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At least 487 records · Page 27

Visual-vestibular integration motion perception reporting

Self-orientation and self/surround-motion perception derive from a multimodal sensory process that integrates information from the eyes, vestibular apparatus, proprioceptive and somatosensory receptors. Results from short and long duration spaceflight investigations indicate that: (1) perceptual and sensorimotor function was disrupted during the initial exposure to microgravity and gradually improved over hours to days (individuals adapt), (2) the presence and/or absence of information from different sensory modalities differentially affected the perception of orientation, self-motion and surround-motion, (3) perceptual and sensorimotor function was initially disrupted upon return to Earth-normal gravity and gradually recovered to preflight levels (individuals readapt), and (4) the longer the exposure to microgravity, the more complete the adaptation, the more profound the postflight disturbances, and the longer the recovery period to preflight levels. While much has been learned about perceptual and sensorimotor reactions and adaptation to microgravity, there is much remaining to be learned about the mechanisms underlying the adaptive changes, and about how intersensory interactions affect perceptual and sensorimotor function during voluntary movements. During space flight, SMS and perceptual disturbances have led to reductions in performance efficiency and sense of well-being. During entry and immediately after landing, such disturbances could have a serious impact on the ability of the commander to land the Orbiter and on the ability of all crew members to egress from the Orbiter, particularly in a non-nominal condition or following extended stays in microgravity. An understanding of spatial orientation and motion perception is essential for developing countermeasures for Space Motion Sickness (SMS) and perceptual disturbances during spaceflight and upon return to Earth. Countermeasures for optimal performance in flight and a successful return to Earth require the development of preflight and in-flight training to help astronauts acquire and maintain a dual adaptive state. Despite the considerable experience with, and use of, an extensive set of countermeasures in the Russian space program, SMS and perceptual disturbances remain an unresolved problem on long-term flights. Reliable, valid perceptual reports are required to develop and refine stimulus rearrangements presented in the PAT devices currently being developed as countermeasures for the prevention of motion sickness and perceptual disturbances during spaceflight, and to ensure a less hazardous return to Earth. Prior to STS-8, crew member descriptions of their perceptual experiences were, at best, anecdotal. Crew members were not schooled in the physiology or psychology of sensory perception, nor were they exposed to the appropriate professional vocabulary. However, beginning with the STS-8 Shuttle flight, a serious effort was initiated to teach astronauts a systematic method to classify and quantify their perceptual responses in space, during entry, and after flight. Understanding, categorizing, and characterizing perceptual responses to spaceflight has been greatly enhanced by implementation of that training system.

Harm, Deborah L.↗

A Machine Learning-Derived Atomistic Potential for Y2Si2O7

Incorporation of SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite (CMC) hot section components into aircraft engines promises to increase efficiency and safety. However, SiC/SiC CMCs are subject to water vapor-induced oxidation and recession at the high temperatures of engine operation, and thus environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) are required to reduce this degradation and enable their widespread adoption. An understanding of EBCs failure mechanisms, including thermochemical and thermomechanical mechanisms, is essential as coating degradation leads to reduced CMC component service life. Computational modeling approaches can provide insight into EBC material properties important for coating design. However, density functional theory (DFT) is computationally expensive and atomistic potentials are lacking for materials of interest. In this work, we utilize a machine learning approach and DFT training data to parameterize atomistic potentials for two candidate EBC materials, Y2Si2O7 and Yb2Si2O7. These potentials enable near DFT-accurate calculations of thermodynamic and thermomechanical properties essential to EBC design.

Cameron J Bodenschatz↗

Enhanced alkaline hydrolysis and biodegradability studies of nitrocellulose-bearing missile propellant

