Future Radiometer Systems for Earth Remote Sensing
This paper will descrive a new exciting concept for using microwave systems for Earth remote sensing.
radiometer↗
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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Integrating CLIPS applications into heterogeneous distributed systems
SOCIAL is an advanced, object-oriented development tool for integrating intelligent and conventional applications across heterogeneous hardware and software platforms. SOCIAL defines a family of 'wrapper' objects called agents, which incorporate predefined capabilities for distributed communication and control. Developers embed applications within agents and establish interactions between distributed agents via non-intrusive message-based interfaces. This paper describes a predefined SOCIAL agent that is specialized for integrating C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS)-based applications. The agent's high-level Application Programming Interface supports bidirectional flow of data, knowledge, and commands to other agents, enabling CLIPS applications to initiate interactions autonomously, and respond to requests and results from heterogeneous remote systems. The design and operation of CLIPS agents are illustrated with two distributed applications that integrate CLIPS-based expert systems with other intelligent systems for isolating and mapping problems in the Space Shuttle Launch Processing System at the NASA Kennedy Space Center.
Adler, Richard M.↗
An Improved Design for Air Removal from Aerospace Fluid Loop Coolant Systems
Aerospace applications with requirements for large capacity heat removal (launch vehicles, platforms, payloads, etc.) typically utilize a liquid coolant fluid as a transport media to increase efficiency and flexibility in the vehicle design. An issue with these systems however, is susceptibility to the presence of noncondensable gas (NCG) or air. The presence of air in a coolant loop can have numerous negative consequences, including loss of centrifugal pump prime, interference with sensor readings, inhibition of heat transfer, and coolant blockage to remote systems. Hardware ground processing to remove this air is also cumbersome and time consuming which continuously drives recurring costs. Current systems for maintaining the system free of air are tailored and have demonstrated only moderate success. An obvious solution to these problems is the development and advancement of a passive gas removal device, or gas trap, that would be installed in the flight cooling system simplifying the initial coolant fill procedure and also maintaining the system during operations. The proposed device would utilize commercially available membranes thus increasing reliability and reducing cost while also addressing both current and anticipated applications. In addition, it maintains current pressure drop, water loss, and size restrictions while increasing tolerance for pressure increases due to gas build-up in the trap.
Ritchie, Stephen M. C.↗
Development of Field Measurement Systems for Flight Vehicle Noise
Field measurement of noise radiated from flight vehicles is an important element of aircraft noise research programs. At NASA Langley, a dedicated effort that spans over two decades was devoted to the development of acoustic measurement systems to support the NASA noise research programs. The new challenge for vehicle operational noise reduction through varying glide slope and flight path require noise measurement to be made over a very large area under the vehicle flight path. Such a challenge can be met through the digital remote system currently under final development at NASA Langley.
Yu, James C.↗
The system integration and verification testing of an orbital maneuvering vehicle for an air bearing floor
The teleoperator and Robotics Evaluation Facility (TOREF) is composed of a 4,000 square foot precision air bearing floor, the Teleoperator Motion Base, the Target Motion and Support Simulator, the mock-ups of the Hubble Space Telescope, Multi-mission Modular Spacecraft, and the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV). The TOREF and its general capabilities to support the OMV and other remote system simulations; the facility operating procedures and requirements; and the results of generic OMV investigations are summarized.
Shields, N. L., Jr.↗
Remote surface inspection system
This paper reports on an on-going research and development effort in remote surface inspection of space platforms such as the Space Station Freedom (SSF). It describes the space environment and identifies the types of damage for which to search. This paper provides an overview of the Remote Surface Inspection System that was developed to conduct proof-of-concept demonstrations and to perform experiments in a laboratory environment. Specifically, the paper describes three technology areas: (1) manipulator control for sensor placement; (2) automated non-contact inspection to detect and classify flaws; and (3) an operator interface to command the system interactively and receive raw or processed sensor data. Initial findings for the automated and human visual inspection tests are reported.
Hayati, S.↗
Remote surface inspection system
This paper reports on an on-going research and development effort in remote surface inspection of space platforms such as the Space Station Freedom (SSF). It describes the space environment and identifies the types of damage for which to search. This paper provides an overview of the Remote Surface Inspection System that was developed to conduct proof-of-concept demonstrations and to perform experiments in a laboratory environment. Specifically, the paper describes three technology areas: (1) manipulator control for sensor placement; (2) automated non-contact inspection to detect and classify flaws; and (3) an operator interface to command the system interactively and receive raw or processed sensor data. Initial findings for the automated and human visual inspection tests are reported.
