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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 955 records · Page 53
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Planar and finger-shaped optical tactile sensors for robotic applications

Progress is described regarding the development of optical tactile sensors specifically designed for application to dexterous robotics. These sensors operate on optical principles involving the frustration of total internal reflection at a waveguide/elastomer interface and produce a grey-scale tactile image that represents the normal (vertical) forces of contact. The first tactile sensor discussed is a compact, 32 x 32 planar sensor array intended for mounting on a parallel-jaw gripper. Optical fibers were employed to convey the tactile image to a CCD camera and microprocessor-based image analysis system. The second sensor had the shape and size of a human fingertip and was designed for a dexterous robotic hand. It contained 256 sensing sites (taxels) distributed in a dual-density pattern that included a tactile fovea near the tip measuring 13 x 13 mm and containing 169 taxels. The design and construction details of these tactile sensors are presented, in addition to photographs of tactile imprints.

Begej, Stefan↗
NASA NTRS2004

Effects of Gravity on Cells, Tissues, and Organisms: Their Implications on Habitat and Human Support in Microgravity

This presentation will demonstrate that gravity plays a major role in advanced human life support in a closed habitat. The examples include, but are not limited to, control of purity in drinking water supplies (application of biocides), control of urine in space rodent habitats and operation of space septic tanks (waste management). Our goal is to understand and determine possible mechanisms that describe the process by which cells anchor to a substrate to form dynamic, vibrant communities of cells which influence human health in absence of gravity. The balance of all forces (mechanotransduction) acting on a cell will determine whether a cell thrives and multiplies or dies in a process called apoptosis and/or necrosis. The balance of forces are tightly coupled to the transport of nutrients and metabolic products (biochemotransduction) to and from the cell interface. We will highlight our effort to improve astronaut health by showing that microgravity life support systems have to be designed differently from those on Earth.

Kizito, John↗
NASA NTRS2007

Architecting the Communication and Navigation Networks for NASA's Space Exploration Systems

NASA is planning a series of short and long duration human and robotic missions to explore the Moon and then Mars. A key objective of the missions is to grow, through a series of launches, a system of systems communication, navigation, and timing infrastructure at minimum cost while providing a network-centric infrastructure that maximizes the exploration capabilities and science return. There is a strong need to use architecting processes in the mission pre-formulation stage to describe the systems, interfaces, and interoperability needed to implement multiple space communication systems that are deployed over time, yet support interoperability with each deployment phase and with 20 years of legacy systems. In this paper we present a process for defining the architecture of the communications, navigation, and networks needed to support future space explorers with the best adaptable and evolable network-centric space exploration infrastructure. The process steps presented are: 1) Architecture decomposition, 2) Defining mission systems and their interfaces, 3) Developing the communication, navigation, networking architecture, and 4) Integrating systems, operational and technical views and viewpoints. We demonstrate the process through the architecture development of the communication network for upcoming NASA space exploration missions.

Bhassin, Kul B.↗
NASA NTRS2015

The Hopper: A Wearable Robotic Device Testbed for Micro-Gravity Bone-Loading Proof-of-Concept

Wearable robotic systems are showing increased potential for addressing crew countermeasures needs. Wearable robots offer a compactness, programmability, and eccentric loading capability not present in more conventional exercise equipment. Correspondingly, advancements in the man to machine interface has progressed, allowing for higher loads to be applied directly to the person in new and novel ways. Recently, the X1 exoskeleton, a lower extremity wearable robot originally designed for mobility assistance and rehabilitation, underwent human subject testing to assess its potential as a knee dynamometer. This was of interest to NASA physiologists because currently strength is not assessed in flight due to hardware limitations, and thus there is a poor understanding of the time course of in-flight changes to muscle strength. The study concluded that the X1 compared well with the Biodex, the "gold standard" in terrestrial dynamometry, with coefficients of variation less than 6.0%. In a following study, the X1 powered ankle was evaluated for its efficacy in exercising calf muscles. Current on-orbit countermeasures equipment does not adequately protect the calf from atrophy. The results of this study were also positive (targeted muscle activity demonstrated via comparing pre- and post-exercise magnetic resonance imaging T2 measurements), again showing the efficacy of wearable robotic devices for addressing the countermeasure needs of our astronauts. Based on these successes and lessons learned, the Grasshopper was co-developed between IHMC (Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition) and NASA. The Grasshopper, or the Hopper for short, is a wearable robotic device designed to address muscle and bone density loss for astronauts spending extended periods of time in micro-gravity. The Grasshopper connects to the user's torso like a hiking backpack, over the shoulders and around the waist. At the feet are footplates that strap to the user. There are two actuators, one at each "knee" joint, which are capable of high fidelity torque control. Because the Hopper uses motors instead of gravity to create the load on the user, the device is suited for use on space missions. Exercise in zero-gravity conditions is critical to maintain muscle strength and bone mass. In operation, the actuators try to fold up, or collapse, the device, putting a compressive load between the user's feet and torso. This force is similar to carrying a heavy backpack. The user then bends and extends his or her knees, replicating a weightlifting squat exercise. The applied load is precisely controlled by a computer, and can be programmed to simulate gravitation loads or any desired load prescription, such as free-weight squat exercise. It is even possible to perform eccentric exercises, or negatives, without the need for a spotter. Because the hip joints, as well as the spine and long leg bones, are in the applied load path, there is the potential to stimulate bone growth, countering the typical bone loss when astronauts return from extended duration space travel.

