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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 19 records

When the Eyes Don't Have It: Autonomous Control of Deep Space Vehicles for Human Spaceflight

NASA has been charged with expanding human presence into the solar system. The next phase of exploration will focus on learning how to develop and sustain habitats on the moon for eventual missions to Mars. The Gateway Lunar Orbiting Platform (G-LOP) is a modular spacecraft being built for cis-lunar orbit and offers a true deep space environment for gaining experience for human missions to Mars. The mission concept for Gateway involves long uncrewed periods between missions; therefore, Gateway requires increased self-reliance to separate the spacecraft from Earth-bound control and oversight. This complicates the human-in-the-loop (HITL) concept and requires major adjustments to the traditional automation human-computer interaction paradigm. This paper discusses the design, development, and verification of complex human-computer interactions with the autonomous systems managers which will control the Gateway spacecraft.

Julia M. Badger↗

Towards Autonomous Operations of the Robonaut 2 Humanoid Robotic Testbed

The Robonaut project has been conducting research in robotics technology on board the International Space Station (ISS) since 2012. Recently, the original upper body humanoid robot was upgraded by the addition of two climbing manipulators ("legs"), more capable processors, and new sensors, as shown in Figure 1. While Robonaut 2 (R2) has been working through checkout exercises on orbit following the upgrade, technology development on the ground has continued to advance. Through the Active Reduced Gravity Offload System (ARGOS), the Robonaut team has been able to develop technologies that will enable full operation of the robotic testbed on orbit using similar robots located at the Johnson Space Center. Once these technologies have been vetted in this way, they will be implemented and tested on the R2 unit on board the ISS. The goal of this work is to create a fully-featured robotics research platform on board the ISS to increase the technology readiness level of technologies that will aid in future exploration missions. Technology development has thus far followed two main paths, autonomous climbing and efficient tool manipulation. Central to both technologies has been the incorporation of a human robotic interaction paradigm that involves the visualization of sensory and pre-planned command data with models of the robot and its environment. Figure 2 shows screenshots of these interactive tools, built in rviz, that are used to develop and implement these technologies on R2. Robonaut 2 is designed to move along the handrails and seat track around the US lab inside the ISS. This is difficult for many reasons, namely the environment is cluttered and constrained, the robot has many degrees of freedom (DOF) it can utilize for climbing, and remote commanding for precision tasks such as grasping handrails is time-consuming and difficult. Because of this, it is important to develop the technologies needed to allow the robot to reach operator-specified positions as autonomously as possible. The most important progress in this area has been the work towards efficient path planning for high DOF, highly constrained systems. Other advances include machine vision algorithms for localizing and automatically docking with handrails, the ability of the operator to place obstacles in the robot's virtual environment, autonomous obstacle avoidance techniques, and constraint management.

Badger, Julia↗

Modeling the performance of the human (pilot) interaction in a synthetic flight domain: Information theoretic approach

Current advances in computing technology are devoid of formal methods that describe the theories of how information is shared between humans and machines. Specifically, in the domain of human-machine interaction, a common mathematical foundation is lacking. The aim of this paper is to propose a formal method of human-machine (H-M) interaction paradigm from the information view point. The methods presented are interpretation- and context-free and can be used both in experimental analysis as well as in modeling problems.

Ntuen, Celestine A.↗

Towards an Improved Pilot-Vehicle Interface for Highly Automated Aircraft: Evaluation of the Haptic Flight Control System

The control automation and interaction paradigm (e.g., manual, autopilot, flight management system) used on virtually all large highly automated aircraft has long been an exemplar of breakdowns in human factors and human-centered design. An alternative paradigm is the Haptic Flight Control System (HFCS) that is part of NASA Langley Research Center s Naturalistic Flight Deck Concept. The HFCS uses only stick and throttle for easily and intuitively controlling the actual flight of the aircraft without losing any of the efficiency and operational benefits of the current paradigm. Initial prototypes of the HFCS are being evaluated and this paper describes one such evaluation. In this evaluation we examined claims regarding improved situation awareness, appropriate workload, graceful degradation, and improved pilot acceptance. Twenty-four instrument-rated pilots were instructed to plan and fly four different flights in a fictitious airspace using a moderate fidelity desktop simulation. Three different flight control paradigms were tested: Manual control, Full Automation control, and a simplified version of the HFCS. Dependent variables included both subjective (questionnaire) and objective (SAGAT) measures of situation awareness, workload (NASA-TLX), secondary task performance, time to recognize automation failures, and pilot preference (questionnaire). The results showed a statistically significant advantage for the HFCS in a number of measures. Results that were not statistically significant still favored the HFCS. The results suggest that the HFCS does offer an attractive and viable alternative to the tactical components of today s FMS/autopilot control system. The paper describes further studies that are planned to continue to evaluate the HFCS.