Large amounts of energetic materials which have been accumulated over the years in various manufacturing and military installations must be disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. Historically, the method of choice for destruction of obsolete or aging energetic materials has been open burning or open detonation (OB/OD). This destruction approach has become undesirable due to air pollution problems. Therefore, there is a need for new technologies which will effectively and economically deal with the disposal of energetic materials. Along those lines, we have investigated a chemical/biological process for the safe destruction and disposal of a double base solid rocket propellant (AHH), which was used in several 8 inch projectile systems. The solid propellant is made of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin as energetic components, two lead salts which act as ballistic modifiers, triacetin as a plasticizer and 2-Nitrodiphenylamine (2-NDPA) as a stabilizer. A process train is being developed to convert the organic components of the propellant to biodegradable products and remove the lead from the process stream. The solid propellant is first hydrolyzed through an enhanced alkaline hydrolysis process step. Following lead removal and neutralization, the digested liquor rich in nitrates and nitrites is found to be easily biodegradable. The digestion rate of the intact ground propellant as well as the release of nitrite and nitrate groups were substantially increased when ultrasound were supplied to the alkaline reaction medium compared to the conventional alkaline hydrolysis. The effects of reaction time, temperature, sodium hydroxide concentration and other relevant parameters on the digestion efficiency and biodegradability have been studied. The present work indicates that the AHH propellant can be disposed of safely with a combination of physiochemical and biological processes.

Sidhoum, Mohammed↗

Trajectory Optimization of Electric Aircraft Subject to Subsystem Thermal Constraints

Electric aircraft pose a unique design challenge in that they lack a simple way to reject waste heat from the power train. While conventional aircraft reject most of their excess heat in the exhaust stream, for electric aircraft this is not an option. To examine the implications of this challenge on electric aircraft design and performance, we developed a model of the electric subsystems for the NASA X-57 electric testbed aircraft. We then coupled this model with a model of simple 2D aircraft dynamics and used a Legendre-Gauss-Lobatto collocation optimal control approach to find optimal trajectories for the aircraft with and without thermal constraints. The results show that the X-57 heat rejection systems are well designed for maximum-range and maximum-efficiency flight, without the need to deviate from an optimal trajectory. Stressing the thermal constraints by reducing the cooling capacity or requiring faster flight has a minimal impact on performance, as the trajectory optimization technique is able to find flight paths which honor the thermal constraints with relatively minor deviations from the nominal optimal trajectory.

electric propulsion↗

Development of a Methodology to Conduct Usability Evaluation for Hand Tools that May Reduce the Amount of Small Parts that are Dropped During Installation while Processing Space Flight Hardware

Foreign object debris (FOD) is an important concern while processing space flight hardware. FOD can be defined as "The debris that is left in or around flight hardware, where it could cause damage to that flight hardware," (United Space Alliance, 2000). Just one small screw left unintentionally in the wrong place could delay a launch schedule while it is retrieved, increase the cost of processing, or cause a potentially fatal accident. At this time, there is not a single solution to help reduce the number of dropped parts such as screws, bolts, nuts, and washers during installation. Most of the effort is currently focused on training employees and on capturing the parts once they are dropped. Advances in ergonomics and hand tool design suggest that a solution may be possible, in the form of specialty hand tools, which secure the small parts while they are being handled. To assist in the development of these new advances, a test methodology was developed to conduct a usability evaluation of hand tools, while performing tasks with risk of creating FOD. The methodology also includes hardware in the form of a testing board and the small parts that can be installed onto the board during a test. The usability of new hand tools was determined based on efficiency and the number of dropped parts. To validate the methodology, participants were tested while performing a task that is representative of the type of work that may be done when processing space flight hardware. Test participants installed small parts using their hands and two commercially available tools. The participants were from three groups: (1) students, (2) engineers / managers and (3) technicians. The test was conducted to evaluate the differences in performance when using the three installation methods, as well as the difference in performance of the three participant groups.

Miller, Darcy↗

Rapid Analysis, Self-Calibrating Array for Air Monitoring

Human space missions have critical needs for monitoring and control for life support systems. These systems have monitoring needs that include feedback for closed loop processes and quality control for environmental factors. Sensors and monitoring technologies assure that the air environment and water supply for the astronaut crew habitat fall within acceptable limits, and that the life support system is functioning properly and efficiently. The longer the flight duration and the more distant the destination, the more critical it becomes to have carefully monitored and automated control systems for life support. Past experiments with the JPL ENose have demonstrated a lifetime of the sensor array, with the software, of around 18 months. The lifetime of the calibration, for some analytes, was as long as 24 months. We are working on a sensor array and new algorithms that will include sensor response time in the analysis. The preliminary array analysis for two analytes shows that the analysis time, of an event, can be dropped from 45 minutes to less than10 minutes and array training time can be cut substantially. We will describe the lifetime testing of an array and show lifetime data on individual sensors. This progress will lead to more rapid identification of analytes, and faster training time of the array.