Hayati, Samad↗
Earth view: A business guide to orbital remote sensing
The following subject areas are covered: Earth view - a guide to orbital remote sensing; current orbital remote sensing systems (LANDSAT, SPOT image, MOS-1, Soviet remote sensing systems); remote sensing satellite; and remote sensing organizations.
Bishop, Peter C.↗
Remote sensing of phytoplankton density and diversity in Narragansett Bay using an airborne fluorosensor
An aircraft-borne remote system is presented that utilizes narrow-band light from multiple dye lasers to excite selected algae photopigments and then measures the resultant flourescence emitted from chlorophyll a at 685 nm. Tests were conducted with both pure and mixed cultures of marine algae from a series of field tests taken from piers and bridges of Narragansett Bay, and a prototype remote fluorosensor was flown over the Bay during the 1978 winter-spring diatom bloom. Remote fluorescence obtained at hover points over sea-truth stations showed correlations with in situ fluorescence, total chlorophyll a, and cell count. It was concluded that the ratio of remote fluorescence to direct chlorophyll a concentration was less variable than expected, and the distribution of total chlorophyll a between two major photoplankton color groups showed three distinct areas, within the Bay, of green and golden-brown species.
Farmer, F. H.↗
A photovoltaic power system in the remote African village of Tangaye, Upper Volta
A photovoltaic (PV) system powering a grain mill and a water pump was installed in the remote West African village of Tangaye, Upper Volta. Village characteristics as well as system design, hardware, installation and operation to date are described. The PV system cost is discussed. A baseline socio-economic study performed and a follow-up study is planned to determine the impact of the system on the villagers.
Bifano, W. J.↗
Haptic interfaces: Hardware, software and human performance
Virtual environments are computer-generated synthetic environments with which a human user can interact to perform a wide variety of perceptual and motor tasks. At present, most of the virtual environment systems engage only the visual and auditory senses, and not the haptic sensorimotor system that conveys the sense of touch and feel of objects in the environment. Computer keyboards, mice, and trackballs constitute relatively simple haptic interfaces. Gloves and exoskeletons that track hand postures have more interaction capabilities and are available in the market. Although desktop and wearable force-reflecting devices have been built and implemented in research laboratories, the current capabilities of such devices are quite limited. To realize the full promise of virtual environments and teleoperation of remote systems, further developments of haptic interfaces are critical. In this paper, the status and research needs in human haptics, technology development and interactions between the two are described. In particular, the excellent performance characteristics of Phantom, a haptic interface recently developed at MIT, are highlighted. Realistic sensations of single point of contact interactions with objects of variable geometry (e.g., smooth, textured, polyhedral) and material properties (e.g., friction, impedance) in the context of a variety of tasks (e.g., needle biopsy, switch panels) achieved through this device are described and the associated issues in haptic rendering are discussed.
Srinivasan, Mandayam A.↗
A system-level approach to automation research
Automation is the application of self-regulating mechanical and electronic devices to processes that can be accomplished with the human organs of perception, decision, and actuation. The successful application of automation to a system process should reduce man/system interaction and the perceived complexity of the system, or should increase affordability, productivity, quality control, and safety. The expense, time constraints, and risk factors associated with extravehicular activities have led the Automation Technology Branch (ATB), as part of the NASA Automation Research and Technology Program, to investigate the use of robots and teleoperators as automation aids in the context of space operations. The ATB program addresses three major areas: (1) basic research in autonomous operations, (2) human factors research on man-machine interfaces with remote systems, and (3) the integration and analysis of automated systems. This paper reviews the current ATB research in the area of robotics and teleoperators.
Harrison, F. W.↗
Physical Intelligent Sensors
This paper proposes the development of intelligent sensors as part of an integrated systems approach, i.e. one treats the sensors as a complete system with its own sensing hardware (the traditional sensor), A/D converters, processing and storage capabilities, software drivers, self-assessment algorithms, communication protocols and evolutionary methodologies that allow them to get better with time. Under a project being undertaken at the NASA s Stennis Space Center, an integrated framework is being developed for the intelligent monitoring of smart elements. These smart elements can be sensors, actuators or other devices. The immediate application is the monitoring of the rocket test stands, but the technology should be generally applicable to the Integrated Systems Health Monitoring (ISHM) vision. This paper outlines progress made in the development of intelligent sensors by describing the work done till date on Physical Intelligent Sensors (PIS). The PIS discussed here consists of a thermocouple used to read temperature in an analog form which is then converted into digital values. A microprocessor collects the sensor readings and runs numerous embedded event detection routines on the collected data and if any event is detected, it is reported, stored and sent to a remote system through an Ethernet connection. Hence the output of the PIS is data coupled with confidence factor in the reliability of the data which leads to information on the health of the sensor at all times. All protocols are consistent with IEEE 1451.X standards. This work lays the foundation for the next generation of smart devices that have embedded intelligence for distributed decision making capabilities.
