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At least 343 records · Page 19

Computer simulation and evaluation of edge detection algorithms and their application to automatic path selection

The construction of an autonomous roving vehicle requires the development of complex data-acquisition and processing systems, which determine the path along which the vehicle travels. Thus, a vehicle must possess algorithms which can (1) reliably detect obstacles by processing sensor data, (2) maintain a constantly updated model of its surroundings, and (3) direct its immediate actions to further a long range plan. The first function consisted of obstacle recognition. Obstacles may be identified by the use of edge detection techniques. Therefore, the Kalman Filter was implemented as part of a large scale computer simulation of the Mars Rover. The second function consisted of modeling the environment. The obstacle must be reconstructed from its edges, and the vast amount of data must be organized in a readily retrievable form. Therefore, a Terrain Modeller was developed which assembled and maintained a rectangular grid map of the planet. The third function consisted of directing the vehicle's actions.

Longendorfer, B. A.↗

Software for Partly Automated Recognition of Targets

The Feature Analyst is a computer program for assisted (partially automated) recognition of targets in images. This program was developed to accelerate the processing of high-resolution satellite image data for incorporation into geographic information systems (GIS). This program creates an advanced user interface that embeds proprietary machine-learning algorithms in commercial image-processing and GIS software. A human analyst provides samples of target features from multiple sets of data, then the software develops a data-fusion model that automatically extracts the remaining features from selected sets of data. The program thus leverages the natural ability of humans to recognize objects in complex scenes, without requiring the user to explain the human visual recognition process by means of lengthy software. Two major subprograms are the reactive agent and the thinking agent. The reactive agent strives to quickly learn the user's tendencies while the user is selecting targets and to increase the user's productivity by immediately suggesting the next set of pixels that the user may wish to select. The thinking agent utilizes all available resources, taking as much time as needed, to produce the most accurate autonomous feature-extraction model possible.

Opitz, David↗

Software for Partly Automated Recognition of Targets

The Feature Analyst is a computer program for assisted (partially automated) recognition of targets in images. This program was developed to accelerate the processing of high-resolution satellite image data for incorporation into geographic information systems (GIS). This program creates an advanced user interface that embeds proprietary machine-learning algorithms in commercial image-processing and GIS software. A human analyst provides samples of target features from multiple sets of data, then the software develops a data-fusion model that automatically extracts the remaining features from selected sets of data. The program thus leverages the natural ability of humans to recognize objects in complex scenes, without requiring the user to explain the human visual recognition process by means of lengthy software. Two major subprograms are the reactive agent and the thinking agent. The reactive agent strives to quickly learn the user s tendencies while the user is selecting targets and to increase the user s productivity by immediately suggesting the next set of pixels that the user may wish to select. The thinking agent utilizes all available resources, taking as much time as needed, to produce the most accurate autonomous feature-extraction model possible.

Opitz, David↗

Aeroelastic Deformation Measurements of Flap, Gap, and Overhang on a Semispan Model

Single-camera, single-view videogrammetry has been used to determine static aeroelastic deformation of a slotted flap configuration on a semispan model at the National Transonic Facility (NTF). Deformation was determined by comparing wind-off to wind-on spatial data from targets placed on the main element, shroud, and flap of the model. Digitized video images from a camera were recorded and processed to automatically determine target image plane locations that were then corrected for sensor, lens, and frame grabber spatial errors. The videogrammetric technique has been established at NASA facilities as the technique of choice when high-volume static aeroelastic data with minimum impact on data taking is required. The primary measurement at the NTF with this technique in the past has been the measurement of static aeroelastic wing twist on full span models. The first results using the videogrammetric technique for the measurement of component deformation during semispan testing at the NTF are presented.

Burner, A. W.↗

Feasibility study ASCS remote sensing/compliance determination system

A short-term technical study was performed by the MSC Earth Observations Division to determine the feasibility of the proposed Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Automatic Remote Sensing/Compliance Determination System. For the study, the term automatic was interpreted as applying to an automated remote-sensing system that includes data acquisition, processing, and management.

