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NASA NTRS2005

Design and Performance Evaluation of a UWB Communication and Tracking System for Mini-AERCam

NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) is developing a low-volume, low-mass, robotic free-flying camera known as Mini-AERCam (Autonomous Extra-vehicular Robotic Camera) to assist the International Space Station (ISS) operations. Mini-AERCam is designed to provide astronauts and ground control real-time video for camera views of ISS. The system will assist ISS crewmembers and ground personnel to monitor ongoing operations and perform visual inspections of exterior ISS components without requiring extravehicular activity (EAV). Mini-AERCam consists of a great number of subsystems. Many institutions and companies have been involved in the R&D for this project. A Mini-AERCam ground control system has been studied at Texas A&M University [3]. The path planning and control algorithms that direct the motions of Mini-AERCam have been developed through the joint effort of Carnegie Mellon University and the Texas Robotics and Automation Center [5]. NASA JSC has designed a layered control architecture that integrates all functions of Mini-AERCam [8]. The research described in this report is part of a larger effort focused on the communication and tracking subsystem that is designed to perform three major tasks: 1. To transmit commands from ISS to Mini-AERCam for control of robotic camera motions (downlink); 2. To transmit real-time video from Mini-AERCam to ISS for inspections (uplink); 3. To track the position of Mini-AERCam for precise motion control. The ISS propagation environment is unique due to the nature of the ISS structure and multiple RF interference sources [9]. The ISS is composed of various truss segments, solar panels, thermal radiator panels, and modules for laboratories and crew accommodations. A tracking system supplemental to GPS is desirable both to improve accuracy and to eliminate the structural blockage due to the close proximity of the ISS which could at times limit the number of GPS satellites accessible to the Mini-AERCam. Ideally, the tracking system will be a passive component of the communication system which will need to operate in a time-varying multipath environment created as the robot camera moves over the ISS structure. In addition, due to many interference sources located on the ISS, SSO, LEO satellites and ground-based transmitters, selecting a frequency for the ISS and Mini-AERCam link which will coexist with all interferers poses a major design challenge. To meet all of these challenges, ultrawideband (UWB) radio technology is being studied for use in the Mini-AERCam communication and tracking subsystem. The research described in this report is focused on design and evaluation of passive tracking system algorithms based on UWB radio transmissions from mini-AERCam.

Barton, Richard J.↗

NASA NTRS2004

UWB Tracking System Design for Free-Flyers

This paper discusses an ultra-wideband (UWB) tracking system design effort for Mini-AERCam (Autonomous Extra-vehicular Robotic Camera), a free-flying video camera system under development at NASA Johnson Space Center for aid in surveillance around the International Space Station (ISS). UWB technology is exploited to implement the tracking system due to its properties, such as high data rate, fine time resolution, and low power spectral density. A system design using commercially available UWB products is proposed. A tracking algorithm TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival) that operates cooperatively with the UWB system is developed in this research effort. Matlab simulations show that the tracking algorithm can achieve fine tracking resolution with low noise TDOA data. Lab experiments demonstrate the UWB tracking capability with fine resolution.

Ni, Jianjun↗

NASA NTRS2006

Antarctic Iceberg Tracking Based on Time Series of Aqua AMSRE Microwave Brightness Temperature Measurements

Observations of icebergs are identified as one of the requirements for the GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems) in the area of reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disasters. However, iceberg observations are not included among targets in the GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, and thus there is an unfulfilled need for iceberg detection and tracking in the near future. Large Antarctic icebergs have been tracked by the National Ice Center and by the academic community using a variety of satellite sensors including both passive and active microwave imagers, such as SSM/I (Special Sensor Microwave/Imager) deployed on the DMSP (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program) spacecraft. Improvements provided in recent years by NASA and non-NASA satellite radars, scatterometers, and radiometers resulted in an increased number of observed icebergs and even prompted a question: Is The Number of Antarctic Icebergs Really Increasing? [D.G. Long, J. Ballantyne, and C. Bertoia, Eos, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union 83 (42): 469 & 474, 15 October 2002]. AMSR-E (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System) represents an improvement over SSM/I, its predecessor. AMSR-E has more measurement channels and higher spatial resolution than SSM/I. For example, the instantaneous field of view of the AMSR-E s 89-GHz channels is 6 km by 4 km versus 16 km by 14 km for SSM/I s comparable 85-GHz channels. AMSR-E, deployed on the Aqua satellite, scans across a 1450-km swath and provides brightness temperature measurements with nearglobal coverage every one or two days. In polar regions, overlapping swaths generate coverage up to multiple times per day and allow for creation of image time series with high temporal resolution. Despite these advantages, only incidental usage of AMSR-E data for iceberg tracking has been reported so far, none in an operational environment. Therefore, an experiment was undertaken in the RPC (Rapid Prototyping Capability) of NASA s (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Applied Science Program to demonstrate that passive microwave brightness temperature measurements acquired by AMSR-E can be effectively used to track iceberg movement around Antarctica. The RPC s robust computation environment enabled processing of terabytes of data products available from the NASA Distributed Active Archive Center at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Iceberg tracking based on the AMSR-E Level 2A data product was compared with records from the National Ice Center for currently existing icebergs. Some icebergs as small as roughly 10 km in size were easily observed, but tracking of many others, even larger ones, was obscured by presence of sea ice surrounding the icebergs. The best results, such as for the large iceberg A22A, were achieved when an iceberg was in open ocean.

