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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 163 records · Page 9

Study of the redundancy of telemetry information of the Luna-9 and Luna-13 automatic lunar probes

Knowledge of the statistical characteristics of natural telemetry information is important for the development of principles and methods of reduction of redundancy of telemetry messages as well as planning of on-board information compression devices. An evaluation was made to determine these characteristics for the telemetry information of the Luna-9 and Luna-13 automatic lunar probe, to allow estimation of the redundancy of the information. Histograms as well as numerical characteristics were used.

Kantor, A. V.↗

An examination of the potential applications of automatic classification techniques to Georgia management problems

Automatic classification techniques are described in relation to future information and natural resource planning systems with emphasis on application to Georgia resource management problems. The concept, design, and purpose of Georgia's statewide Resource AS Assessment Program is reviewed along with participation in a workshop at the Earth Resources Laboratory. Potential areas of application discussed include: agriculture, forestry, water resources, environmental planning, and geology.

Rado, B. Q.↗

Analyzing and Detecting Problems in Systems of Systems

Many software systems are evolving complex system of systems (SoS) for which inter-system communication is mission-critical. Evidence indicates that transmission failures and performance issues are not uncommon occurrences. In a NASA-supported Software Assurance Research Program (SARP) project, we are researching a new approach addressing such problems. In this paper, we are presenting an approach for analyzing inter-system communications with the goal to uncover both transmission errors and performance problems. Our approach consists of a visualization and an evaluation component. While the visualization of the observed communication aims to facilitate understanding, the evaluation component automatically checks the conformance of an observed communication (actual) to a desired one (planned). The actual and the planned are represented as sequence diagrams. The evaluation algorithm checks the conformance of the actual to the planned diagram. We have applied our approach to the communication of aerospace systems and were successful in detecting and resolving even subtle and long existing transmission problems.

Lindvall, Mikael↗

Obstacle-avoidance automatic guidance - A concept-development study

This paper studies the notion of obstacle-avoidance guidance, and investigates the issues in automating this function by considering helicopter nap-of-the-earth (NOE) flight as an example. In particular, it considers a hierarchy of guidance components, including mission planning and obstacle avoidance. Based on this hierarchical breakdown, the functional requirements of obstacle-avoidance guidance are identified. An effort in developing automatic guidance algorithms to meet these requirements is presented, along with the necesssary simulation tools for evaluation of these algorithms.

Cheng, Victor H. L.↗

Telerobotic research for in-space structural assembly and servicing

The paper reviews Langley's Telerobotic Technology Program and the recent and planned research in automated space assembly. Research areas include multiple manipulator coordination and control, automatic modes, evaluation of control modalities for teleoperated tasks, active sensing for world modeling and control, and architectures for distributed telerobotic systems. Studies of master/slave teleoperators performing representative space tasks showed that current teleoperator systems can be used to accomplish remote space operations. These studies also identified that research is required to improve the systems to reduce operator workload and task completion time. Closed-loop noncontact and contact sensor based control for automatic acquisition, positioning, and active compliance have been developed. A control structure for multiple manipulator coordination and control with manual, shared, and automatic modes performing space type tasks is being evaluated.

Meintel, Alfred J., Jr.↗

Man-machine cooperation in advanced teleoperation

Teleoperation experiments at JPL have shown that advanced features in a telerobotic system are a necessary condition for good results, but that they are not sufficient to assure consistently good performance by the operators. Two or three operators are normally used during training and experiments to maintain the desired performance. An alternative to this multi-operator control station is a man-machine interface embedding computer programs that can perform some of the operator's functions. In this paper we present our first experiments with these concepts, in which we focused on the areas of real-time task monitoring and interactive path planning. In the first case, when performing a known task, the operator has an automatic aid for setting control parameters and camera views. In the second case, an interactive path planner will rank different path alternatives so that the operator will make the correct control decision. The monitoring function has been implemented with a neural network doing the real-time task segmentation. The interactive path planner was implemented for redundant manipulators to specify arm configurations across the desired path and satisfy geometric, task, and performance constraints.