Duggan, I. E.↗

Digital registration of ERTS-1 imagery

Two requirements for the registration of Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) data are discussed. These requirements are registration of ERTS data acquired on separate passes and registration of ERTS data to a ground reference. Performances of a semi-automatic warp algorithm and an automatic pipeline processing algorithm demonstrate that either procedure is useful, depending upon the user's requirements. In two cases where the time lapse between passes of the satellite were 90 days and 18 days the automatic pipeline processor reduced the mean radial registration error to 0.28 and 0.58 pixel, respectively. It is concluded that this technique is promissing for high-volume production processing.

Bonrud, L. O.↗

Design and implementation of a medium speed communications interface and protocol for a low cost, refreshed display computer

The design and implementation of hardware and software systems involved in using a 40,000 bit/second communication line as the connecting link between an IMLAC PDS 1-D display computer and a Univac 1108 computer system were described. The IMLAC consists of two independent processors sharing a common memory. The display processor generates the deflection and beam control currents as it interprets a program contained in the memory; the minicomputer has a general instruction set and is responsible for starting and stopping the display processor and for communicating with the outside world through the keyboard, teletype, light pen, and communication line. The processing time associated with each data byte was minimized by designing the input and output processes as finite state machines which automatically sequence from each state to the next. Several tests of the communication link and the IMLAC software were made using a special low capacity computer grade cable between the IMLAC and the Univac.

Phyne, J. R.↗

Unprecented syntonization and syncronization accuracy via simultaneous viewing with GPS receivers: Construction characteristics of an NBS/GPS receiver

The National Bureau of Standards/Global Positioning System (NBS/GPS) receiver is discussed. It is designed around the concept of obtaining high accuracy, low cost time and frequency comparisons between remote frequency standards and clocks with the intent to aid international time and frequency coordination. Preliminary tests of this comparison technique between Boulder, CO and Washington, D.C indicate the ability to do accurate time transfer to better that 10 ns, and frequency measurements to better than 1 part in 10 to the 14th power. The hardware and software of the receiver is detailed. The receiver is fully automatic with a built-in 0.1 ns resolution time interval counter. A microprocessor does data processing. Satellite signal stabilities are routinely at the 5 ns level for 15 s averages, and the internal receiver stabilities are at the 1 ns level.

Davis, D. D.↗

Application of acoustic emission to flaw detection in engineering materials

Monitoring of structures under operating loads to provide an early warning of possible failure to locate flaws in test specimens subjected to uniaxial tensile loading is presented. Test specimens used are mild steel prismatic bars with small holes at different locations. When the test specimen is loaded, acoustic emission data are automatically collected by two acoustic transducers located at opposite sides of the hole and processed by an acoustic emission analyzer. The processed information yields the difference in arrival times at the transducers, which uniquely determines the flaw location. By using this technique, flaws were located to within 8 percent of their true location. The use of acoustic emission in linear location to locate a flaw in a material is demonstrated. It is concluded that this one-dimensional application could be extended to the general flaw location problem through triangulation.

Moslehy, F. A.↗

Military applications of automatic speech recognition and future requirements

An updated summary of the state-of-the-art of automatic speech recognition and its relevance to military applications is provided. A number of potential systems for military applications are under development. These include: (1) digital narrowband communication systems; (2) automatic speech verification; (3) on-line cartographic processing unit; (4) word recognition for militarized tactical data system; and (5) voice recognition and synthesis for aircraft cockpit.

Beek, Bruno↗

The Automated Instrumentation and Monitoring System (AIMS): Design and Architecture

Whether a researcher is designing the 'next parallel programming paradigm', another 'scalable multiprocessor' or investigating resource allocation algorithms for multiprocessors, a facility that enables parallel program execution to be captured and displayed is invaluable. Careful analysis of such information can help computer and software architects to capture, and therefore, exploit behavioral variations among/within various parallel programs to take advantage of specific hardware characteristics. A software tool-set that facilitates performance evaluation of parallel applications on multiprocessors has been put together at NASA Ames Research Center under the sponsorship of NASA's High Performance Computing and Communications Program over the past five years. The Automated Instrumentation and Monitoring Systematic has three major software components: a source code instrumentor which automatically inserts active event recorders into program source code before compilation; a run-time performance monitoring library which collects performance data; and a visualization tool-set which reconstructs program execution based on the data collected. Besides being used as a prototype for developing new techniques for instrumenting, monitoring and presenting parallel program execution, AIMS is also being incorporated into the run-time environments of various hardware testbeds to evaluate their impact on user productivity. Currently, the execution of FORTRAN and C programs on the Intel Paragon and PALM workstations can be automatically instrumented and monitored. Performance data thus collected can be displayed graphically on various workstations. The process of performance tuning with AIMS will be illustrated using various NAB Parallel Benchmarks. This report includes a description of the internal architecture of AIMS and a listing of the source code.