Bandhil, Pavan↗
Fuzzy control system for a remote focusing microscope
Space Station Crew Health Care System procedures require the use of an on-board microscope whose slide images will be transmitted for analysis by ground-based microbiologists. Focusing of microscope slides is low on the list of crew priorities, so NASA is investigating the option of telerobotic focusing controlled by the microbiologist on the ground, using continuous video feedback. However, even at Space Station distances, the transmission time lag may disrupt the focusing process, severely limiting the number of slides that can be analyzed within a given bandwidth allocation. Substantial time could be saved if on-board automation could pre-focus each slide before transmission. The authors demonstrate the feasibility of on-board automatic focusing using a fuzzy logic ruled-based system to bring the slide image into focus. The original prototype system was produced in under two months and at low cost. Slide images are captured by a video camera, then digitized by gray-scale value. A software function calculates an index of 'sharpness' based on gray-scale contrasts. The fuzzy logic rule-based system uses feedback to set the microscope's focusing control in an attempt to maximize sharpness. The systems as currently implemented performs satisfactorily in focusing a variety of slide types at magnification levels ranging from 10 to 1000x. Although feasibility has been demonstrated, the system's performance and usability could be improved substantially in four ways: by upgrading the quality and resolution of the video imaging system (including the use of full color); by empirically defining and calibrating the index of image sharpness; by letting the overall focusing strategy vary depending on user-specified parameters; and by fine-tuning the fuzzy rules, set definitions, and procedures used.
Weiss, Jonathan J.↗
QuakeSim 2.0
QuakeSim 2.0 improves understanding of earthquake processes by providing modeling tools and integrating model applications and various heterogeneous data sources within a Web services environment. QuakeSim is a multisource, synergistic, data-intensive environment for modeling the behavior of earthquake faults individually, and as part of complex interacting systems. Remotely sensed geodetic data products may be explored, compared with faults and landscape features, mined by pattern analysis applications, and integrated with models and pattern analysis applications in a rich Web-based and visualization environment. Integration of heterogeneous data products with pattern informatics tools enables efficient development of models. Federated database components and visualization tools allow rapid exploration of large datasets, while pattern informatics enables identification of subtle, but important, features in large data sets. QuakeSim is valuable for earthquake investigations and modeling in its current state, and also serves as a prototype and nucleus for broader systems under development. The framework provides access to physics-based simulation tools that model the earthquake cycle and related crustal deformation. Spaceborne GPS and Inter ferometric Synthetic Aperture (InSAR) data provide information on near-term crustal deformation, while paleoseismic geologic data provide longerterm information on earthquake fault processes. These data sources are integrated into QuakeSim's QuakeTables database system, and are accessible by users or various model applications. UAVSAR repeat pass interferometry data products are added to the QuakeTables database, and are available through a browseable map interface or Representational State Transfer (REST) interfaces. Model applications can retrieve data from Quake Tables, or from third-party GPS velocity data services; alternatively, users can manually input parameters into the models. Pattern analysis of GPS and seismicity data has proved useful for mid-term forecasting of earthquakes, and for detecting subtle changes in crustal deformation. The GPS time series analysis has also proved useful as a data-quality tool, enabling the discovery of station anomalies and data processing and distribution errors. Improved visualization tools enable more efficient data exploration and understanding. Tools provide flexibility to science users for exploring data in new ways through download links, but also facilitate standard, intuitive, and routine uses for science users and end users such as emergency responders.
