developed for use by human factors (HF) and human-computer interaction (HCI) experts. The Intersystem Consistency Scale (ICS) was developed for interface evaluations with crew. A pilot study evaluated the methods’ ability to distinguish differences between Artemis-like prototype pairs exhibiting either high or low design consistency. In addition, click errors and time on task were collected within the ICS (crew-like) group. Results from our exploratory analysis and lessons learned from the pilot study will be discussed. The project team will also present the status of Phase II (Risk Assessment, Standards and Guidelines). This includes incorporating feedback to redesign the assessment tools, and inputs from displays and training Subject Matter Experts to update tasks and prototype designs. The team will present the risk assessment study design to identify the types and levels of inconsistency that pose the greatest risk to performance. Plans to apply these results toward agency standards and guideline recommendations will also be discussed.

Human-Computer Interaction↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

xPLSS Structural Backplate Design, Manufacture, and Test Overview

NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) has been developing and building a new detailed design of the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) space suit to support future International Space Station (ISS) and Lunar Artemis missions. The Exploration Portable Life Support System (xPLSS) of the xEMU contains some clever new technologies to meet the requirements to provide Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) capability on the ISS and the Moon. The suit must interface with and fit through ports and airlocks of at least three vehicles: ISS, Human Landing System (HLS), and Gateway. The first partial xPLSS experimental flight unit called SWME EXPRESS Rack Flight Experiment (SERFE) that was a rack-deployed thermal control system payload on the ISS for two years (2020-2022). The first complete assembly of the xEMU was built as a Design Verification Test (DVT) unit (2022); similar to but more extensive than an Engineering Development Unit (EDU). The xPLSS Backplate serves not only as the structural backbone of the xPLSS and SERFE systems but also contains innovative design features to reduce the: mass, complexity, parts count, number ofseals (and therefore leak potential), and outer dimensions of the entire assembly. This paper provides an overview of these new design features, manufacturing processes, system interfaces, and SERFE/DVT test results of the Backplate as part of the xPLSS/xEMU.