Schutte, Paul↗

Enabling Advanced Air Mobility Operations through Appropriate Trust in Human-Autonomy Teaming: Foundational Research Approaches and Applications

Emerging Advanced Air Mobility(AAM)operations will be enabled by increasingly autonomous systems, requiring technologies to take on more responsibilities and fundamentally altering traditional human-automation interaction paradigms. The growing reliance on higher levels of automation will necessitate research to identify capabilities and principles that facilitate humans and machines working and thinking better together, i.e., human-autonomy teaming (HAT). Trust is an inherent requirement in effective teams because when members work interdependently, those agents (human, automation) must be willing to accept a level of risk to rely upon each other to reach goals and contribute to team tasks. This work provides an initial approach to enabling AAM operations through appropriate trust within HAT. The main contributions of this approach resides in connecting the construct of trust to mental models. Using the outlined mental model approach, we propose novel HAT strategies, such as Adaptive Trust Calibration, and preview planned research activities derived from this approach. Additionally, we propose several practical applications that can currently be employed by AAM development communities.

Eric T Chancey↗

Examining the Changing Roles and Responsibilities of Humans in Envisioned Future In-Time Aviation Safety Management Systems

Advances in technology are enabling new concepts of operations that will trans-form aviation including increasingly autonomous capabilities to handle evolving complex dynamic ecosystems like those associated with Advanced Aerial Mobility. A major challenge is how to ensure today’s safety levels are maintained as the system scales for rapid detection and timely mitigation of safety issues. NASA has developed a concept of operation for In-Time Aviation Safety Management Systems (IASMS) that represents a system-of-system perspective on interconnected capabilities needed to proactively reduce risk in complex operational environments where unknown hazards may exist. As a result, NASA research priorities include under-standing how the balance between humans and automation changes in such envisioned systems, which may lead to novel human-machine interaction paradigms and human-autonomy teaming for informed contingency management.

Lawrence Prinzel↗

The homunculus of Eta Carinae: An interacting stellar winds paradigm

We simulate the origin and evolution of the bipolar nebula surrounding Eta Car using numerical two-dimensional gasdynamic models. The generalized interacting stellar winds scenario, wherein a stellar wind interacts with an aspherical circumstellar environment, is adopted. The eruption wind of 1840-1860, which is taken to be spherically symmetric, interacts with a preeruption toroidal density environment. Using reasonable assumptions of initial conditions and eruption parameters based on archival data, we have performed over 30 simulations in an effort to bracket the initial parameters which produce models that best match observations. We find that models with high pole-to-equator density contrasts (greater than 100) and toroidal density configurations nicely account for the observed morphology and kinematics of the homunculus.

Frank, Adam↗

Interactive and cooperative sensing and control for advanced teleoperation

This paper presents the paradigm of interactive and cooperative sensing and control as a fundamental mechanism of integrating and fusing the strengths of man and machine for advanced teleoperation. The interactive and cooperative sensing and control is considered as an extended and generalized form of traded and shared control. The emphasis of interactive and cooperative sensing and control is given to the distribution of mutually nonexclusive subtasks to man and machine, the interactive invocation of subtasks under the man/machine symbiotic relationship, and the fusion of information and decisionmaking between man and machine according to their confidence measures. The proposed interactive and cooperative sensing and control system is composed of such major functional blocks as the logical sensor system, the sensor-based local autonomy, the virtual environment formation, and the cooperative decision-making between man and machine. The Sensing-Knowledge-Command (SKC) fusion network is proposed as a fundamental architecture for implementing cooperative and interactive sensing and control. Simulation results are shown.

