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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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At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Comparative measurement of visual stability in Earth and cosmic space (L-4)

The frequency and the intensity of space motion sickness was reviewed and investigated. Unusual induced-gravity situations, such as rotation, linear acceleration, parallel swinging etc. were investigated as well. Visually-induced motion sensation or distorted perception were evaluated with respect to visual stability by many investigators. These studies are all concerned with the effect of gravity and the induction of motion sickness through human visual perception. Direct investigation under the microgravity situation, such as parabolic flight, Skylab, and Spacelab, was carried out. These studies focused on how human visual stability is established through various sensory afferents in specific gravity conditions. Results from these investigations indicate that sensory mismatch probably plays an important role in space motion sickness. The interaction of visual, vestibular, and somatosensory perception is smoothly coordinated under normal gravitational conditions on the Earth in our daily life. When the cooperation is destroyed or a mismatch occurs among them, motion sickness may develop not only on the Earth but also in microgravity. The latter case may be the cause of space motion sickness or space adaption syndrome. How human beings obtain visual stability even with posture changes on the ground was investigated. Visual stability can be categorized as static or dynamic. Static visual stability is concerned with orientation and dynamic stability is concerned with object motion perception. The perception of visual stability is modified by many other sensations, such as somatosensory, vestibular, and muscle tension. We will mainly focus on modifications by vestibular inputs to visual perception produced by eye movements in microgravity. The Vestibular-Oscular Reflex (VOR) is a well-known characteristic which results from the relationship between eye mobility and vestibular afferent inputs. Eye movements also modify dynamic visual perception, such as perceived object motion velocity. The VOR is constantly simulated under 1-g conditions on Earth. In fact, human beings have been habituated and 'programmed' for orientation (visual stability) in their everyday, 1-g environment. When humans are exposed to a different gravity situation, this programmed behavior must change; that is, it is reprogrammed. This is called habituation or familiarization. We hope to examine how object motion perception is perturbed and subsequently adapted in the microgravity environment. This experiment is focused on the cooperation of visual, vestibular, and somatosensory perception coordination and how it is changed or reduced in space compared to 1-g environment. We will obtain information on the coordination between eye movement and neck muscle activity by using EOG and EMG. We will also collect data from Payload Specialists using a self-diagnostic questionnaire concerned with perceptual abnormality. When each sensory input function and its integration in the higher nervous system are well-characterized, then more effective techniques to control SAS may be developed.

Koga, Kazugo↗
DOE OSTI2015

A Software Developer’s Guide to Informal Evaluation of Visual Analytics Environments Using VAST Challenge Information

The VAST Challenge has been a popular venue for academic and industry participants for over ten years. Many participants comment that the majority of their time in preparing VAST Challenge entries is discovering elements in their software environments that need to be redesigned in order to solve the given task. Fortunately, there is no need to wait until the VAST Challenge is announced to test out software systems. The Visual Analytics Benchmark Repository contains all past VAST Challenge tasks, data, solutions and submissions. This paper details the various types of evaluations that may be conducted using the Repository information. In this paper we describe how developers can do informal evaluations of various aspects of their visual analytics environments using VAST Challenge information. Aspects that can be evaluated include the appropriateness of the software for various tasks, the various data types and formats that can be accommodated, the effectiveness and efficiency of the process supported by the software, and the intuitiveness of the visualizations and interactions. Researchers can compare their visualizations and interactions to those submitted to determine novelty. In addition, the paper provides pointers to various guidelines that software teams can use to evaluate the usability of their software. While these evaluations are not a replacement for formal evaluation methods, this information can be extremely useful during the development of visual analytics environments.

evaluation↗
NASA NTRS1997

Development of an Automated Reader for Analysis and Storage of Personnel Dosimeter Badge Data