Self Calibrating↗

Applications of Principled Search Methods in Climate Influences and Mechanisms

Forest and grass fires cause economic losses in the billions of dollars in the U.S. alone. In addition, boreal forests constitute a large carbon store; it has been estimated that, were no burning to occur, an additional 7 gigatons of carbon would be sequestered in boreal soils each century. Effective wildfire suppression requires anticipation of locales and times for which wildfire is most probable, preferably with a two to four week forecast, so that limited resources can be efficiently deployed. The United States Forest Service (USFS), and other experts and agencies have developed several measures of fire risk combining physical principles and expert judgment, and have used them in automated procedures for forecasting fire risk. Forecasting accuracies for some fire risk indices in combination with climate and other variables have been estimated for specific locations, with the value of fire risk index variables assessed by their statistical significance in regressions. In other cases, the MAPSS forecasts [23, 241 for example, forecasting accuracy has been estimated only by simulated data. We describe alternative forecasting methods that predict fire probability by locale and time using statistical or machine learning procedures trained on historical data, and we give comparative assessments of their forecasting accuracy for one fire season year, April- October, 2003, for all U.S. Forest Service lands. Aside from providing an accuracy baseline for other forecasting methods, the results illustrate the interdependence between the statistical significance of prediction variables and the forecasting method used.

Glymour, Clark↗

Using Reinforcement Learning to Design Missed Thrust Resilient Trajectories

From ion thrusters to solar sails, spacecraft continue to adopt new and more efficient forms of propulsion. As these low-thrust propulsion meth- ods have become more prevalent, new challenges have arisen. Depending on the mission, low-thrust propulsion elements may need to thrust con- tinuously for days/months. During these thrusting periods, external fac- tors, such as a micro-meteoroid impact or a software glitch, may cause the spacecraft to prematurely cease its thrust stage. Half of all deep space missions enter a safe mode where they cannot thrust every four months. These missed thrust events can result in the complete loss of a space- craft for time-dependent trajectories like planetary rendezvous. This paper demonstrates how neural networks, trained using reinforcement learning, can autonomously correct for missed thrust events during an interplanetary trajectory.

Laipert, Frank E.↗

Human Systems Integration in the Federal Government

Human Systems Integration principles and methods can be used to help integrate people, technology, and organizations in an effective and efficient manner. Over the past decade, a wide range of tools, techniques, and technologies have been developed by federal agencies to achieve significant cost and performance benefits. In this discussion, we will explore trends in military human systems integration and learn about the critical role being played by human performance and effectiveness research. We will also examine case studies on the planning and design of future human space flight vehicles, the national air space system and the first nuclear reactors to be built in the United States in over 30 years. And with an eye toward sustaining the discipline s principles and methods, we ll take a look at educating and training the next generation of human systems integration practitioners.

Jones, Patricia M.↗

Risk Assessment of Physiological Effects of Atmospheric Composition and Pressure in Constellation Vehicles

To reduce denitrogenation time to prevent decompression sickness to support frequent extravehicular activities on the Moon, and to limit the risk of fire, a hypobaric (P(sub B) = 414 mmHg) and mildly hypoxic (ppO2 = 132 mmHg, 32% O2 - 68% N2) living environment is being considered during lunar missions for the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM). If the vehicular ppO2 is acutely changed from 145-178 mmHg at standard vehicular operating pressure to less than 125 mmHg at desired lunar surface outpost operating pressures, there is the possibility that some crewmembers may develop symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). The signs and symptoms of AMS (headache plus nausea, dizziness, fatigue, or sleeplessness), could impact crew health and performance on lunar surface missions. Methods: An exhaustive literature review on the topic of the physiological effects of reduced ppO2 and absolute pressure as may contribute to the development of hypoxia and altitude symptoms or AMS. The results of the nine most rigorous studies were collated, analyzed and contents on the physiological concerns associated with hypobaric operations, AMS and hypoxia symptoms summarized. Results: Although space vehicles have operated in hypobaric conditions previously, they have not operated in a mildly hypoxic ppO2. There is evidence for an absolute pressure effect per se on AMS, such that the higher the altitude for a given hypoxic alveolar O2 partial pressure (P(sub A)O2), the greater the likelihood of an AMS response. About 25% of adults are likely to experience mild AMS near 2,000 m (xxx mmHg) altitude following a rapid ascent from sea level while breathing air (6,500 feet, acute (P(sub A)O2) = 75 mmHg). The operational experience with the Shuttle staged denitrogenation protocol at 528 mmHg (3,048 m) while breathing 26.5% O2 (acute (P(sub A)O2) = 85 mmHg) in astronauts adapting to microgravity suggests a similar likely experience in the proposed CEV environment. Conclusions: We feel that the slightly elevated risk of AMS with the recommended exploration atmospheric parameters is offset by the DCS risk reduction and improved operational efficiency offered by the hypobaric lunar surface vehicular pressure. We believe the risk of mild AMS is greater given a (P(sub A)O2) of 77 mmHg at 4,876 m altitude while breathing 32% O2 than at 1,828 m altitude while breathing 21% O2. Only susceptible astronauts would develop mild and transient AMS with prolonged exposure to 414 mmHg (4,876 m) while breathing 32% O2 (acute (P(sub A)O2) = 77 mmHg). So the following may be employed for operational risk reduction: 1) develop procedures to increase P(sub B) as needed in the CEV, and use a gradual or staged reduction in cabin pressure during lunar outbound; 2) train crews for symptoms of hypoxia, to allow early recognition and consider pre-adaptation of crews to a hypoxic environment prior to launch, 3) consider prophylactic acetazolamide for acute pressure changes and be prepared to treat any AMS associated symptoms early with both carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and supplemental oxygen.