Fiorini, Paolo↗

Vision Based Autonomous Robotic Control for Advanced Inspection and Repair

The advanced inspection system is an autonomous control and analysis system that improves the inspection and remediation operations for ground and surface systems. It uses optical imaging technology with intelligent computer vision algorithms to analyze physical features of the real-world environment to make decisions and learn from experience. The advanced inspection system plans to control a robotic manipulator arm, an unmanned ground vehicle and cameras remotely, automatically and autonomously. There are many computer vision, image processing and machine learning techniques available as open source for using vision as a sensory feedback in decision-making and autonomous robotic movement. My responsibilities for the advanced inspection system are to create a software architecture that integrates and provides a framework for all the different subsystem components; identify open-source algorithms and techniques; and integrate robot hardware.

sensory feedback↗

Artemis III Sleep Scheduling with HYPNOS Mission Planning Tool HLS Yawn Prevention N Outer Space (HYPNOS)

HYPNOS ingests critical event data, such as burns and docking, and automatically shifts the crew’s sleep schedule to support these events where possible, while still being compliant with medical restrictions. HYPNOS analyzes the crew’s timeline in 3 states: 1) Awake, meaning the crew is active for work hours 2) Pre- and Post-Sleep, awake periods of limited activity as the crew gets ready to sleep or is waking up 3) Sleep, where the crew is inactive as they rest

Levi Gosdin↗

Airspace Technology Demonstration 3 (ATD-3): Dynamic Weather Routes (DWR) Technology Transfer Document Summary Version 2.0

This summary document and accompanying technology artifacts satisfy the first of three Research Transition Products (RTPs) defined in the Applied Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) Research Transition Team (RTT) Plan. The original transfer, completed in September 2016, consisted of NASA's legacy Dynamic Weather Routes (DWR) work for efficient routing for en-route weather avoidance. This transfer updates the Concept of Operations document to a publicly-available NASA Technical Memorandum. Dynamic Weather Routes (DWR) is a ground-based trajectory automation system that continuously and automatically analyzes active in-flight aircraft in en route airspace to identify opportunities for simple corrections to flight plan routes that can save significant flying time, at least five minutes wind-corrected, while avoiding weather and considering traffic conflicts, airspace sector congestion, special use airspace, and FAA routing restrictions.

DWR↗

The ten-ecosystem study investigation plan

With the continental United States divided into ten forest and grassland ecosystems, the Ten Ecosystem Study (TES) is designed to investigate the feasibility and applicability of state-of-the-art automatic data processing remote sensing technology to inventory forest, grassland, and water resources by using Land Satellite data. The study will serve as a prelude to a possible future nationwide remote sensing application to inventory forest and rangeland renewable resources. This plan describes project design and phases, the ten ecosystem, data utilization and output, personnel organization, resource requirements, and schedules and milestones.