Beck, C. E.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Streamlining GNC Architecture Development and FSW Integration forthe Mars Ascent Vehicle

The Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) will be the first vehicle to perform an ascent from the surface ofanother atmospheric planetary body outside of the Earth-Moon system. Significant light-time delayrequires complete autonomy of flight throughout ascent, and naturally a high level of reliability isdesired in both MAV’s hardware and software subsystems. The MAV Guidance, Navigation and Controls(GNC) team and the MAV Flight Software (FSW) team have partnered together to improve the efficiencyof algorithm integration onto the MAV flight processor, and to increase confidence that said integrationis successful and without human error. An interface architecture is proposed for the GNC suite thatallows both the guidance and navigation subsystems to provide code algorithms directly in C++, and thecontrols subsystem to provide MATLAB Simulink auto-coded algorithms. Several continuous integration/deployment (CI/CD) methodologies have been considered for ease of transition of algorithm code fromthe GNC team to the FSW team. The GNC/FSW teams also worked together to develop a cFS-friendlywrapper which abstracts the integration of the GNC algorithm code into an interface-level API that iscompatible with cFS. Several iterations of vehicle GNC code have been produced between the GNC/FSWteam’s partnership, and this strong interface between these two teams have allowed the GNC/FSWteams to greatly increase confidence of efficient and error-free implementation of the GNC code ontoMAV for a successful flight.

GNC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Building workflows for an interactive human-in-the-loop automated experiment (hAE) in STEM-EELS

Exploring the structural, chemical, and physical properties of matter on the nano- and atomic scales has become possible with the recent advances in aberration-corrected electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). However, the current paradigm of STEM-EELS relies on the classical rectangular grid sampling, in which all surface regions are assumed to be of equal a priori interest. However, this is typically not the case for real-world scenarios, where phenomena of interest are concentrated in a small number of spatial locations, such as interfaces, structural and topological defects, and multi-phase inclusions. One of the foundational problems is the discovery of nanometer- or atomic-scale structures having specific signatures in EELS spectra. Herein, we systematically explore the hyperparameters controlling deep kernel learning (DKL) discovery workflows for STEM-EELS and identify the role of the local structural descriptors and acquisition functions in experiment progression. In agreement with the actual experiment, we observe that for certain parameter combinations the experiment path can be trapped in the local minima. We demonstrate the approaches for monitoring the automated experiment in the real and feature space of the system and knowledge acquisition of the DKL model. Based on these, we construct intervention strategies defining the human-in-the-loop automated experiment (hAE). This approach can be further extended to other techniques including 4D STEM and other forms of spectroscopic imaging. The hAE library is available on Github at https://github.com/utkarshp1161/hAE/tree/main/hAE.

Pratiush, Utkarsh [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, ↗
NASA NTRS2026

In-suit CO2 Washout Test System (ICWTS) for CO2 Washout Verification in Spacesuits