Scheuring, Richard A.↗

Initial Investigations of Controller Tools and Procedures for Schedule-Based Arrival Operations with Mixed Flight-Deck Interval Management Equipage

NASA's Air Traffic Management Demonstration-1 (ATD-1) is a multi-year effort to demonstrate high-throughput, fuel-efficient arrivals at a major U.S. airport using NASA-developed scheduling automation, controller decision-support tools, and ADS-B-enabled Flight-Deck Interval Management (FIM) avionics. First-year accomplishments include the development of a concept of operations for managing scheduled arrivals flying Optimized Profile Descents with equipped aircraft conducting FIM operations, and the integration of laboratory prototypes of the core ATD-1 technologies. Following each integration phase, a human-in-the-loop simulation was conducted to evaluate and refine controller tools, procedures, and clearance phraseology. From a ground-side perspective, the results indicate the concept is viable and the operations are safe and acceptable. Additional training is required for smooth operations that yield notable benefits, particularly in the areas of FIM operations and clearance phraseology.

Callantine, Todd J.↗

Natural Language Processing Analysis of Notices to Airmen for Air Traffic Management Optimization

With new emerging technologies in the field of NLP, we explore their applications to digitize and analyze heritage Air Traffic Management (ATM) documents for planning and optimizing airspace operations. Specifically, this research focuses on harvesting semi-structured or un-structured information contained in Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs). Using NLP and other advanced data analytics, we will construct a data-driven framework which facilitates finding language patterns and the use of pretrained language models for classification and extraction of useful airspace constraints and restrictions. These may lead to tools that assist airspace users in understanding the constraints more efficiently, contributing to better route planning and safer execution. This paper explores three workflows entailing different NLP tasks. First, unsupervised techniques like word embedding and topic modeling are used for pattern finding and document classification. Second, a dataset is created by extracting information from the semi-structured NOTAM format as metadata for categorizing, visualizing, and extracting key entities driving NOTAM content. Third, modern pre-built deep learning based transformer models such as BERT, RoBERTa, and XLNet are evaluated on the question answering task, an even more robust approach to information extraction, as well as their respective fine-tuning tasks. In this work we include various performance metrics for the trained models to evaluate both accuracy and precision and we show that the models can be generalized for their respective tasks. The research work developed shows promise in uncovering trends in digital NOTAMs in the NAS and also offers a new framework for digitizing and inferring insights from free-form legacy NOTAMs, that are yet to be digitized.