Kan, E. P.↗

Use of Semi-Autonomous Tools for ISS Commanding and Monitoring

As the International Space Station (ISS) has moved into a utilization phase, operations have shifted to become more ground-based with fewer mission control personnel monitoring and commanding multiple ISS systems. This shift to fewer people monitoring more systems has prompted use of semi-autonomous console tools in the ISS Mission Control Center (MCC) to help flight controllers command and monitor the ISS. These console tools perform routine operational procedures while keeping the human operator "in the loop" to monitor and intervene when off-nominal events arise. Two such tools, the Pre-positioned Load (PPL) Loader and Automatic Operators Recorder Manager (AutoORM), are used by the ISS Communications RF Onboard Networks Utilization Specialist (CRONUS) flight control position. CRONUS is responsible for simultaneously commanding and monitoring the ISS Command & Data Handling (C&DH) and Communications and Tracking (C&T) systems. PPL Loader is used to uplink small pieces of frequently changed software data tables, called PPLs, to ISS computers to support different ISS operations. In order to uplink a PPL, a data load command must be built that contains multiple user-input fields. Next, a multiple step commanding and verification procedure must be performed to enable an onboard computer for software uplink, uplink the PPL, verify the PPL has incorporated correctly, and disable the computer for software uplink. PPL Loader provides different levels of automation in both building and uplinking these commands. In its manual mode, PPL Loader automatically builds the PPL data load commands but allows the flight controller to verify and save the commands for future uplink. In its auto mode, PPL Loader automatically builds the PPL data load commands for flight controller verification, but automatically performs the PPL uplink procedure by sending commands and performing verification checks while notifying CRONUS of procedure step completion. If an off-nominal condition occurs during procedure execution, PPL Loader notifies CRONUS through popup messages, allowing CRONUS to examine the situation and choose an option of how PPL loader should proceed with the procedure. The use of PPL Loader to perform frequent, routine PPL uplinks offloads CRONUS to better monitor two ISS systems. It also reduces procedure performance time and decreases risk of command errors. AutoORM identifies ISS communication outage periods and builds commands to lock, playback, and unlock ISS Operations Recorder files. Operation Recorder files are circular buffer files of continually recorded ISS telemetry data. Sections of these files can be locked from further writing, be played back to capture telemetry data that occurred during an ISS loss of signal (LOS) period, and then be unlocked for future recording use. Downlinked Operation Recorder files are used by mission support teams for data analysis, especially if failures occur during LOS. The commands to lock, playback, and unlock Operations Recorder files are encompassed in three different operational procedures and contain multiple user-input fields. AutoORM provides different levels of automation for building and uplinking the commands to lock, playback, and unlock Operations Recorder files. In its automatic mode, AutoORM automatically detects ISS LOS periods, then generates and uplinks the commands to lock, playback, and unlock Operations Recorder files when MCC regains signal with ISS. AutoORM also features semi-autonomous and manual modes which integrate CRONUS more into the command verification and uplink process. AutoORMs ability to automatically detect ISS LOS periods and build the necessary commands to preserve, playback, and release recorded telemetry data greatly offloads CRONUS to perform more high-level cognitive tasks, such as mission planning and anomaly troubleshooting. Additionally, since Operations Recorder commands contain numerical time input fields which are tedious for a human to manually build, AutoORM's ability to automatically build commands reduces operational command errors. PPL Loader and AutoORM demonstrate principles of semi-autonomous operational tools that will benefit future space mission operations. Both tools employ different levels of automation to perform simple and routine procedures, thereby offloading human operators to perform higher-level cognitive tasks. Because both tools provide procedure execution status and highlight off-nominal indications, the flight controller is able to intervene during procedure execution if needed. Semi-autonomous tools and systems that can perform routine procedures, yet keep human operators informed of execution, will be essential in future long-duration missions where the onboard crew will be solely responsible for spacecraft monitoring and control.

Brzezinski, Amy S.↗

Investigation of automated task learning, decomposition and scheduling

The details and results of research conducted in the application of neural networks to task planning and decomposition are presented. Task planning and decomposition are operations that humans perform in a reasonably efficient manner. Without the use of good heuristics and usually much human interaction, automatic planners and decomposers generally do not perform well due to the intractable nature of the problems under consideration. The human-like performance of neural networks has shown promise for generating acceptable solutions to intractable problems such as planning and decomposition. This was the primary reasoning behind attempting the study. The basis for the work is the use of state machines to model tasks. State machine models provide a useful means for examining the structure of tasks since many formal techniques have been developed for their analysis and synthesis. It is the approach to integrate the strong algebraic foundations of state machines with the heretofore trial-and-error approach to neural network synthesis.

Livingston, David L.↗

Fourth Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Space Applications

Proceedings of a conference held in Huntsville, Alabama, on November 15-16, 1988. The Fourth Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Space Applications brings together diverse technical and scientific work in order to help those who employ AI methods in space applications to identify common goals and to address issues of general interest in the AI community. Topics include the following: space applications of expert systems in fault diagnostics, in telemetry monitoring and data collection, in design and systems integration; and in planning and scheduling; knowledge representation, capture, verification, and management; robotics and vision; adaptive learning; and automatic programming.

Odell, Stephen L.↗

Automated X-ray and Optical Analysis of the Virtual Observatory and Grid Computing

We are developing a system to combine the Web Enabled Source Identification with X-Matching (WESIX) web service, which emphasizes source detection on optical images,with the XAssist program that automates the analysis of X-ray data. XAssist is continuously processing archival X-ray data in several pipelines. We have established a workflow in which FITS images and/or (in the case of X ray data) an X-ray field can be input to WESIX. Intelligent services return available data (if requested fields have been processed) or submit job requests to a queue to be performed asynchronously. These services will be available via web services (for non-interactive use by Virtual Observatory portals and applications) and through web applications (written in the Django web application framework). We are adding web services for specific XAssist functionality such as determining .the exposure and limiting flux for a given position on the sky and extracting spectra and images for a given region. We are improving the queuing system in XAssist to allow for "watch lists" to be specified by users, and when X-ray fields in a user's watch list become publicly available they will be automatically added to the queue. XAssist is being expanded to be used as a survey planning 1001 when coupled with simulation software, including functionality for NuStar, eRosita, IXO, and the Wide Field Xray Telescope (WFXT), as part of an end to end simulation/analysis system. We are also investigating the possibility of a dedicated iPhone/iPad app for querying pipeline data, requesting processing, and administrative job control.