Lee, Sukhan↗

Interactive and cooperative sensing and control for advanced teleoperation

This paper presents the paradigm of interactive and cooperative sensing and control as a fundamental mechanism of integrating and fusing the strengths of man and machine for advanced teleoperation. The interactive and cooperative sensing and control is considered as an extended and generalized form of traded and shared control. The emphasis of interactive and cooperative sensing and control is given to the distribution of mutually nonexclusive subtasks to man and machine, the interactive invocation of subtasks under the man/machine symbiotic relationship, and the fusion of information and decision-making between man and machine according to their confidence measures. The proposed interactive and cooperative sensing and control system is composed of such major functional blocks as the logical sensor system, the sensor-based local autonomy, the virtual environment formation, and the cooperative decision-making between man and machine. A case study is performed to demonstrate the feasibility of implementing the fundamental theory and system architecture of interactive and cooperative sensing and control, proposed for the new generation of teleoperation.

Lee, Sukhan↗

Intelligent sensing and control for advanced teleoperation

A theoretical framework is presented for a 'sensing-knowledge command-fusion' paradigm of interactive and cooperative sensing and control in advanced teleoperators, which takes advantage of both current and projected robotic dexterousness and sensor-based autonomy capabilities. Attention is given to (1) a method for the achievement of a sensing-knowledge-command computational mechanism that implements the intended cooperative/interactive system, and (2) the system architecture and man/machine-interface protocols entailed by this implementation.

Lee, Sukhan↗

EnDEVR: An Environment for Data Engineering in VR

Organizations within the public and private sectors are looking to improve their data science operations for research, development, and operational purposes. As this interest in data science grows, so too does interest in tools and programs that facilitating such operations. This paper presents EnDEVR, the Environment for Data Engineering in Virtual Reality, a user-extensible system that allows for the execution of custom data science functions. We describe the user-centered design process for the EnDEVR system, based on the needs of subject matter experts within the aerospace and aviation industries. Fundamental to this design is a method for users to integrate their existing analysis code (that may leverage third-party vendors) as usable objects in the virtual environment; this allows organizations to operate without the price tag and lifetime obligations associated with commercial data science toolkits, a concept known as “vendor lock-in”. We then present our system design with iterative implementations, and conclude with lessons learned. The presented work may provide insight into future user-centered design processes for VR applications, particularly for digital transformation stakeholders to circumvent vendor lock-in.

Human-centered computing↗

Evaluation of a Remote Data Collection Method to Study Human-Automation Interaction and Workload

Introduction - Paradigm shift from one operator supervising a single vehicle, to an operator supervising multiple highly automated vehicles (One-to-Many) - One-to-Many application - Search and Rescue - Foraging - Military ops - Etc. - Calibrated trust in automation enables human operators to effectively manage highly automated vehicles - Past studies show that trust mediates relationship between reliability and dependence (Chancey et al., 2017; Chancey et al., 2015) - Future studies needed to further understand relationship

trust↗

A Formal Approach to Domain-Oriented Software Design Environments

This paper describes a formal approach to domain-oriented software design environments, based on declarative domain theories, formal specifications, and deductive program synthesis. A declarative domain theory defines the semantics of a domain-oriented specification language and its relationship to implementation-level subroutines. Formal specification development and reuse is made accessible to end-users through an intuitive graphical interface that guides them in creating diagrams denoting formal specifications. The diagrams also serve to document the specifications. Deductive program synthesis ensures that end-user specifications are correctly implemented. AMPHION has been applied to the domain of solar system kinematics through the development of a declarative domain theory, which includes an axiomatization of JPL's SPICELIB subroutine library. Testing over six months with planetary scientists indicates that AMPHION's interactive specification acquisition paradigm enables users to develop, modify, and reuse specifications at least an order of magnitude more rapidly than manual program development. Furthermore, AMPHION synthesizes one to two page programs consisting of calls to SPICELIB subroutines from these specifications in just a few minutes. Test results obtained by metering AMPHION's deductive program synthesis component are examined. AMPHION has been installed at JPL and is currently undergoing further refinement in preparation for distribution to hundreds of SPICELIB users worldwide. Current work to support end-user customization of AMPHION's specification acquisition subsystem is briefly discussed, as well as future work to enable domain-expert creation of new AMPHION applications through development of suitable domain theories.