The collection and archiving of data from personnel dosimeters has become increasingly important in light of the lowered Threshold Limit Values (TLV) for HydraZine (HZ), MonoMethylHydrazine (MMH), and Unsymmetrical DiMethylHydrazine (UDMH). The American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) lowered the TLV from 100 parts per billion (ppb) to IO ppb and has caused increased concern over long term exposures of personnel to trace levels of these hypergols and other potentially harmful chemicals. An automated system of reading the exposure levels of personnel dosimeters and storing exposure data for subsequent evaluation has been developed. The reading of personnel dosimeter badges for exposure to potentially harmful vapor concentrations of hydrazines or other chemicals is performed visually by comparing the color developed by the badge with a calibrated color comparator. The result obtained using visual comparisons of the developed badge color with the comparator may vary widely from user to user. The automated badge reader takes the variability out of the dosimeter reading by accurately comparing the reflectance obtained from a colored spot on the badge with a reading on the same spot prior to any exposure to chemical vapors. The observed difference between the reflectance values is used as part of a calculation of the dose value for the badge based on a stored calibration curve. The badge reader also stores bar-code data unique to each badge, as well as bar-code information on the user, as part of the permanent badge record. The start and stop exposure times for each badge are recorded and can be used as part of the calculated concentration, in ppm, for each badge logged during a recording period. The badge reader is equipped with a number of badge holders, each of which is unique to a specific type of personnel dosimeter badge. This gives the reader maximum flexibility to allow for the reading of several different types of badges. Test results of the badge reader for several different types of personnel dosimeter badges are presented within the body of this paper.

Meneghelli, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Development of an Automated Reader for Analysis and Storage of Personnel Dosimeter Badge Data

The collection and archiving of data from personnel dosimeters has become increasingly important in light of the lowered threshold limit values (TLV) for hydrazine (HZ), monomethylhydrazine (MMH), and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH). The American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) lowered the TLV from 100 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb and has caused increased concern over long term exposures of personnel to trace levels of these hypergols and other potentially harmful chemicals. An automated system of reading the exposure levels of personnel dosimeters and storing exposure data for subsequent evaluation has been developed. The reading of personnel dosimeter badges for exposure lo potentially harmful vapor concentrations of hydrazines or other chemicals is performed visually by comparing the color developed by the badge with a calibrated color comparator. The result obtained using visual comparisons of the developed badge color with the comparator may vary widely from user to user. The automated badge reader takes the variability out of the dosimeter reading by accurately comparing the reflectance obtained from a colored spot on the badge with a reading on the same spot prior to any exposure to chemical vapors. The observed difference between the reflectance values is used as part of a calculation of the dose value for the badge based on a stored calibration curve. The badge reader also stores bar-code data unique to each badge, as well as bar-code information on the user, as part of the permanent badge record. The start and stop exposure times for each badge are recorded and can be used as part of the calculated concentration, in ppm, for each badge logged during a recording period. The badge reader is equipped with a number of badge holders, each of which is unique to a specific type of personnel dosimeter badge. This gives the reader maximum flexibility to allow for the reading of several different types of badges. Test results of the badge reader for several different types of personnel dosimeter badges are presented within the body of this paper.

Meneghelli, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Bubble Experiments on the Hydrodynamic Focusing Bioreactor-Space (HFB-S)

The Hydrodynamic Focusing Bioreactor-Space (HFB-S) is being developed as a drop-in replacement for the Rotating Wall Perfused Vessel (RWPV) bioreactor currently planned for use on the International Space Station (ISS). Only the vessel itself is proposed for change, the supporting hardware will remain the same. These bioreactors are used for the growth of three-dimensional tissue culture that cannot be done in normal gravity labs. The bioreactors provide a continual supply of oxygen for cell growth, as well as periodic replacement of cell culture media with nutrients. The RWPV has had many successful flights on the space shuttle, but longer duration missions onboard the Mir Space Station resulted in bubbles inside the vessel that were detrimental to the science. It is believed that procedural changes can prevent bubble formation, but the HFB-S must not only provide a mechanism of bubble removal, but must also meet strict requirements for a low-shear environment and uniform oxygen concentration distribution for optimum cell tissue growth. A detailed technical objective (DTO) flight on the space shuttle to fully evaluate the HFB-S is currently in the planning stages. Ground-based activities are also underway to quanitify the characteristics of the HFB-S. Computational studies are being used to predict the internal fluid flow and cell trajectories. These computations will be compared to ground-based flow visualization experiments. Comparative studies of ground-based cell growth between the RWPV and the HFB-S are also in progress. These studies have shown that the HFB-S functions well as a bioreactor in normal gravity. Bubble motion and bubble removal are being studied using computational predictions as well as experimental validation.