Natural Language Processing↗

Natural Language Processing (NLP) Analysis of NOTAMs for Air Traffic Management Optimization

With new emerging technologies in the field of NLP, we explore their applications to digitize and analyze heritage Air Traffic Management (ATM) documents for planning and optimizing airspace operations. Specifically, this research focuses on harvesting semi-structured or un-structured information contained in Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs). Using NLP and other advanced data analytics, we will construct a data-driven framework which facilitates finding language patterns and the use of pretrained language models for classification and extraction of useful airspace constraints and restrictions. These may lead to tools that assist airspace users in understanding the constraints more efficiently, contributing to better route planning and safer execution. This paper explores three workflows entailing different NLP tasks. First, unsupervised techniques like word embedding and topic modeling are used for pattern finding and document classification. Second, a dataset is created by extracting information from the semi-structured NOTAM format as metadata for categorizing, visualizing, and extracting key entities driving NOTAM content. Third, modern pre-built deep learning based transformer models such as BERT, RoBERTa, and XLNet are evaluated on the question answering task, an even more robust approach to information extraction, as well as their respective fine-tuning tasks. In this work we include various performance metrics for the trained models to evaluate both accuracy and precision and we show that the models can be generalized for their respective tasks. The research work developed shows promise in uncovering trends in digital NOTAMs in the NAS and also offers a new framework for digitizing and inferring insights from free-form legacy NOTAMs, that are yet to be digitized. Video is an mp4 download, with a play time of 9 min 35 secs.

Natural Language Processing↗

Modification and updating of the Manned Activity Scheduling System (MASS) for shuttle and shuttle payloads analysis. Volume 2: Space shuttle sortie payload analysis

Space shuttle operations include a significant number of launches with a sortie laboratory serving as a facility for manned experimentation in space. Planning a program of space experiments for a facility of this type requires that both the composition of the laboratory payload and the schedule of experiment operations for each payload be carefully selected. Experiment operations are investigated using the manned activity scheduling system (MASS). Schedules provided by these models assist in selecting experiment groups that efficiently use the laboratory resources and yield the desired experiment accomplishment at the program level. An alternate use of the MASS models provides for establishing the time-dependent supporting resources required for a specified candidate payload. A procedure for defining and analyzing shuttle sortie payloads was developed. This procedure was then applied to the definition of mixed-discipline experiment payloads for an advanced technology laboratory (ATL) supported by two-and three-man crews. The ATL payloads, including schedules of experiment operations, were defined to realize a high percentage of experiment accomplishment. The study considers the sensitivity of experiment accomplishment rate to variations of system parameters such as crew cross training, crew operations, shuttle and laboratory resources, ground target systems, and operational orbits.

Huyett, R. C.↗

Flight-Deck Strategies and Outcomes When Flying Schedule-Matching Descents

Recent studies at NASA Ames Research Center have investigated the development and use of ground-based (air traffic controller) tools to manage and schedule air traffic in future terminal airspace. An exploratory study was undertaken to investigate the impacts that such tools (and concepts) could have on the flight-deck. Ten Boeing 747-400 crews flew eight optimized profile descents in the Los Angeles terminal airspace, while receiving scripted current day and futuristic speed clearances, to ascertain their ability to fly schedulematching descents without prior training. Although the study was exploratory in nature, four variables were manipulated: route constraints, winds, speed changes, and clearance phraseology. Despite flying the same scenarios with the same events and timing, there were significant differences in the time it took crews to fly the approaches. This variation is the product of a number of factors but highlights potential difficulties for scheduling tools that would have to accommodate this amount of natural variation in descent times. The focus of this paper is the examination of the crews' aircraft management strategies and outcomes. This includes potentially problematic human-automation interaction issues that may negatively impact arrival times, speed and altitude constraint compliance, and energy management efficiency.

Flight Management System↗

Understanding the International Space Station Crew Perspective following Long-Duration Missions through Data Analytics & Visualization of Crew Feedback