Since the time of Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo, NASA has been performing CO 2 washout verification of spacesuits with Human in the Loop (HITL) test methods. Classically, the only instrumentation both with the accuracy and response time necessary was that of external mass spectrometers or medical gas analyzers fed by a long capillary line from the oro-nasal region within the suit. The helmet CO 2 washout configuration including the challenges posed by variation of a suited human subject frequently created difficulty in capturing adequate breath by breath data. For example, a nasal cannula could be worn with reasonable comfort however it posed the following challenges: (1) impeded the test subject’s ability to do a proper Valsalva maneuver; (2) frequently provided a corrupted waveform with relative movement; (3) precluded the ability to evaluate the Flow Weighted Average (FWA) at subject interface. A mouthpiece could be used in lieu of a cannula but posed challenges as well: (1) created potential disturbances of the flow field; (2) precluded the test subject from speaking during usage; and (3) presented comfort issues limiting the duration of test points. These challenges made it impractical to use a mouthpiece for anything other than short lab ambient environment tests. Technology development and NASA investment have afforded new capabilities to address some of these measurements providing improved data collection and are implemented in the In-suit CO 2 Washout Test System (ICWTS) which provides suit inlet/outlet pressure, temperature, relative humidity, partial pressure of oxygen, partial pressure of CO 2 , and flow measurement coupled with the acquisition of the inspired PPCO 2 including the ability for FWA measurement. This test system, coupled with use of the In-suit Respiration Mannequin Assembly (IRMA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) combine to provide a full picture of the in-suit oro-nasal flow field and effectiveness of CO 2 washout in a spacesuit design.

Colin Campbell↗
NASA NTRS2026

In-suit CO 2 Washout Test System (ICWTS) for CO 2 Washout Verification in Spacesuits

Since the time of Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo, NASA has been performing CO 2 washout verification of spacesuits with Human in the Loop (HITL) test methods. Classically, the only instrumentation both with the accuracy and response time necessary was that of external mass spectrometers or medical gas analyzers fed by a long capillary line from the oro-nasal region within the suit. The helmet CO 2 washout configuration including the challenges posed by variation of a suited human subject frequently created difficulty in capturing adequate breath by breath data. For example, a nasal cannula could be worn with reasonable comfort however it posed the following challenges: (1) impeded the test subject’s ability to do a proper Valsalva maneuver; (2) frequently provided a corrupted waveform with relative movement; (3) precluded the ability to evaluate the Flow Weighted Average (FWA) at subject interface. A mouthpiece could be used in lieu of a cannula but posed challenges as well: (1) created potential disturbances of the flow field; (2) precluded the test subject from speaking during usage; and (3) presented comfort issues limiting the duration of test points. These challenges made it impractical to use a mouthpiece for anything other than short lab ambient environment tests. Technology development and NASA investment have afforded new capabilities to address some of these measurements providing improved data collection and are implemented in the In-suit CO 2 Washout Test System (ICWTS) which provides suit inlet/outlet pressure, temperature, relative humidity, partial pressure of oxygen, partial pressure of CO 2 , and flow measurement coupled with the acquisition of the inspired PPCO 2 including the ability for FWA measurement. This test system, coupled with use of the In-suit Respiration Mannequin Assembly (IRMA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) combine to provide a full picture of the in-suit oro-nasal flow field and effectiveness of CO 2 washout in a spacesuit design.

Colin Campbell↗
DOE OSTI2023

ML-based Real-Time Control at the Edge: An Approach Using hls4ml

This study focuses on implementing a real-time control system for a particle accelerator facility that performs high energy physics experiments. A critical operating parameter in this facility is beam loss, which is the fraction of particles deviating from the accelerated proton beam into a cascade of secondary particles. Accelerators employ a large number of sensors to monitor beam loss. The data from these sensors is monitored by human operators who predict the relative contribution of different sub-systems to the beam loss. Using this information, they engage control interventions. In this paper, we present a controller to track this phenomenon in real-time using edge-Machine Learning (ML) and support control with low latency and high accuracy. We implemented this system on an Intel Arria 10 SoC. Optimizations at the algorithm, high-level synthesis, and interface levels to improve latency and resource usage are presented. Our design implements a neural network, which can predict the main source of beam loss (between two possible causes) at speeds up to 575 frames per second (fps) (average latency of 1.74 ms). The practical deployed system is required to operate at 320 fps, with a 3ms latency requirement, which has been met by our design successfully.

Shi, R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Graphical programming: A systems approach for telerobotic servicing of space assets

Satellite servicing is in many ways analogous to subsea robotic servicing in the late 1970's. A cost effective, reliable, telerobotic capability had to be demonstrated before the oil companies invested money in deep water robot serviceable production facilities. In the same sense, aeronautic engineers will not design satellites for telerobotic servicing until such a quantifiable capability has been demonstrated. New space servicing systems will be markedly different than existing space robot systems. Past space manipulator systems, including the Space Shuttle's robot arm, have used master/slave technologies with poor fidelity, slow operating speeds and most importantly, in-orbit human operators. In contrast, new systems will be capable of precision operations, conducted at higher rates of speed, and be commanded via ground-control communication links. Challenge presented by this environment include achieving a mandated level of robustness and dependability, radiation hardening, minimum weight and power consumption, and a system which accommodates the inherent communication delay between the ground station and the satellite. There is also a need for a user interface which is easy to use, ensures collision free motions, and is capable of adjusting to an unknown workcell (for repair operations the condition of the satellite may not be known in advance). This paper describes the novel technologies required to deliver such a capability.