Charles Niederhaus↗
NASA NTRS1982

The relationship between carbon monoxide abundance and visual extinction in interstellar clouds

Carbon monoxide column densities are compared to visual extinctions toward field stars in the rho Oph and Taurus molecular cloud complexes. The relationship of C(0-18) column density to extinction is established, and new determinations for (C-13)O column densities are given for a range of visual extinctions extended to beyond 20 mag. A prescription for determining hydrogen column densities and masses of molecular clouds from observations of CO isotopes is presented and discussed critically. These measurements agree well with the predictions of gas phase chemistry models which include chemical fractionation and selective isotopic photodestruction. The functional dependence of the C(O-18) column density on extinction is characterized by two different regimes separated by a distinct transition observed to occur at 4 mag in both molecular cloud complexes, whereas the functional dependence of (C-13)O is quite different in the two regions. Some saturation is found to occur for C(O-18) emission at high visual extinction and use the rarer isotopic species C(O-17) and (C-13)(O-18) to correct for it.

Frerking, M. A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Diurnal variation of the fair-weather atmospheric electric field in Binchuan, China

With the purpose of understanding the variation of fair-weather atmospheric electric field, the vertical component of atmospheric electric field (recorded as Ez) has been measured in the town Binchuan (25°50'N, 100°34'E, 1438.7 m asl) of Dali city, Yunnan, China from June 14, 2017 to December 1, 2020. Automatic measured visual range is used as a proxy of aerosol concentration. The mean diurnal variation curve of the fair-weather Ez in Binchuan, having two peaks occurred at around 9LT and 20LT, shows little correlation with the well-known Carnegie Curve and other two high-latitude sites' Curves. While strong negative correlation between fair-weather Ez and visual range is found, indicating the variation of fair-weather is dominated by aerosol concentration. The main source of aerosol concentration variation probably sunrise and sunset effect. We support our findings by comparing Ez, visual range with sunrise and sunset times. The peaks (troughs) of Ez (visual range) are proved to have weak correlations with anthropogenic pollution through comparing the Ez, visual range under workdays and holidays.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2020

Comparing Virtual Reality to Conventional Simulator Visuals: Effects of Peripheral Visual Cues in Roll-Axis Tracking Tasks

This paper compares the effects of peripheral visual cues on manual control between a conventional fixed-base simulator and virtual reality. The results were also compared with those from a previous experiment conducted in a motion-base simulator. Fifteen participants controlled a system with second-order dynamics in a disturbance-rejection task. Tracking performance, control activity, simulator sickness questionnaire answers, and biometrics were collected. Manual control behavior was modeled for the first time in a virtual reality environment. Virtual reality did not degrade participants’ manual control performance or alter their control behavior. However, peripheral cues were significantly more effective in virtual reality. Control activity decreased for all conditions with peripheral cues. The trends introduced by the peripheral visual cues from the previous experiment were replicated. Finally, VR was not more nauseogenic than the conventional simulator. These results suggest that virtual reality might be a good alternative to conventional fixed-base simulators for training manual control skills.

Terenzi, Lorenzo↗
DOE OSTI2026

Using Visual Systems Mapping to Improve Transparency and Comparability of Life Cycle Assessment Baseline Scenarios

