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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 NTRS1985

A general monitor and control interface to the VAX UNIBUS by way of the DR11-C I/O port

The High Speed Data Acquisition System for the Goldstone Solar System Radar requires a number of interfaces for monitor and control functions for the special purpose data acquisition hardware. One common interface design is used. A large number of external control and monitor registers may be addressed and observed with this interface design, by using only three address locations on the UNIBUS and a standard DEC supplied input/output port. A broadcast control and status register is introduced which addresses any number of different units and registers.

Brokl, S. S.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Enroute flight-path planning - Cooperative performance of flight crews and knowledge-based systems

Interface design issues associated with the introduction of knowledge-based systems into the cockpit are discussed. Such issues include not only questions about display and control design, they also include deeper system design issues such as questions about the alternative roles and responsibilities of the flight crew and the computer system. In addition, the feasibility of using enroute flight path planning as a context for exploring such research questions is considered. In particular, the development of a prototyping shell that allows rapid design and study of alternative interfaces and system designs is discussed.

Smith, Philip J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Theoretical considerations in designing operator interfaces for automated systems

The domains most amenable to techniques based on artificial intelligence (AI) are those that are systematic or for which a systematic domain can be generated. In aerospace systems, many operational tasks are systematic owing to the highly procedural nature of the applications. However, aerospace applications can also be nonprocedural, particularly in the event of a failure or an unexpected event. Several techniques are discussed for designing automated systems for real-time, dynamic environments, particularly when a 'breakdown' occurs. A breakdown is defined as operation of an automated system outside its predetermined, conceptual domain.

Norman, Susan D.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Mark III Space Suit Mobility: A Reach Evaluation Case Study

A preliminary assessment of the reach envelope and field of vision (FOV) for a subject wearing a Mark III space suit was requested for use in human-machine interface design of the Science Crew Operations and Utility Testbed (SCOUT) vehicle. The reach and view of two suited and unsuited subjects were evaluated while seated in the vehicle using 3-dimensional position data collected during a series of reaching motions. Data was interpolated and displayed in orthogonal views and cross-sections. Compared with unsuited conditions, medio-lateral reach was not strongly affected by the Mark III suit, whereas vertical and antero-posterior reach were inhibited by the suit. Lateral FOV was reduced by approximately 40 deg. in the suit. The techniques used in this case study may prove useful in human-machine interface design by providing a new means of developing and displaying reach envelopes.

Thaxton, Sherry S.↗
NASA NTRS1987

State transition storyboards: A tool for designing the Goldstone solar system radar data acquisition system user interface software

Effective user interface design in software systems is a complex task that takes place without adequate modeling tools. By combining state transition diagrams and the storyboard technique of filmmakers, State Transition Storyboards were developed to provide a detailed modeling technique for the Goldstone Solar System Radar Data Acquisition System human-machine interface. Illustrations are included with a description of the modeling technique.

Howard, S. D.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Development of spectral analysis math models and software program and spectral analyzer, digital converter interface equipment design

Spectral analyses of angle-modulated communication systems is studied by: (1) performing a literature survey of candidate power spectrum computational techniques, determining the computational requirements, and formulating a mathematical model satisfying these requirements; (2) implementing the model on UNIVAC 1230 digital computer as the Spectral Analysis Program (SAP); and (3) developing the hardware specifications for a data acquisition system which will acquire an input modulating signal for SAP. The SAP computational technique uses extended fast Fourier transform and represents a generalized approach for simple and complex modulating signals.

Hayden, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Shuttle communication and tracking systems signal design and interface compatibility analysis

Various options for the Dedicated Payload Communication Link (DPCL) were evaluated. Specific subjects addressed include: payload to DPCL power transfer in the proximity of the payload, DPCL antenna pointing considerations, and DPCL transceiver implementations which can be mounted on the deployed antenna boom. Additional analysis of the Space Telescope performance was conducted. The feasibility of using the Global Positioning System (GPS) for attitude determination and control for large spacecraft was examined. The objective of the Shuttle Orbiter Radar Test and Evaluation (SORTE) program was to quantify the Ku-band radar tracking accuracy using White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) radar and optical tracking equipment, with helicopter and balloon targets.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2016