Blonski, Slawomir↗

NASA NTRS2012

Coordinated Analyses of Diverse Components in Whole Stardust Cometary Tracks

Analyses of samples returned from Comet Wild-2 by the Stardust spacecraft have resulted in a number of surprising findings that show the origins of comets are more complex than previously suspected [1]. Stardust aerogel tracks show considerable compositional diversity and the degree of impact related thermal modification and destruction is also highly variable. We are performing systematic examinations of entire Stardust tracks to discern the representative mineralogy and origins of comet Wild 2 components and to search for well preserved fine grained materials. Previously, we used ultramicrotomy to prepare sequential thin sections of entire "carrot" and "bulbous" type tracks along their axis while preserving their original shapes [2]. This technique allows us to characterize the usually well-preserved terminal particle (TP), but also any associated, fine-grained fragments that were shed along the track pathway. This report focuses on coordinated analyses of surviving indigenous cometary materials (crystalline and amorphous) along the aerogel track walls, their interaction with aerogel during collection and comparisons with their TPs. We examined the distribution of fragments throughout the track from the entrance hole to the TP.

Nakamura-Messenger, K.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Tracking Object Existence From an Autonomous Patrol Vehicle

An autonomous vehicle patrols a large region, during which an algorithm receives measurements of detected potential objects within its sensor range. The goal of the algorithm is to track all objects in the region over time. This problem differs from traditional multi-target tracking scenarios because the region of interest is much larger than the sensor range and relies on the movement of the sensor through this region for coverage. The goal is to know whether anything has changed between visits to the same location. In particular, two kinds of alert conditions must be detected: (1) a previously detected object has disappeared and (2) a new object has appeared in a location already checked. For the time an object is within sensor range, the object can be assumed to remain stationary, changing position only between visits. The problem is difficult because the upstream object detection processing is likely to make many errors, resulting in heavy clutter (false positives) and missed detections (false negatives), and because only noisy, bearings-only measurements are available. This work has three main goals: (1) Associate incoming measurements with known objects or mark them as new objects or false positives, as appropriate. For this, a multiple hypothesis tracker was adapted to this scenario. (2) Localize the objects using multiple bearings-only measurements to provide estimates of global position (e.g., latitude and longitude). A nonlinear Kalman filter extension provides these 2D position estimates using the 1D measurements. (3) Calculate the probability that a suspected object truly exists (in the estimated position), and determine whether alert conditions have been triggered (for new objects or disappeared objects). The concept of a probability of existence was created, and a new Bayesian method for updating this probability at each time step was developed. A probabilistic multiple hypothesis approach is chosen because of its superiority in handling the uncertainty arising from errors in sensors and upstream processes. However, traditional target tracking methods typically assume a stationary detection volume of interest, whereas in this case, one must make adjustments for being able to see only a small portion of the region of interest and understand when an alert situation has occurred. To track object existence inside and outside the vehicle's sensor range, a probability of existence was defined for each hypothesized object, and this value was updated at every time step in a Bayesian manner based on expected characteristics of the sensor and object and whether that object has been detected in the most recent time step. Then, this value feeds into a sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) to determine the status of the object (suspected, confirmed, or deleted). Alerts are sent upon selected status transitions. Additionally, in order to track objects that move in and out of sensor range and update the probability of existence appropriately a variable probability detection has been defined and the hypothesis probability equations have been re-derived to accommodate this change. Unsupervised object tracking is a pervasive issue in automated perception systems. This work could apply to any mobile platform (ground vehicle, sea vessel, air vehicle, or orbiter) that intermittently revisits regions of interest and needs to determine whether anything interesting has changed.