Pinkerton, James T.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Rapid Inspection of Aerospace Structures - Is It Autonomous Yet?

The trend to increase the usage of aging aircraft added a great deal of urgency to the ongoing need for low-cost, rapid, simple-to-operate, reliable and efficient NDE methods for detection and characterization of flaws in aircraft structures. In many cases, the problem of inspection is complex due to the limitation of current technology and the need to disassemble aircraft structures and testing them in lab conditions. To overcome these limitations, reliable field inspection tools are being developed for rapid NDE of large and complex-shape structures, that can operate at harsh, hostal and remote conditions with minimum human interface. In recent years, to address the need for rapid inspection in field conditions, numerous portable scanners were developed using NDE methods, including ultrasonics, shearography, thermography. This paper is written with emphasis on ultrasonic NDE scanners, their evolution and the expected direction of growth.

Crawling System autonomous robotics↗
NASA NTRS1991

Considerations for human-machine interfaces in tele-operations

Numerous factors impact on the efficiency of tele-operative manipulative work. Generally, these are related to the physical environment of the tele-operator and how he interfaces with robotic control consoles. The capabilities of the operator can be influenced by considerations such as temperature, eye strain, body fatigue, and boredom created by repetitive work tasks. In addition, the successful combination of man and machine will, in part, be determined by the configuration of the visual and physical interfaces available to the teleoperator. The design and operation of system components such as full-scale and mini-master manipulator controllers, servo joysticks, and video monitors will have a direct impact on operational efficiency. As a result, the local environment and the interaction of the operator with the robotic control console have a substantial effect on mission productivity.

Newport, Curt↗
NASA NTRS2004

Multimodality instrument for tissue characterization

A system with multimodality instrument for tissue identification includes a computer-controlled motor driven heuristic probe with a multisensory tip. For neurosurgical applications, the instrument is mounted on a stereotactic frame for the probe to penetrate the brain in a precisely controlled fashion. The resistance of the brain tissue being penetrated is continually monitored by a miniaturized strain gauge attached to the probe tip. Other modality sensors may be mounted near the probe tip to provide real-time tissue characterizations and the ability to detect the proximity of blood vessels, thus eliminating errors normally associated with registration of pre-operative scans, tissue swelling, elastic tissue deformation, human judgement, etc., and rendering surgical procedures safer, more accurate, and efficient. A neural network program adaptively learns the information on resistance and other characteristic features of normal brain tissue during the surgery and provides near real-time modeling. A fuzzy logic interface to the neural network program incorporates expert medical knowledge in the learning process. Identification of abnormal brain tissue is determined by the detection of change and comparison with previously learned models of abnormal brain tissues. The operation of the instrument is controlled through a user friendly graphical interface. Patient data is presented in a 3D stereographics display. Acoustic feedback of selected information may optionally be provided. Upon detection of the close proximity to blood vessels or abnormal brain tissue, the computer-controlled motor immediately stops probe penetration. The use of this system will make surgical procedures safer, more accurate, and more efficient. Other applications of this system include the detection, prognosis and treatment of breast cancer, prostate cancer, spinal diseases, and use in general exploratory surgery.

Mah, Robert W.↗
DOE OSTI2026

PowerAnalytics.jl: User-Centric Power Systems Analysis in Julia

The National Laboratory of the Rockies recently released version 1 of PowerAnalytics.jl, an analysis module for the outputs of its popular open-source electrical power systems modeling platform Sienna. It features an extensible framework - based on the flexible selecting of components, the execution of arbitrary metrics on them, and a familiar DataFrames-based output interface with embedded metadata - to process results in the Sienna style while keeping the interface as simple as possible for non-Julia experts. Here, I describe the package and where it fits into the Sienna ecosystem, how I harnessed user-centered design and Julia features to achieve beginner friendliness without sacrificing performance and expressibility, and what lessons might be drawn from the package's design and implementation.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2016