Visual systems mapping is a systems engineering approach used to represent complex processes and interactions. This study evaluates its application for documenting assumptions in life cycle assessment (LCA) baseline scenarios. In LCA, the baseline or reference case represents the business as usual system against which changes in impacts (e.g., emissions) are assessed. These baseline assumptions are particularly influential in biomass LCAs, yet they often vary across studies due to regional context, system boundaries, and simplifying assumptions that are not consistently or transparently documented. As a result, key feedbacks, omitted processes, and boundary choices may remain unclear, limiting comparability across studies and weakening their usefulness for decision-making. This study examines whether visual systems mapping can improve the transparency and comparability of biomass LCA baseline scenarios. A case study of five published biomass-related LCAs were reviewed, and their baseline scenarios were translated into visual system maps to identify included processes, omitted components, and underlying assumptions. The analysis demonstrates that visual systems mapping can make baseline assumptions more explicit, highlight excluded dynamics, and improve documentation of system boundaries. Based on these findings, the study recommends the use of visual systems mapping alongside open data repositories and reproducible workflows to support greater transparency, reproducibility, and comparability in LCAs. These improvements can strengthen the role of LCAs in informing decisions related to sustainable biomass systems.

Davis, Maggie [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000181319328)↗
NASA NTRS1983

A comparison of visual and kinesthetic-tactual displays for compensatory tracking

Recent research on manual tracking with a kinesthetic-tactual (KT) display suggests that under certain conditions it can be an effective alternative or supplement to visual displays. In order to understand better how KT tracking compares with visual tracking, both a critical tracking and stationary single-axis tracking tasks were conducted with and without velocity quickening. In the critical tracking task, the visual displays were superior, however, the quickened KT display was approximately equal to the unquickened visual display. In stationary tracking tasks, subjects adopted lag equalization with the quickened KT and visual displays, and mean-squared error scores were approximately equal. With the unquickened displays, subjects adopted lag-lead equalization, and the visual displays were superior. This superiority was partly due to the servomotor lag in the implementation of the KT display and partly due to modality differences.

Jagacinski, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Human operator tracking performance with a vibrotactile display

Vibrotactile displays have been designed and used as a sensory aid for the blind. In the present work the same 6 x 24 'Optacon' type vibrotactile display (VTD) was used to characterize human operator (HO) tracking performance in pursuit and compensatory tasks. The VTD was connected via a microprocessor to a one-dimensional joy stick manipulator. Various display schemes were tested on the VDT, and were also compared to visual tracking performance using a specially constructed photo diode matrix display comparable to the VTD.

Inbar, Gideon F.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Headphone and Head-Mounted Visual Displays for Virtual Environments

A realistic auditory environment can contribute to both the overall subjective sense of presence in a virtual display, and to a quantitative metric predicting human performance. Here, the role of audio in a virtual display and the importance of auditory-visual interaction are examined. Conjectures are proposed regarding the effectiveness of audio compared to visual information for creating a sensation of immersion, the frame of reference within a virtual display, and the compensation of visual fidelity by supplying auditory information. Future areas of research are outlined for improving simulations of virtual visual and acoustic spaces. This paper will describe some of the intersensory phenomena that arise during operator interaction within combined visual and auditory virtual environments. Conjectures regarding audio-visual interaction will be proposed.

Begault, Duran R.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Feasibility of using computed tomography texture analysis parameters as imaging biomarkers for predicting risk grade of gastrointestinal stromal tumors: comparison with visual inspection

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of using computed tomography texture analysis (CTTA) parameters for predicting malignant risk grade and mitosis index of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), compared with visual inspection. Method and materials: CTTA was performed on portal phase CT images of 145 surgically confirmed GISTs (mean size: 42.9 ± 37.5 mm), using TexRAD software. Mean, standard deviation, entropy, mean of positive pixels (MPP), skewness, and kurtosis of CTTA parameters, on spatial scaling factor (SSF), 2–6 were compared by risk grade, mitosis rate, and the presence or absence of necrosis on visual inspection. CTTA parameters were correlated with risk grade. Diagnostic performance was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Enhancement pattern, necrosis, heterogeneity, calcification, growth pattern, and mucosal ulceration were subjectively evaluated by two observers. Results: Three to four parameters at different scales were significantly different according to the risk grade, mitosis rate, and the presence or absence of necrosis (p < 0.041). MPP at fine or medium scale (r = − 0.547 to − 393) and kurtosis at coarse scale (r = 0.424–0.454) correlated significantly with risk grade (p < 0.001). HG-GIST was best differentiated from LG-GIST by MPP at SSF 2 (AUC, 0.782), and kurtosis at SSF 4 (AUC, 0.779) (all p < 0.001). CT features predictive of HG-GIST were density lower than or equal to that of the erector spinae muscles on enhanced images (OR 2.1; p = 0.037; AUC, 0.59), necrosis (OR, 6.1; p < 0.001; AUC, 0.70), heterogeneity (OR, 4.3; p < 0.001; AUC, 0.67), and mucosal ulceration (OR, 3.3; p = 0.002; AUC, 0.62). Conclusion: Using TexRAD, MPP and kurtosis are feasible in predicting risk grade and mitosis index of GISTs. CTTA demonstrated meaningful accuracy in preoperative risk stratification of GISTs.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
NASA NTRS1978