Wolf, Michael↗

NASA NTRS2012

An Analysis Technique/Automated Tool for Comparing and Tracking Analysis Modes of Different Finite Element Models

An analysis technique was developed to compare and track mode shapes for different Finite Element Models. The technique may be applied to a variety of structural dynamics analyses, including model reduction validation (comparing unreduced and reduced models), mode tracking for various parametric analyses (e.g., launch vehicle model dispersion analysis to identify sensitivities to modal gain for Guidance, Navigation, and Control), comparing models of different mesh fidelity (e.g., a coarse model for a preliminary analysis compared to a higher-fidelity model for a detailed analysis) and mode tracking for a structure with properties that change over time (e.g., a launch vehicle from liftoff through end-of-burn, with propellant being expended during the flight). Mode shapes for different models are compared and tracked using several numerical indicators, including traditional Cross-Orthogonality and Modal Assurance Criteria approaches, as well as numerical indicators obtained by comparing modal strain energy and kinetic energy distributions. This analysis technique has been used to reliably identify correlated mode shapes for complex Finite Element Models that would otherwise be difficult to compare using traditional techniques. This improved approach also utilizes an adaptive mode tracking algorithm that allows for automated tracking when working with complex models and/or comparing a large group of models.

Towner, Robert L.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Lightning Jump Algorithm and Relation to Thunderstorm Cell Tracking, GLM Proxy and Other Meteorological Measurements

The lightning jump algorithm has a robust history in correlating upward trends in lightning to severe and hazardous weather occurrence. The algorithm uses the correlation between the physical principles that govern an updraft's ability to produce microphysical and kinematic conditions conducive for electrification and its role in the development of severe weather conditions. Recent work has demonstrated that the lightning jump algorithm concept holds significant promise in the operational realm, aiding in the identification of thunderstorms that have potential to produce severe or hazardous weather. However, a large amount of work still needs to be completed in spite of these positive results. The total lightning jump algorithm is not a stand-alone concept that can be used independent of other meteorological measurements, parameters, and techniques. For example, the algorithm is highly dependent upon thunderstorm tracking to build lightning histories on convective cells. Current tracking methods show that thunderstorm cell tracking is most reliable and cell histories are most accurate when radar information is incorporated with lightning data. In the absence of radar data, the cell tracking is a bit less reliable but the value added by the lightning information is much greater. For optimal application, the algorithm should be integrated with other measurements that assess storm scale properties (e.g., satellite, radar). Therefore, the recent focus of this research effort has been assessing the lightning jump's relation to thunderstorm tracking, meteorological parameters, and its potential uses in operational meteorology. Furthermore, the algorithm must be tailored for the optically-based GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), as what has been observed using Very High Frequency Lightning Mapping Array (VHF LMA) measurements will not exactly translate to what will be observed by GLM due to resolution and other instrument differences. Herein, we present some of the promising aspects and challenges encountered in utilizing objective tracking and GLM proxy data, as well as recent results that demonstrate the value added information gained by combining the lightning jump concept with traditional meteorological measurements.

Schultz, Christopher J.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Visual Target Tracking in the Presence of Unknown Observer Motion

Much attention has been given to the visual tracking problem due to its obvious uses in military surveillance. However, visual tracking is complicated by the presence of motion of the observer in addition to the target motion, especially when the image changes caused by the observer motion are large compared to those caused by the target motion. Techniques for estimating the motion of the observer based on image registration techniques and Kalman filtering are presented and simulated. With the effects of the observer motion removed, an additional phase is implemented to track individual targets. This tracking method is demonstrated on an image stream from a buoy-mounted or periscope-mounted camera, where large inter-frame displacements are present due to the wave action on the camera. This system has been shown to be effective at tracking and predicting the global position of a planar vehicle (boat) being observed from a single, out-of-plane camera. Finally, the tracking system has been extended to a multi-target scenario.

image mosaic↗

NASA NTRS2015

Integrated Ultra-Wideband Tracking and Carbon Dioxide Sensing System Design for International Space Station Applications