Lowry, Michael↗

User Interface Technology for Formal Specification Development

Formal specification development and modification are an essential component of the knowledge-based software life cycle. User interface technology is needed to empower end-users to create their own formal specifications. This paper describes the advanced user interface for AMPHION1 a knowledge-based software engineering system that targets scientific subroutine libraries. AMPHION is a generic, domain-independent architecture that is specialized to an application domain through a declarative domain theory. Formal specification development and reuse is made accessible to end-users through an intuitive graphical interface that provides semantic guidance in creating diagrams denoting formal specifications in an application domain. The diagrams also serve to document the specifications. Automatic deductive program synthesis ensures that end-user specifications are correctly implemented. The tables that drive AMPHION's user interface are automatically compiled from a domain theory; portions of the interface can be customized by the end-user. The user interface facilitates formal specification development by hiding syntactic details, such as logical notation. It also turns some of the barriers for end-user specification development associated with strongly typed formal languages into active sources of guidance, without restricting advanced users. The interface is especially suited for specification modification. AMPHION has been applied to the domain of solar system kinematics through the development of a declarative domain theory. Testing over six months with planetary scientists indicates that AMPHION's interactive specification acquisition paradigm enables users to develop, modify, and reuse specifications at least an order of magnitude more rapidly than manual program development.

Lowry, Michael↗

Presence Personalization and Persistence: A New Approach to Building Archives to Support Collaborative Research

We discuss approaches to building archives that support the way most science is done. Today research is done in formal teams and informal groups. However our on-line services are designed to work with a single user. We have begun prototyping a new approach to building archives in which support for collaborative research is built in from the start. We organize the discussion along three elements that we believe to be necessary for effective support: We must enable user presence in the archive environment; users must be able to interact. Users must be able to personalize the environment, adding data and capabilities useful to themselves and their team. These changes must be persistent: subsequent sessions must be able to build upon previous sessions. In building the archive we see the large multi-player interactive games as a paradigm of how this approach can work. These three 'P's are essential in gaming as well and we shall use insights from the gaming world and virtual reality systems like Second Life in our prototype.

McGlynn, Thomas A.↗

Identifying Human Errors and Error Mechanisms From Accident Reports Using Large Language Models

Emerging operational concepts for aviation hinge on novel paradigms for human machine interaction. Critical to their safe operation is early consideration of human error into the design process. Existing methods for consideration of human error require significant expert input, which is challenging both in early design and in novel systems for which there is little existing safety expertise. In this research, we propose a methodology for identifying human error, error producing factors, and mechanisms in early design from historical incident reports. Additionally, we hypothesize that cross-domain sharing of lessons learned can aid with early design human considerations in circumstances where data is not relevant or incomplete. This is addressed by identifying causes of human error in aviation and railway domains through applying state-of-the art natural language processing techniques to historical incident reports. Using this method, it is possible to extract extensive reports on human error from past incidents. Using the proposed approach, we identify nine human errors from railway reports and fourteen from aviation reports, with three errors common to both domains. There is at least one error producing conditions for each human error while a majority of the errors have more than one error mechanism. We also found that a majority of the human errors, error producing factors, and error mechanisms (even if they are not common between the domains) can be used to inform safe operations across domains as long as the errors are not domain specific and are interpreted and contextualized using engineering judgement.

Human Errors↗

An information driven strategy to support multidisciplinary design

The design of complex engineering systems such as aircraft, automobiles, and computers is primarily a cooperative multidisciplinary design process involving interactions between several design agents. The common thread underlying this multidisciplinary design activity is the information exchange between the various groups and disciplines. The integrating component in such environments is the common data and the dependencies that exist between such data. This may be contrasted to classical multidisciplinary analyses problems where there is coupling between distinct design parameters. For example, they may be expressed as mathematically coupled relationships between aerodynamic and structural interactions in aircraft structures, between thermal and structural interactions in nuclear plants, and between control considerations and structural interactions in flexible robots. These relationships provide analytical based frameworks leading to optimization problem formulations. However, in multidisciplinary design problems, information based interactions become more critical. Many times, the relationships between different design parameters are not amenable to analytical characterization. Under such circumstances, information based interactions will provide the best integration paradigm, i.e., there is a need to model the data entities and their dependencies between design parameters originating from different design agents. The modeling of such data interactions and dependencies forms the basis for integrating the various design agents.

Rangan, Ravi M.↗