Donnellan, Andrea↗
Video Based Sensor for Tracking 3-Dimensional Targets
Video-Based Sensor for Tracking 3-Dimensional Targets The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASAs) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has been developing and testing video-based sensors for automated spacecraft guidance for several years, and the next generation of video sensor will have tracking rates up to 100 Hz and will be able to track multiple reflectors and targets. The Video Guidance Sensor (VGS) developed over the past several years has performed well in testing and met the objective of being used as the terminal guidance sensor for an automated rendezvous and capture system. The first VGS was successfully tested in closed-loop 3-degree-of-freedom (3- DOF) tests in 1989 and then in 6-DOF open-loop tests in 1992 and closed-loop tests in 1993-4. Development and testing continued, and in 1995 approval was given to test the VGS in an experiment on the Space Shuttle. The VGS flew in 1997 and in 1998, performing well for both flights. During the development and testing before, during, and after the flight experiments, numerous areas for improvement were found. The VGS was developed with a sensor head and an electronics box, connected by cables. The VGS was used in conjunction with a target that had wavelength-filtered retro-reflectors in a specific pattern, The sensor head contained the laser diodes, video camera, and heaters and coolers. The electronics box contained a frame grabber, image processor, the electronics to control the components in the sensor head, the communications electronics, and the power supply. The system works by sequentially firing two different wavelengths of laser diodes at the target and processing the two images. Since the target only reflects one wavelength, it shows up well in one image and not at all in the other. Because the target's dimensions are known, the relative positions and attitudes of the target and the sensor can be computed from the spots reflected from the target. The system was designed to work from I meter out to I 10 meters. The VGS was mounted on the Space Shuttle while its target was mounted on the Spartan free-flyer carried on the same Shuttle flight. The VGS tracked the Spartan at ranges up to 170m, and the VGS range data very closely matched the range data from the Hand-Held Laser- Rangefinder used by the astronauts on board the Shuttle. While the VGS was designed primarily as a terminal guidance sensor for an automated spacecraft, it could be applied to other uses. It could be used as an alignment aid for an operator of a remote system (giving position and attitude feedback data, as well as a camera view of the target), as a feedback system for a robotic arm, or for automated vehicle guidance. The next generation VGS, with its higher tracking rates, smaller size, and lower power could be used in more places than the original VGS, and by using LED's instead of laser diodes, the system would be eye-safe at any range. Other possible uses include tracking 3-dimensional objects with retro-reflectors mounted at various locations or motion analysis by placing several retro-reflectors on the moving object and tracking them at high speeds. There are few sensors capable of performing tasks similar to those the VGS can perform, and the next generation VGS will be even more capable than the original. Some of this work is previously presented in the papers.
Howard, R. T.↗
The Video Guidance Sensor: Space, Earth, Ground, and Sea
Engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have been developing and testing video-based sensors for automated spacecraft guidance for several years. The next generation of Video Guidance Sensor (VGS) is being designed to be faster and more capable than ever. It will have applications to relative position measurement in any field of endeavor. The system works by sequentially firing two different wavelengths of laser diodes at the target (which has retroreflectors) and processing the two images. Since the target only reflects one wavelength, it shows up well in one image and not at all in the other. Because the target's dimensions are known, the relative positions and attitudes of the target and the sensor can be computed from the spots reflected from the target. The current sensor operates at 5 Hz at ranges from 1 to 110 meters with a 20 deg. field-of-view. The Video Guidance Sensor (VGS) developed over the past several years has performed well in testing and met the objective of being used as the terminal guidance sensor for an automated rendezvous and capture system. The first VGS was successfully tested in closed-loop 3-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) tests in 1989 and then in 6-DOF open-loop tests in 1992 and closed-loop tests in 1993-4. Development and testing continued, and in 1995 approval was given to test the VGS in an experiment on the Space Shuttle. The VGS flew in 1997 and in 1998, performing well during both flight experiments. During the development and testing before, during, and after the flight experiments, numerous areas for improvement were found. The next generation of VGS is being designed to operate at up to 100 Hz tracking rates and at ranges from 0.5 to 200 meters. In addition to its use as a spacecraft guidance sensor, it could be used as an alignment aid for an operator of a remote system (giving position and attitude feedback data), as a feedback system for a robotic arm, or for automated vehicle guidance. The next generation VGS, with its higher tracking rates, smaller size, and lower power could be used in more places than the original VGS, and by using LED's instead of laser diodes, the system would be eye-safe at any range. More potential applications include aerial station keeping (keeping 2 or more autonomous aircraft within particular relative positions), under-water robotics, and the guidance of ground vehicles in predefined areas equipped with sets of targets.
Howard, Richard T.↗
Simple motor drive system operates heavy hinged door
Motor drive system remotely operates heavy steel radiation shielding doors. The drive consists of a standard motor reducer unit which is mounted on the door. This reducer drives a sprocket which is linked by chain to a fixed sprocket of the same size on the door jamb.
Pitkin, R. G.↗