A three-dimensional (3D) Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Time-of-Arrival (TOA) tracking system has been studied at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) to provide the tracking capability inside the International Space Station (ISS) modules for various applications. One of applications is to locate and report the location where crew experienced possible high level of carbon-dioxide (CO2) and felt upset. Recent findings indicate that frequent, short-term crew exposure to elevated CO2 levels combined with other physiological impacts of microgravity may lead to a number of detrimental effects, including loss of vision. To evaluate the risks associated with transient elevated CO2 levels and design effective countermeasures, doctors must have access to frequent CO2 measurements in the immediate vicinity of individual crew members along with simultaneous measurements of their location in the space environment. To achieve this goal, a small, low-power, wearable system that integrates an accurate CO2 sensor with an ultra-wideband (UWB) radio capable of real-time location estimation and data communication is proposed. This system would be worn by crew members or mounted on a free-flyer and would automatically gather and transmit sampled sensor data tagged with real-time, high-resolution location information. Under the current proposed effort, a breadboard prototype of such a system has been developed. Although the initial effort is targeted to CO2 monitoring, the concept is applicable to other types of sensors. For the initial effort, a micro-controller is leveraged to integrate a low-power CO2 sensor with a commercially available UWB radio system with ranging capability. In order to accurately locate those places in a multipath intensive environment like ISS modules, it requires a robust real-time location system (RTLS) which can provide the required accuracy and update rate. A 3D UWB TOA tracking system with two-way ranging has been proposed and studied. The designed system will be tested in the Wireless Habitat Testbed which simulates the ISS module environment. This report describes the research and development effort for this prototype integrated UWB tracking and CO2 sensing system. The remainder of the report is organized as follows. In Section II, the TOA tracking methodology is introduced and the 3D tracking algorithm is derived. The simulation results are discussed in Section III. In Section VI, prototype system design and field tests are discussed. Some concluding remarks and future works are presented in Section V.

Ni, Jianjun (David)↗

NASA NTRS2015

Small Orbital Stereo Tracking Camera Technology Development

On-Orbit Small Debris Tracking and Characterization is a technical gap in the current National Space Situational Awareness necessary to safeguard orbital assets and crew. This poses a major risk of MOD damage to ISS and Exploration vehicles. In 2015 this technology was added to NASA's Office of Chief Technologist roadmap. For missions flying in or assembled in or staging from LEO, the physical threat to vehicle and crew is needed in order to properly design the proper level of MOD impact shielding and proper mission design restrictions. Need to verify debris flux and size population versus ground RADAR tracking. Use of ISS for In-Situ Orbital Debris Tracking development provides attitude, power, data and orbital access without a dedicated spacecraft or restricted operations on-board a host vehicle as a secondary payload. Sensor Applicable to in-situ measuring orbital debris in flux and population in other orbits or on other vehicles. Could enhance safety on and around ISS. Some technologies extensible to monitoring of extraterrestrial debris as well to help accomplish this, new technologies must be developed quickly. The Small Orbital Stereo Tracking Camera is one such up and coming technology. It consists of flying a pair of intensified megapixel telephoto cameras to evaluate Orbital Debris (OD) monitoring in proximity of International Space Station. It will demonstrate on-orbit optical tracking (in situ) of various sized objects versus ground RADAR tracking and small OD models. The cameras are based on Flight Proven Advanced Video Guidance Sensor pixel to spot algorithms (Orbital Express) and military targeting cameras. And by using twin cameras we can provide Stereo images for ranging & mission redundancy. When pointed into the orbital velocity vector (RAM), objects approaching or near the stereo camera set can be differentiated from the stars moving upward in background.

Bryan, Tom↗

NASA NTRS2016

Small Orbital Stereo Tracking Camera Technology Development

On-Orbit Small Debris Tracking and Characterization is a technical gap in the current National Space Situational Awareness necessary to safeguard orbital assets and crew. This poses a major risk of MOD damage to ISS and Exploration vehicles. In 2015 this technology was added to NASA's Office of Chief Technologist roadmap. For missions flying in or assembled in or staging from LEO, the physical threat to vehicle and crew is needed in order to properly design the proper level of MOD impact shielding and proper mission design restrictions. Need to verify debris flux and size population versus ground RADAR tracking. Use of ISS for In-Situ Orbital Debris Tracking development provides attitude, power, data and orbital access without a dedicated spacecraft or restricted operations on-board a host vehicle as a secondary payload. Sensor Applicable to in-situ measuring orbital debris in flux and population in other orbits or on other vehicles. Could enhance safety on and around ISS. Some technologies extensible to monitoring of extraterrestrial debris as well To help accomplish this, new technologies must be developed quickly. The Small Orbital Stereo Tracking Camera is one such up and coming technology. It consists of flying a pair of intensified megapixel telephoto cameras to evaluate Orbital Debris (OD) monitoring in proximity of International Space Station. It will demonstrate on-orbit optical tracking (in situ) of various sized objects versus ground RADAR tracking and small OD models. The cameras are based on Flight Proven Advanced Video Guidance Sensor pixel to spot algorithms (Orbital Express) and military targeting cameras. And by using twin cameras we can provide Stereo images for ranging & mission redundancy. When pointed into the orbital velocity vector (RAM), objects approaching or near the stereo camera set can be differentiated from the stars moving upward in background.