Advanced EVA Suit Camera System Development Project

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) is developing a new extra-vehicular activity (EVA) suit known as the Advanced EVA Z2 Suit. All of the improvements to the EVA Suit provide the opportunity to update the technology of the video imagery. My summer internship project involved improving the video streaming capabilities of the cameras that will be used on the Z2 Suit for data acquisition. To accomplish this, I familiarized myself with the architecture of the camera that is currently being tested to be able to make improvements on the design. Because there is a lot of benefit to saving space, power, and weight on the EVA suit, my job was to use Altium Design to start designing a much smaller and simplified interface board for the camera's microprocessor and external components. This involved checking datasheets of various components and checking signal connections to ensure that this architecture could be used for both the Z2 suit and potentially other future projects. The Orion spacecraft is a specific project that may benefit from this condensed camera interface design. The camera's physical placement on the suit also needed to be determined and tested so that image resolution can be maximized. Many of the options of the camera placement may be tested along with other future suit testing. There are multiple teams that work on different parts of the suit, so the camera's placement could directly affect their research or design. For this reason, a big part of my project was initiating contact with other branches and setting up multiple meetings to learn more about the pros and cons of the potential camera placements we are analyzing. Collaboration with the multiple teams working on the Advanced EVA Z2 Suit is absolutely necessary and these comparisons will be used as further progress is made for the overall suit design. This prototype will not be finished in time for the scheduled Z2 Suit testing, so my time was also spent creating a case for the original interface board that is already being used. This design is being done by use of Creo 2. Due to time constraints, I may not be able to complete the 3-D printing portion of this design, but I was able to use my knowledge of the interface board and Altium Design to help in the task. As a side project, I assisted another intern in selecting and programming a microprocessor to control linear actuators. These linear actuators will be used to move various increments of polyethylene for controlled radiation testing. For this, we began the software portion of the project using the Arduino's coding environment to control an Arduino Due and H-Bridge components. Along with the obvious learning of computer programs such as Altium Design and Creo 2, I also acquired more skills with networking and collaborating with others, being able to multi-task because of responsibilities to work on various projects, and how to set realistic goals in the work place. Like many internship projects, this project will be continued and improved, so I also had the chance to improve my organization and communication skills as I documented all of my meetings and research. As a result of my internship at JSC, I desire to continue a career with NASA, whether that be through another internship or possibly a co-op. I am excited to return to my university and continue my education in electrical engineering because of all of my experiences at JSC.

Mock, Kyla↗
NASA NTRS1989

TRUSS: An intelligent design system for aircraft wings

Competitive leadership in the international marketplace, superiority in national defense, excellence in productivity, and safety of both private and public systems are all national defense goals which are dependent on superior engineering design. In recent years, it has become more evident that early design decisions are critical, and when only based on performance often result in products which are too expensive, hard to manufacture, or unsupportable. Better use of computer-aided design tools and information-based technologies is required to produce better quality United States products. A program is outlined here to explore the use of knowledge based expert systems coupled with numerical optimization, database management techniques, and designer interface methods in a networked design environment to improve and assess design changes due to changing emphasis or requirements. The initial structural design of a tiltrotor aircraft wing is used as a representative example to demonstrate the approach being followed.

Bates, Preston R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Process and representation in graphical displays

Our initial model of graphic comprehension has focused on statistical graphs. Like other models of human-computer interaction, models of graphical comprehension can be used by human-computer interface designers and developers to create interfaces that present information in an efficient and usable manner. Our investigation of graph comprehension addresses two primary questions: how do people represent the information contained in a data graph?; and how do they process information from the graph? The topics of focus for graphic representation concern the features into which people decompose a graph and the representations of the graph in memory. The issue of processing can be further analyzed as two questions: what overall processing strategies do people use?; and what are the specific processing skills required?

Gillan, Douglas J.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Digital Human Modeling

The development of models to represent human characteristics and behaviors in human factors is broad and general. The term "model" can refer to any metaphor to represent any aspect of the human; it is generally used in research to mean a mathematical tool for the simulation (often in software, which makes the simulation digital) of some aspect of human performance and for the prediction of future outcomes. This section is restricted to the application of human models in physical design, e.g., in human factors engineering. This design effort is typically human interface design, and the digital models used are anthropometric. That is, they are visual models that are the physical shape of humans and that have the capabilities and constraints of humans of a selected population. They are distinct from the avatars used in the entertainment industry (movies, video games, and the like) in precisely that regard: as models, they are created through the application of data on humans, and they are used to predict human response; body stresses workspaces. DHM enable iterative evaluation of a large number of concepts and support rapid analysis, as compared with use of physical mockups. They can be used to evaluate feasibility of escape of a suited astronaut from a damaged vehicle, before launch or after an abort (England, et al., 2012). Throughout most of human spaceflight, little attention has been paid to worksite design for ground workers. As a result of repeated damage to the Space Shuttle which adversely affected flight safety, DHM analyses of ground assembly and maintenance have been developed over the last five years for the design of new flight systems (Stambolian, 2012, Dischinger and Dunn Jackson, 2014). The intent of these analyses is to assure the design supports the work of the ground crew personnel and thereby protect the launch vehicle. They help the analyst address basic human factors engineering questions: can a worker reach the task site from the work platform provided; can she or he see the task site; can she or he control tools, which, if dropped, might damage the system? Figure 7.3.1 provides an example of such analysis for a future NASA launch vehicle. [figure 7.3.1 here] In-space systems for operation by astronauts have long been targets for DHM analysis, given the focus on mission success and concerns for astronaut safety. Figure 7.3.2 illustrates the analysis of the design to support astronaut tasks for an International Space Station glovebox. [Figure 7.3.2 here] Use by