Immersive Visual Analytics for Transformative Neutron Scattering Science

The ORNL Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) provides the most intense pulsed neutron beams in the world for scientific research and development across a broad range of disciplines. SNS experiments produce large volumes of complex data that are analyzed by scientists with varying degrees of experience using 3D visualization and analysis systems. However, it is notoriously difficult to achieve proficiency with 3D visualizations. Because 3D representations are key to understanding the neutron scattering data, scientists are unable to analyze their data in a timely fashion resulting in inefficient use of the limited and expensive SNS beam time. We believe a more intuitive interface for exploring neutron scattering data can be created by combining immersive virtual reality technology with high performance data analytics and human interaction. In this paper, we present our initial investigations of immersive visualization concepts as well as our vision for an immersive visual analytics framework that could lower the barriers to 3D exploratory data analysis of neutron scattering data at the SNS.

data visualization↗
DOE OSTI2019

TexTonic: Interactive Visualization for Exploration and discovery of Very Large Text Collections

TexTonic is a visual analytic system for interactive exploration of very large unstructured text collections. TexTonic visualizes hierarchical clusters of representative terms, snippets, and documents in a single, multi-scale spatial layout. Exploration is supported by interacting with the visualization and directly manipulating the terms in the visualization using semantic interactions. These semantic interactions steer the underlying analytic model by translating user interactions within the visualization to contextual updates to the supporting data model. The combination of semantic interactions and information visualization at multiple levels of the data hierarchy helps users manage information overload so that they can more effectively explore very large text collections. In this paper we describe TexTonic’s data processing and analytic pipeline, user interface and interaction design principles, and the results of a user study conducted mid-development with experienced data analysts. We also discuss the implications TexTonic could have on visual exploration and discovery tasks

human centered computing, Visual analytics, Inform↗
NASA NTRS1983

An overview of computer-based natural language processing

Computer based Natural Language Processing (NLP) is the key to enabling humans and their computer based creations to interact with machines in natural language (like English, Japanese, German, etc., in contrast to formal computer languages). The doors that such an achievement can open have made this a major research area in Artificial Intelligence and Computational Linguistics. Commercial natural language interfaces to computers have recently entered the market and future looks bright for other applications as well. This report reviews the basic approaches to such systems, the techniques utilized, applications, the state of the art of the technology, issues and research requirements, the major participants and finally, future trends and expectations. It is anticipated that this report will prove useful to engineering and research managers, potential users, and others who will be affected by this field as it unfolds.

Gevarter, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Designing Facilities for Collaborative Operations

A methodology for designing operational facilities for collaboration by multiple experts has begun to take shape as an outgrowth of a project to design such facilities for scientific operations of the planned 2003 Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission. The methodology could also be applicable to the design of military "situation rooms" and other facilities for terrestrial missions. It was recognized in this project that modern mission operations depend heavily upon the collaborative use of computers. It was further recognized that tests have shown that layout of a facility exerts a dramatic effect on the efficiency and endurance of the operations staff. The facility designs (for example, see figure) and the methodology developed during the project reflect this recognition. One element of the methodology is a metric, called effective capacity, that was created for use in evaluating proposed MER operational facilities and may also be useful for evaluating other collaboration spaces, including meeting rooms and military situation rooms. The effective capacity of a facility is defined as the number of people in the facility who can be meaningfully engaged in its operations. A person is considered to be meaningfully engaged if the person can (1) see, hear, and communicate with everyone else present; (2) see the material under discussion (typically data on a piece of paper, computer monitor, or projection screen); and (3) provide input to the product under development by the group. The effective capacity of a facility is less than the number of people that can physically fit in the facility. For example, a typical office that contains a desktop computer has an effective capacity of .4, while a small conference room that contains a projection screen has an effective capacity of around 10. Little or no benefit would be derived from allowing the number of persons in an operational facility to exceed its effective capacity: At best, the operations staff would be underutilized; at worst, operational performance would deteriorate. Elements of this methodology were applied to the design of three operations facilities for a series of rover field tests. These tests were observed by human-factors researchers and their conclusions are being used to refine and extend the methodology to be used in the final design of the MER operations facility. Further work is underway to evaluate the use of personal digital assistant (PDA) units as portable input interfaces and communication devices in future mission operations facilities. A PDA equipped for wireless communication and Ethernet, Bluetooth, or another networking technology would cost less than a complete computer system, and would enable a collaborator to communicate electronically with computers and with other collaborators while moving freely within the virtual environment created by a shared immersive graphical display.

Norris, Jeffrey↗