Bryan, Tom↗

NASA NTRS2017

Ultra-Stable Spectrometer for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research (5STAR)

The Spectrometer for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research (4STAR) combines airborne sun tracking and sky scanning with diffraction spectroscopy to improve knowledge of atmospheric constituents and their links to airpollution and climate. Direct beam hyperspectral measurement of optical depth improves retrievals of gas constituentsand determination of aerosol properties. Sky scanning enhances retrievals of aerosol type and size distribution.Hyperspectral cloud-transmitted radiance measurements enable the retrieval of cloud properties from below clouds.These measurements tighten the closure between satellite and ground-based measurements. 4STAR incorporates amodular sun-tracking sky-scanning optical head with optical fiber signal transmission to rack mounted spectrometers,permitting miniaturization of the external optical tracking head, and future detector evolution.4STAR has supported a broad range of flight experiments since it was first flown in 2010. This experience provides thebasis for a series of improvements directed toward reducing measurement uncertainty and calibration complexity, andexpanding future measurement capabilities, to be incorporated into a new 5STAR instrument. A 9-channel photodioderadiometer with AERONET-matched bandpass filters will be incorporated to improve calibration stability. A wide dynamic range tracking camera will provide a high precision solar position tracking signal as well as an image of sky conditions around the solar axis. An ultrasonic window cleaning system design will be tested. A UV spectrometer tailored for formaldehyde and SO2 gas retrievals will be added to the spectrometer enclosure. Finally, expansion capability for a 4 channel polarized radiometer to measure the Stokes polarization vector of sky light will be incorporated. This paper presents initial progress on this next-generation 5STAR instrument.

atmosphere↗

NASA NTRS2020

ICESat-2 Tracking App for Public Engagement

Information regarding the predicted ground tracks of Earth observing satellites is typically difficult to find and understand for the general public. This paper will describe and demonstrate an iOS mobile application for tracking NASA’s ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite 2), making it easier for users to see exactly when the satellite will be passing over any location in the world. ICESat-2, launched in 2018, uses green lasers to track elevation changes in polar ice and indirectly measure trees, land, and water, providing a precise height map of our planet. Most satellite tracking mobile apps display information about where a specific satellite is at that given moment and when it will be passing over the user’s location in the near future. ICESat-2 the app differs by allowing users to search for data about the satellite’s future flybys relative to a specific search location and radius that they get to choose. The search results include points up to three months into the future. By supplying user-centric results, users are provided relevant data in an easy-to- access manner. Additionally, this data is very clear to visualize in-app through maps, pins, and ground track lines. This becomes an incredibly useful tool not only to plan an observation of the satellite as it passes, but also for knowing when elevation data for a specific area will be available. In addition, this flyby information helps students and citizen scientists take more valuable tree height measurements to better validate the elevation data collected by the satellite. To achieve this outreach product, three key components were developed. These include a Python script to simplify the raw ground track data, a Node.js server that actively takes requests, and the iOS app itself. From initial beta tests, it has been noted that providing users with a map for visual awareness of search radius and result coordinates gives them a more comprehensive understanding of the data. Overall, by cleaning the raw data and making it available in a much more accessible and easier to understand way, ICESat-2 the app has exceeded expectations in providing educational and exciting data for all.