Dischinger, H. Charles, Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Designers' models of the human-computer interface

Understanding design models of the human-computer interface (HCI) may produce two types of benefits. First, interface development often requires input from two different types of experts: human factors specialists and software developers. Given the differences in their backgrounds and roles, human factors specialists and software developers may have different cognitive models of the HCI. Yet, they have to communicate about the interface as part of the design process. If they have different models, their interactions are likely to involve a certain amount of miscommunication. Second, the design process in general is likely to be guided by designers' cognitive models of the HCI, as well as by their knowledge of the user, tasks, and system. Designers do not start with a blank slate; rather they begin with a general model of the object they are designing. The author's approach to a design model of the HCI was to have three groups make judgments of categorical similarity about the components of an interface: human factors specialists with HCI design experience, software developers with HCI design experience, and a baseline group of computer users with no experience in HCI design. The components of the user interface included both display components such as windows, text, and graphics, and user interaction concepts, such as command language, editing, and help. The judgments of the three groups were analyzed using hierarchical cluster analysis and Pathfinder. These methods indicated, respectively, how the groups categorized the concepts, and network representations of the concepts for each group. The Pathfinder analysis provides greater information about local, pairwise relations among concepts, whereas the cluster analysis shows global, categorical relations to a greater extent.

Gillan, Douglas J.↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Development of the CONDUIT Advanced Control System Design and Evaluation Interface with a Case Study Application to an Advanced Fly by Wire Helicopter Design

This report details the development and use of CONDUIT (Control Designer's Unified Interface). CONDUIT is a design tool created at Ames Research Center for the purpose of evaluating and optimizing aircraft control systems against handling qualities. Three detailed design problems addressing the RASCAL UH-60A Black Hawk are included in this report to show the application of CONDUIT to helicopter control system design.

Colbourne, Jason↗
NASA NTRS1999

CONDUIT: Control Designer's Unified Interface

CONDUIT, which stands for control designer's unified interface, is a computer software package. Its purpose is to assist a human control system designer in designing control systems for aircraft. At the present time CONDUIT is being used by most of the major U. S. rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft manufacturers to assist in the design of stability and control augmentation systems. Work is also continuing on the development of additional features for CONDUIT, including tools for analyzing the sensitivity of solutions, and on further enhancements to the basic package. The purpose of this paper is to describe CONDUIT, its operation, and the sensitivity tools that are being developed for inclusion in the next release of the package.

Levine, William S.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Real-time detection and data acquisition system for the left ventricular outline

The paper describes the design and capabilities of a computer-interfaced angiocardiographic automated border recognizer for real-time detection and data acquisition regarding the left ventricular outline. The contour detection is based on a thresholding technique that uses an analog comparator to compare the video signal with a constant reference level, which can be used satisfactorily only if the brightness level is roughly constant along a ventricular border. The use of dynamic reference level is described for achieving a marked improvement by having the reference level dynamically adjusted according to local brightness levels on a line-to-line basis. Also discussed are the features of the computer interface designed and implemented for the real-time on-line storage of the obtained border coordinates. Results to date indicate that the system provides an accurate left ventricular contour even in pictures with relatively low contrast. Application of the threshold detection technique to echocardiography is briefly discussed.

Reiber, J. H. C.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A force-controllable macro-micro manipulator and its application to medical robots

This paper describes an 8-degrees-of-freedom macro-micro robot. This robot is capable of performing tasks that require accurate force control, such as polishing, finishing, grinding, deburring, and cleaning. The design of the macro-micro mechanism, the control algorithms, and the hardware/software implementation of the algorithms are described in this paper. Initial experimental results are reported. In addition, this paper includes a discussion of medical surgery and the role that force control may play. We introduce a new class of robotic systems collectively called Robotic Enhancement Technology (RET). RET systems introduce the combination of robotic manipulation with human control to perform manipulation tasks beyond the individual capability of either human or machine. The RET class of robotic systems offers new challenges in mechanism design, control-law development, and man/machine interface design. We believe force-controllable mechanisms such as the macro-micro structure we have developed are a necessary part of RET. Work in progress in the area of RET systems and their application to minimally invasive surgery is presented, along with future research directions.

Marzwell, Neville I.↗