Yan, Jerry C.↗

Use of Semantic Technology to Create Curated Data Albums

One of the continuing challenges in any Earth science investigation is the discovery and access of useful science content from the increasingly large volumes of Earth science data and related information available online. Current Earth science data systems are designed with the assumption that researchers access data primarily by instrument or geophysical parameter. Those who know exactly the data sets they need can obtain the specific files using these systems. However, in cases where researchers are interested in studying an event of research interest, they must manually assemble a variety of relevant data sets by searching the different distributed data systems. Consequently, there is a need to design and build specialized search and discover tools in Earth science that can filter through large volumes of distributed online data and information and only aggregate the relevant resources needed to support climatology and case studies. This paper presents a specialized search and discovery tool that automatically creates curated Data Albums. The tool was designed to enable key elements of the search process such as dynamic interaction and sense-making. The tool supports dynamic interaction via different modes of interactivity and visual presentation of information. The compilation of information and data into a Data Album is analogous to a shoebox within the sense-making framework. This tool automates most of the tedious information/data gathering tasks for researchers. Data curation by the tool is achieved via an ontology-based, relevancy ranking algorithm that filters out nonrelevant information and data. The curation enables better search results as compared to the simple keyword searches provided by existing data systems in Earth science.

Ramachandran, Rahul↗

Use of Semantic Technology to Create Curated Data Albums

One of the continuing challenges in any Earth science investigation is the discovery and access of useful science content from the increasingly large volumes of Earth science data and related information available online. Current Earth science data systems are designed with the assumption that researchers access data primarily by instrument or geophysical parameter. Those who know exactly the data sets they need can obtain the specific files using these systems. However, in cases where researchers are interested in studying an event of research interest, they must manually assemble a variety of relevant data sets by searching the different distributed data systems. Consequently, there is a need to design and build specialized search and discovery tools in Earth science that can filter through large volumes of distributed online data and information and only aggregate the relevant resources needed to support climatology and case studies. This paper presents a specialized search and discovery tool that automatically creates curated Data Albums. The tool was designed to enable key elements of the search process such as dynamic interaction and sense-making. The tool supports dynamic interaction via different modes of interactivity and visual presentation of information. The compilation of information and data into a Data Album is analogous to a shoebox within the sense-making framework. This tool automates most of the tedious information/data gathering tasks for researchers. Data curation by the tool is achieved via an ontology-based, relevancy ranking algorithm that filters out non-relevant information and data. The curation enables better search results as compared to the simple keyword searches provided by existing data systems in Earth science.