Ptak, A.↗

Noise Exposure Maps of Urban Air Mobility

A noise exposure map is “a scaled geographic depiction of an airport, its noise exposure contours, noise-sensitive facilities, and land uses in the airport surrounding area” developed in accordance with the FAA’s 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 150. This paper is the first to explore the applicability of airport noise exposure maps to Urban Air Mobility (UAM). The FAA’s airport noise compatibility planning program is first described. Then the applicability of the noise exposure map to Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is explored. Finally, new airspace infrastructure, including vertiport locations and UAM routes from NASA’s UAM engineering simulations, and local noise-sensitive facility locations and land use information were collected and processed to develop the noise exposure maps of UAM near the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The DNL noise contours resulting from a six-passenger electric quadrotor prototype vehicle are predicted using NASA’s AIRNOISEUAM software. The noise exposure maps of UAM are generated automatically using Python’s data analysis and visualization libraries. The results have applications for UAM’s noise compatibility planning, noise-reducing route planning, and vertiport location selection

Urban Air Mobility↗

Noise Exposure Map of Urban Air Mobility

A noise exposure map is “a scaled geographic depiction of an airport, its noise exposure contours, noise-sensitive facilities, and land uses in the airport surrounding area” developed in accordance with the FAA’s 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 150. This paper is the first to explore the applicability of airport noise exposure maps to Urban Air Mobility (UAM). The FAA’s airport noise compatibility planning program is first described. Then the applicability of the noise exposure map to Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is explored. Finally, new airspace infrastructure, including vertiport locations and UAM routes from NASA’s UAM engineering simulations, and local noise-sensitive facility locations and land use information were collected and processed to develop the noise exposure maps of UAM near the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The DNL noise contours resulting from a six-passenger electric quadrotor prototype vehicle are predicted using NASA’s AIRNOISEUAM software. The noise exposure maps of UAM are generated automatically using Python’s data analysis and visualization libraries. The results have applications for UAM’s noise compatibility planning, noise-reducing route planning, and vertiport location selection. (To hear the voice please utilize the video uploaded to the record)

Urban Air Mobility↗

Time and truth in plans

Some of the logical components of a rule based planning and scheduling system are described. The researcher points out a deficiency in the conventional truth maintenance approach to this class of problems and suggests a new mechanism which overcomes the problem. This extension of the idea of justification truth maintenance may seem at first to be a small philosophical step. However, it embodies a process of basic human reasoning which is so common and automatic as to escape conscious detection without careful introspection. It is vital to any successful implementation of a rule based planning reasoner.

Hazelton, Lyman R., Jr.↗

Social Tagging of Mission Data

Mars missions will generate a large amount of data in various forms, such as daily plans, images, and scientific information. Often, there is a semantic linkage between images that cannot be captured automatically. Software is needed that will provide a method for creating arbitrary tags for this mission data so that items with a similar tag can be related to each other. The tags should be visible and searchable for all users. A new routine was written to offer a new and more flexible search option over previous applications. This software allows users of the MSLICE program to apply any number of arbitrary tags to a piece of mission data through a MSLICE search interface. The application of tags creates relationships between data that did not previously exist. These tags can be easily removed and changed, and contain enough flexibility to be specifically configured for any mission. This gives users the ability to quickly recall or draw attention to particular pieces of mission data, for example: Give a semantic and meaningful description to mission data; for example, tag all images with a rock in them with the tag "rock." Rapidly recall specific and useful pieces of data; for example, tag a plan as"driving template." Call specific data to a user s attention; for example, tag a plan as "for:User." This software is part of the MSLICE release, which was written in Java. It will run on any current Windows, Macintosh, or Linux system.

Norris, Jeffrey S.↗