Lubrication and failure mechanisms of graphite fluoride films

An optical microscope, equipped with a vertical illuminator and two polaroid filters (one rotatable), was used to visually study 440C HT steel surfaces lubricated with rubbed graphite fluoride films. Friction and wear results were compared to visual observations as a function of sliding distance for films applied to three surface finishes - polished, sanded, and sand-blasted. In general, the lubricating process was one of initial deformation or wear of metallic asperities into flat plateaus and then the formation of thin, layer-like, dynamic films which sheared between the flats and eventually flowed through the contact area. Failure was due to depletion of the graphite fluoride with the subsequent formation of excessive powdery metallic debris that formed a heavy, powdery film on both the rider and disk surfaces.

Fusaro, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Rotational velocities of later B type and A type stars as determined from ultraviolet versus visual line profiles

Theoretical line profiles of the Si III 1299 and Fe II 2756 lines are computed for rotating B5-A7 model stars, and compared with observed profiles from IUE spectra to derive rotational velocities. Real differences in widths for ultraviolet as compared with visual line profiles exist in the sample of B type stars (but not for the A type rapidly rotating stars), although these are not as large as previously reported in the literature. Comparison with the theoretical line profiles gives rotational velocities that are in good agreement with visually determined v sin i values for the same stars, which suggests that the shape-distorted, gravity-darkened models are reasonable.

Carpenter, K. G.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Trust Your Gut: Comparing Human and Machine Inference from Noisy Visualizations

People commonly utilize visualizations not only to examine a given dataset, but also to draw generalizable conclusions about the underlying models or phenomena. Prior research has compared human visual inference to that of an optimal Bayesian agent, with deviations from rational analysis viewed as problematic. However, human reliance on non-normative heuristics may prove advantageous in certain circumstances. We investigate scenarios where human intuition might surpass idealized statistical rationality. In two experiments, we examine individuals’ accuracy in characterizing the parameters of known data-generating models from bivariate visualizations. Our findings indicate that, although participants generally exhibited lower accuracy compared to statistical models, they frequently outperformed Bayesian agents, particularly when faced with extreme samples. Participants appeared to rely on their internal models to filter out noisy visualizations, thus improving their resilience against spurious data. However, participants displayed overconfidence and struggled with uncertainty estimation. They also exhibited higher variance than statistical machines. Our findings suggest that analyst gut reactions to visualizations may provide an advantage, even when departing from rationality. These results carry implications for designing visual analytics tools, offering new perspectives on how to integrate statistical models and analyst intuition for improved inference and decision-making. The data and materials for this paper are available at https://osf.io/qmfv6

human-machine collaboration↗
NASA NTRS2005

Topography Analysis and Visualization Software Supports a Guided Comparative Planetology Education Exhibit at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum

The Planetary Geodynamics Laboratory (http://geodynamics.gsfc.nasa.gov) of NASA s Goddard Space Flight Center designed, produced and recently delivered a "museum-friendly" version of GRIDVIEW, a grid visualization and analysis application, to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum where it will be used in a guided comparative planetology education exhibit. The software was designed to enable museum visitors to interact with the same Earth and Mars topographic data and tools typically used by planetary scientists, and experience the thrill of discovery while learning about the geologic differences between Earth and Mars.

Roark, J. H.↗