Ramachandran, Rahul↗

NASA Tech Briefs, June 2013

Topics include: Cloud Absorption Radiometer Autonomous Navigation System - CANS, Software Method for Computed Tomography Cylinder Data Unwrapping, Re-slicing, and Analysis, Discrete Data Qualification System and Method Comprising Noise Series Fault Detection, Simple Laser Communications Terminal for Downlink from Earth Orbit at Rates Exceeding 10 Gb/s, Application Program Interface for the Orion Aerodynamics Database, Hyperspectral Imager-Tracker, Web Application Software for Ground Operations Planning Database (GOPDb) Management, Software Defined Radio with Parallelized Software Architecture, Compact Radar Transceiver with Included Calibration, Software Defined Radio with Parallelized Software Architecture, Phase Change Material Thermal Power Generator, The Thermal Hogan - A Means of Surviving the Lunar Night, Micromachined Active Magnetic Regenerator for Low-Temperature Magnetic Coolers, Nano-Ceramic Coated Plastics, Preparation of a Bimetal Using Mechanical Alloying for Environmental or Industrial Use, Phase Change Material for Temperature Control of Imager or Sounder on GOES Type Satellites in GEO, Dual-Compartment Inflatable Suitlock, Modular Connector Keying Concept, Genesis Ultrapure Water Megasonic Wafer Spin Cleaner, Piezoelectrically Initiated Pyrotechnic Igniter, Folding Elastic Thermal Surface - FETS, Multi-Pass Quadrupole Mass Analyzer, Lunar Sulfur Capture System, Environmental Qualification of a Single-Crystal Silicon Mirror for Spaceflight Use, Planar Superconducting Millimeter-Wave/Terahertz Channelizing Filter, Qualification of UHF Antenna for Extreme Martian Thermal Environments, Ensemble Eclipse: A Process for Prefab Development Environment for the Ensemble Project, ISS Live!, Space Operations Learning Center (SOLC) iPhone/iPad Application, Software to Compare NPP HDF5 Data Files, Planetary Data Systems (PDS) Imaging Node Atlas II, Automatic Calibration of an Airborne Imaging System to an Inertial Navigation Unit, Translating MAPGEN to ASPEN for MER, Support Routines for In Situ Image Processing, and Semi-Supervised Eigenbasis Novelty Detection.

Source record↗

Digital image correlation techniques applied to LANDSAT multispectral imagery

The author has identified the following significant results. Automatic image registration and resampling techniques applied to LANDSAT data achieved accuracies, resulting in mean radial displacement errors of less than 0.2 pixel. The process method utilized recursive computational techniques and line-by-line updating on the basis of feedback error signals. Goodness of local feature matching was evaluated through the implementation of a correlation algorithm. An automatic restart allowed the system to derive control point coordinates over a portion of the image and to restart the process, utilizing this new control point information as initial estimates.

Bonrud, L. O.↗

Aeroelastic Deformation Measurements of Flap, Gap, and Overhang on a Semispan Model

Single-camera, single-view videogrammetry has been used for the first time to determine static aeroelastic deformation of a slotted flap configuration on a semispan model at the National Transonic Facility (NTF). Deformation was determined by comparing wind-off to wind-on spatial data from targets placed on the main element, shroud, and flap of the model. Digitized video images from a camera were recorded and processed to automatically determine target image plane locations that were then corrected for sensor, lens, and frame grabber spatial errors. The videogrammetric technique used for the measurements presented here has been established at NASA facilities as the technique of choice when high-volume static aeroelastic data with minimum impact on data taking is required. However, the primary measurement at the NTF with this technique in the past has been the measurement of the static aeroelastic wing twist of the main wing element on full span models rather than for the measurement of component deformation. Considerations for using the videogrammetric technique for semispan component deformation measurements as well as representative results are presented.

Burner, A. W.↗

Facilitating Analysis of Multiple Partial Data Streams

Robotic Operations Automation: Mechanisms, Imaging, Navigation report Generation (ROAMING) is a set of computer programs that facilitates and accelerates both tactical and strategic analysis of time-sampled data especially the disparate and often incomplete streams of Mars Explorer Rover (MER) telemetry data described in the immediately preceding article. As used here, tactical refers to the activities over a relatively short time (one Martian day in the original MER application) and strategic refers to a longer time (the entire multi-year MER missions in the original application). Prior to installation, ROAMING must be configured with the types of data of interest, and parsers must be modified to understand the format of the input data (many example parsers are provided, including for general CSV files). Thereafter, new data from multiple disparate sources are automatically resampled into a single common annotated spreadsheet stored in a readable space-separated format, and these data can be processed or plotted at any time scale. Such processing or plotting makes it possible to study not only the details of a particular activity spanning only a few seconds, but also longer-term trends. ROAMING makes it possible to generate mission-wide plots of multiple engineering quantities [e.g., vehicle tilt as in Figure 1(a), motor current, numbers of images] that, heretofore could be found only in thousands of separate files. ROAMING also supports automatic annotation of both images and graphs. In the MER application, labels given to terrain features by rover scientists and engineers are automatically plotted in all received images based on their associated camera models (see Figure 2), times measured in seconds are mapped to Mars local time, and command names or arbitrary time-labeled events can be used to label engineering plots, as in Figure 1(b).

Maimone, Mark W.↗