xPLSS↗

NASA NTRS2023

xPLSS Structural Backplate Design, Manufacture, and Test Overview

xPLSS↗

NASA NTRS2010

Physics-Based Methods of Failure Analysis and Diagnostics in Human Space Flight

The Integrated Health Management (IHM) for the future aerospace systems requires to interface models of multiple subsystems in an efficient and accurate information environment at the earlier stages of system design. The complexity of modern aeronautic and aircraft systems (including e.g. the power distribution, flight control, solid and liquid motors) dictates employment of hybrid models and high-level reasoners for analysing mixed continuous and discrete information flow involving multiple modes of operation in uncertain environments, unknown state variables, heterogeneous software and hardware components. To provide the information link between key design/performance parameters and high-level reasoners we rely on development of multi-physics performance models, distributed sensors networks, and fault diagnostic and prognostic (FD&P) technologies in close collaboration with system designers. The main challenges of our research are related to the in-flight assessment of the structural stability, engine performance, and trajectory control. The main goal is to develop an intelligent IHM that not only enhances components and system reliability, but also provides a post-flight feedback helping to optimize design of the next generation of aerospace systems. Our efforts are concentrated on several directions of the research. One of the key components of our strategy is an innovative approach to the diagnostics/prognostics based on the real time dynamical inference (DI) technologies extended to encompass hybrid systems with hidden state trajectories. The major investments are into the multiphysics performance modelling that provides an access of the FD&P technologies to the main performance parameters of e.g. solid and liquid rocket motors and composite materials of the nozzle and case. Some of the recent results of our research are discussed in this chapter. We begin by introducing the problem of dynamical inference of stochastic nonlinear models and reviewing earlier results. Next, we present our analytical approach to the solution of this problem based on the path integral formulation. The resulting algorithm does not require an extensive global search for the model parameters, provides optimal compensation for the effects of dynamical noise, and is robust for a broad range of dynamical models. In the following Section the strengths of the algorithm are illustrated illustrated by inferring the parameters of the stochastic Lorenz system and comparing the results with those of earlier research. Next, we discuss a number of recent results in application to the development of the IHM for aerospace system. Firstly, we apply dynamical inference approach to a solution of classical three tank problems with mixed unknown continuous and binary parameters. The problem is considered in the context of ground support system for filling fuel tanks of liquid rocket motors. It is shown that the DI algorithm is well suited for successful solution of a hybrid version of this benchmark problem even in the presence of additional periodic and stochastic perturbation of unknown strength. Secondly, we illustrate our approach by its application to an analysis of the nozzle fault in a solid rocket motor (SRM). The internal ballistics of the SRM is modelled as a set of one-dimensional partial differential equations coupled to the dynamics of the propellant regression. In this example we are specifically focussed on the inference of discrete and continuous parameters of the nozzle blocking fault and on the possibility of an application of the DI algorithm to reducing the probability of "misses" of an on-board FD&P for SRM. In the next section re-contact problem caused by first stage/upper stage separation failure is discussed. The reaction forces imposed on the nozzle of the upper stage during the re-contact and their connection to the nozzle damage and to the thrust vector control (TVC) signal are obtained. It is shown that transient impact induced torquean be modelled as a response of an effective damped oscillator. A possible application of the DI algorithm to the inference of damage parameters and predicting fault dynamics ahead of time using the actuator signal is discussed. Finally, we formulate Bayesian inferential framework for development of the IHM system for in-flight structural health monitoring (SHM) of composite materials. We consider the signal generated by piezoelectric actuator mounted on composite structure generating elastic waves in it. The signal received by the sensor is than compared with the baseline signal. The possibility of damage inference is discussed in the context of development of the SHM.

Smelyanskiy, Vadim N.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Objective evaluation of situation awareness for dynamic decision makers in teleoperations

Situation awareness, a current mental mode of the environment, is critical to the ability of operators to perform complex and dynamic tasks. This should be particularly true for teleoperators, who are separated from the situation they need to be aware of. The design of the man-machine interface must be guided by the goal of maintaining and enhancing situation awareness. The objective of this work has been to build a foundation upon which research in the area can proceed. A model of dynamic human decision making which is inclusive of situation awareness will be presented, along with a definition of situation awareness. A method for measuring situation awareness will also be presented as a tool for evaluating design concepts. The Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) is an objective measure of situation awareness originally developed for the fighter cockpit environment. The results of SAGAT validation efforts will be presented. Implications of this research for teleoperators and other operators of dynamic systems will be discussed.

Endsley, Mica R.↗

NASA NTRS2011

A New Method for Interfacing Unsuited Subjects to Overhead Suspension Partial Gravity Simulators

The purpose of performing unsuited testing as part of a reduced gravity extravehicular (EVA) suited human performance research program is to define baseline performance. These results are then coupled with suited test results to evaluate how the suit system affects human performance at reduced gravity. The primary drawback to this approach is that previous studies used notably different systems to interface suited and unsuited subjects to overhead-suspension, partial-gravity simulators. A spreader bar (SB) assembly previously used for unsuited tests allowed limited pitch and roll of the subject, whereas the gimbal for suited tests allowed more pitch and roll, although the mass distribution led to large moments of inertia in the yaw axis. It is hypothesized that use of the same methods for offload of both unsuited and suited subjects is needed to make meaningful comparisons. A new gimbal (GIM) was designed with the idea that it could function with both suited and unsuited subjects. GIM was designed to minimize mass and moments of inertia and to be adjustable to co-locate the 3 axes of rotation with the subject s center of gravity. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate human performance differences between SB and GIM. METHODS: Ten unsuited subjects were offloaded to 1/6-g using both interfaces. Subjects completed tasks including overground and treadmill ambulation, picking up objects, shoveling, postural stability, range of motion testing, and recovery from the kneeling and prone positions. Metabolic, biomechanical, and/or subjective data were collected based on task. RESULTS: Initial analyses suggest that subjects completed all tasks with lower levels of compensation and a more terrestrial approach to movement when suspended via GIM. With SB, subjects were not able to fall or get into a prone position and had increased difficulty both retrieving objects off the floor and with overground ambulation, especially at gait initiation, because they were unable to bend their torso. GIM shows promise as a new method.