The International Space Station (ISS) first became a home and research laboratory for NASA and International Partner crewmembers over 16 years ago. Each ISS mission lasts approximately 6 months and consists of three to six crewmembers. After returning to Earth, most crewmembers participate in an extensive series of 30+ debriefs intended to further understand life onboard ISS and allow crews to reflect on their experiences. Examples of debrief data collected include ISS crew feedback about sleep, dining, payload science, scheduling and time planning, health & safety, and maintenance. The Flight Crew Integration (FCI) Operational Habitability (OpsHab) team, based at Johnson Space Center (JSC), is a small group of Human Factors engineers and one stenographer that has worked collaboratively with the NASA Astronaut office and ISS Program to collect, maintain, disseminate and analyze this data. The database provides an exceptional and unique resource for understanding the "crew perspective" on long duration space missions. Data is formatted and categorized to allow for ease of search, reporting, and ultimately trending, in order to understand lessons learned, recurring issues and efficiencies gained over time. Recently, the FCI OpsHab team began collaborating with the NASA JSC Knowledge Management team to provide analytical analysis and visualization of these over 75,000 crew comments in order to better ascertain the crew's perspective on long duration spaceflight and gain insight on changes over time. In this initial phase of study, a text mining framework was used to cluster similar comments and develop measures of similarity useful for identifying relevant topics affecting crew health or performance, locating similar comments when a particular issue or item of operational interest is identified, and providing search capabilities to identify information pertinent to future spaceflight systems and processes for things like procedure development and training. In addition, the comments were scored for sentiment using a polarity scoring algorithm to identify both positive and negative comments for particular groups and clusters, allowing the team to make analytically informed decisions regarding future hardware and operating procedures. The use of polarity scoring with time series analysis was used to provide insight into how crew health and habitability is changing throughout various spaceflight increments or the station lifecycle as a whole. Finally, a visualization framework was developed to address the needs of the end users to search for and analyze comments by user, category or mission. This paper will discuss how the use of an analytical framework in conjunction with the current human interface, improved the understanding of crew perspective and shortened the time for analysis allowing for more informed decisions and rapid development of improvements. These methods are significantly optimizing the way that this valuable data can be assessed and applied to current and future spaceflight design and development. This collaboration allows the FCI OpsHab team to effectively analyze and share data in a more automated and timely fashion. Trends are no longer derived manually and can be illustrated effectively and accurately with these evolving techniques to an ever growing group of human spaceflight end users.

Bryant, Cody↗

A Satellite-based Assessment of Trans-Pacific Transport of Pollution Aerosol

It has been well documented that pollution aerosol and dust from East Asia can transport across the North Pacific basin, reaching North America and beyond. Such intercontinental transport extends the impact of aerosols for climate change, air quality, atmospheric chemistry, and ocean biology from local and regional scales to hemispheric and global scales. Long term, measurement-based studies are necessary to adequately assess the implications of these wider impacts. A satellite-based assessment can augment intensive field campaigns by expanding temporal and spatial scales and also serve as constraints for model simulations. Satellite imagers have been providing a wealth of evidence for the intercontinental transport of aerosols for more than two decades. Quantitative assessments, however, became feasible only recently as a result of the much improved measurement accuracy and enhanced new capabilities of satellite sensors. In this study, we generated a 4-year (2002 to 2005) climatology of optical depth for pollution aerosol (defined as a mixture of aerosols from urbanlindustrial pollution and biomass burning in this study) over the North Pacific from MODerate resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS) observations of fine- and coarse-mode aerosol optical depths. The pollution aerosol mass loading and fluxes were then calculated using measurements of the dependence of aerosol mass extinction efficiency on relative humidity and of aerosol vertical distributions from field campaigns and available satellite observations in the region. We estimated that about 18 Tg/year pollution aerosol is exported from East Asia to the northwestern Pacific Ocean, of which about 25% reaches the west coast of North America. The pollution fluxes are largest in spring and smallest in summer. For the period we have examined the strongest export and import of pollution particulates occurred in 2003, due largely to record intense Eurasia wildfires in spring and summer. The overall uncertainty of pollution fluxes is estimated at about 80%. A reduction of uncertainty can be achieved with a better characterization of pollution aerosol through integrating emerging A-Train measurements. Simulations by the Goddard Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) and Global Modeling Initiative (GMI) models agree quite well with the satellite-based estimates of annual and latitudeintegrated fluxes, with larger model-satellite differences in latitudinal variations of fluxes.

Yu, Hongbin↗

Language Model Combination and Adaptation Using Weighted Finite State Transducers

In speech recognition systems language model (LMs) are often constructed by training and combining multiple n-gram models. They can be either used to represent different genres or tasks found in diverse text sources, or capture stochastic properties of different linguistic symbol sequences, for example, syllables and words. Unsupervised LM adaption may also be used to further improve robustness to varying styles or tasks. When using these techniques, extensive software changes are often required. In this paper an alternative and more general approach based on weighted finite state transducers (WFSTs) is investigated for LM combination and adaptation. As it is entirely based on well-defined WFST operations, minimum change to decoding tools is needed. A wide range of LM combination configurations can be flexibly supported. An efficient on-the-fly WFST decoding algorithm is also proposed. Significant error rate gains of 7.3% relative were obtained on a state-of-the-art broadcast audio recognition task using a history dependently adapted multi-level LM modelling both syllable and word sequences

Liu, X.↗