Harbeck, Kaitlin↗

DOE OSTI2025

Sharp front tracking with geometric interface reconstruction

Here, this paper presents a novel sharp front-tracking method designed to address limitations in classical front-tracking approaches, specifically their reliance on smooth interpolation kernels and extended stencils for coupling the front and fluid mesh. In contrast, the proposed method employs exclusively sharp, localized interpolation and spreading kernels, restricting the coupling to the interfacial fluid cells–those containing the interface/front. This localized coupling is achieved by integrating a divergence-preserving velocity interpolation method with a piecewise parabolic interface calculation (PPIC) and a polyhedron intersection algorithm to compute the indicator function and local interface curvature. Surface tension is computed using the Continuum Surface Force (CSF) method, maintaining consistency with the sharp representation. Additionally, we propose an efficient local roughness smoothing implementation to account for surface mesh undulations, which is easily applicable to any triangulated surface mesh. Building on our previous work, the primary innovation of this study lies in the localization of the coupling for both the indicator function and surface tension calculations. By reducing the interface thickness on the fluid mesh to a single cell, as opposed to the 4–5 cell spans typical in classical methods, the proposed sharp front-tracking method achieves a highly localized and accurate representation of the interface. This sharper representation mitigates parasitic currents and improves force balancing, making it particularly suitable for scenarios where the interface plays a critical role, such as microfluidics, fluid-fluid interactions, and fluid-structure interactions. The proposed method is comprehensively validated and tested on canonical interfacial flow problems, including stationary and translating Laplace equilibria, oscillating droplets, and rising bubbles. The presented results demonstrate that the sharp front-tracking method significantly outperforms the classical approach in terms of accuracy, stability, and computational efficiency. Notably, parasitic currents are reduced by approximately two orders of magnitude and stable results are obtained for parameter ranges where classical front tracking fails to converge.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Eye-Tracking Analysis from a Flight-Director-Use and Pilot-Monitoring Study

Eye tracking may be a useful tool to investigate pilot monitoring and develop and conduct training. There is increased interest from airlines to use eye-tracking technologies in flight simulators. However, much is still unknown about how to best utilize eye-tracking data in pilot training. This paper presents eye-tracking results from a pilot-monitoring training study with 19 pilots. All pilots completed 15 monitoring challenges across four operational scenarios in a B737-700 full flight simulator. In addition, the study investigated the impact of having the flight director engaged or disengaged on the pilot monitoring side in the final approach. It was hypothesized that pilots would focus less on the primary flight display with the flight director off and look more around in the cockpit. To assess this, pilots performed half of the scenarios with the flight director on and half with the flight director off. However, pilots monitoring tended to look less at the primary flight display with the flight director on as indicated by lower Proportion Dwell Times, contrary to the hypothesis. Next, eye-tracking data were analyzed from two monitoring challenges involving waypoint restrictions and two involving extending the flaps at appropriate airspeeds. Pilots that successfully completed the challenges appeared to focus more on areas of interest that contained the most relevant information to successfully complete the challenge. In addition, successful pilots seemed to adapt their monitoring strategy more to the challenge at hand as observed by a distinct shift in focus on either the primary flight display or the navigation display depending on the challenge. Our findings suggest the importance of flexible gaze allocation across specific situations and raise the question whether and to what degree prespecified patterns of eye fixation can be identified and trained.

eye tracking↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Eye-Tracking Analysis from a Flight-Director-Use and Pilot-Monitoring Study

eye tracking↗

NASA NTRS2022

Characterization of Infrared Optical Motion Tracking System in NASA's Simulated Lunar Operations (SLOPE) Laboratory

This work characterizes the accuracy of a 16 camera OptiTrack motion tracking system installed in NASA Glenn Research Center's Simulated Lunar Operations (SLOPE) laboratory. The position of a rigid body mounted on a motorized linear stage is compared to its position reported by the motion tracking system as it travels through the facility's 777m$^3$ capture volume of interest. Experiments show that the mean error reported by the motion tracking system for the aggregate capture volume is in-line with independent measurements collected using the motion stage. Error within regions of the capture volume exceed the mean error reported by the motion tracking system, likely due to occlusion, and suggests that additional cameras should be used to increase measurement accuracy in these regions. Overall, results show that error values reported by the motion tracking system are representative of the measurement error in a collected data set and validates the system's use for characterizing the mobility and tractive performance of robots, rovers, and other vehicles for planetary exploration.

Motion capture↗

NASA NTRS2022

Global Reduction in Ship-tracks from Sulfur Regulations for Shipping Fuel

Ship-tracks are produced by ship-emitted aerosols interacting with low clouds. Here, we apply deep learning models on satellite data to produce the first global climatology map of ship-tracks. We show that ship-tracks are at the nexus of cloud physics, maritime shipping, and fuel regulation. Our map captures major shipping lanes while missing others because of background conditions. Ship-track frequency is more than 10 times higher than a previous survey, and its interannual fluctuations reflect variations in cross-ocean trade, shipping activity, and fuel regulations. Fuel regulation can alter both detected frequency and shipping routes due to cost. The 2020 fuel regulation, together with the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, reduced ship-track frequency to its lowest level in recent decades across the globe and may have ushered in an era of low frequency. The regulation reduces the aerosol indirect forcing from ship emissions by 46% or between 0.02 and 0.27 W m −2 given its current estimates.

ship tracks↗