Norcross, Jason↗

NASA NTRS1992

Telerobotic system performance measurement - Motivation and methods

A systems performance-based strategy for modeling and conducting experiments relevant to the design and performance characterization of telerobotic systems is described. A developmental testbed consisting of a distributed telerobotics network and initial efforts to implement the strategy described is presented. Consideration is given to the general systems performance theory (GSPT) to tackle human performance problems as a basis for: measurement of overall telerobotic system (TRS) performance; task decomposition; development of a generic TRS model; and the characterization of performance of subsystems comprising the generic model. GSPT employs a resource construct to model performance and resource economic principles to govern the interface of systems to tasks. It provides a comprehensive modeling/measurement strategy applicable to complex systems including both human and artificial components. Application is presented within the framework of a distributed telerobotics network as a testbed. Insight into the design of test protocols which elicit application-independent data is described.

Kondraske, George V.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Implementation issues for a compact 6 degree of freedom force reflecting handcontroller with cueing of modes

Teleoperated control requires a master human interface device that can provide haptic input and output which reflect the responses of a slave robotic system. The effort reported in this paper addresses the design and prototyping of a six degree-of-freedom (DOF) Cartesian coordinate hand controller for this purpose. The device design recommended is an XYZ stage attached to a three-roll wrist which positions a flight-type handgrip. Six degrees of freedom are transduced and control brushless DC motor servo electronics similar in design to those used in computer controlled robotic manipulators. This general approach supports scaled force, velocity, and position feedback to aid an operator in achieving telepresence. The generality of the device and control system characteristics allow the use of inverse dynamics robotic control methodology to project slave robot system forces and inertias to the operator (in scaled form) and at the same time to reduce the apparent inertia of the robotic handcontroller itself. The current control design, which is not multiple fault tolerant, can be extended to make flight control or space use possible. The proposed handcontroller will have advantages in space-based applications where an operator must control several robot arms in a simultaneous and coordinated fashion. It will also have applications in intravehicular activities (within the Space Station) such as microgravity experiments in metallurgy and biological experiments that require isolation from the astronauts' environment. For ground applications, the handcontroller will be useful in underwater activities where the generality of the proposed handcontroller becomes an asset for operation of many different manipulator types. Also applications will emerge in the Military, Construction, and Maintenance/Manufacturing areas including ordnance handling, mine removal, NBC (Nuclear, Chemical, Biological) operations, control of vehicles, and operating strength and agility enhanced machines. Future avionics applications including advanced helicopter and aircraft control may also become important.

Jacobus, Heidi↗

NASA NTRS1999

Low-Speed Investigation of Upper-Surface Leading-Edge Blowing on a High-Speed Civil Transport Configuration

The paper identifies speed, agility, human interface, generation of sensitivity information, task decomposition, and data transmission (including storage) as important attributes for a computer environment to have in order to support engineering design effectively. It is argued that when examined in terms of these attributes the presently available environment can be shown to be inadequate. A radical improvement is needed, and it may be achieved by combining new methods that have recently emerged from multidisciplinary design optimisation (MDO) with massively parallel processing computer technology. The caveat is that, for successful use of that technology in engineering computing, new paradigms for computing will have to be developed - specifically, innovative algorithms that are intrinsically parallel so that their performance scales up linearly with the number of processors. It may be speculated that the idea of simulating a complex behaviour by interaction of a large number of very simple models may be an inspiration for the above algorithms; the cellular automata are an example. Because of the long lead time needed to develop and mature new paradigms, development should begin now, even though the widespread availability of massively parallel processing is still a few years away.

Banks, Daniel W.↗