Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Mcfarland, Robert Z..
An evaluation is made of the application of novel, AI-capabilities-related technologies to aerospace systems. Attention is given to expert-system shells for Space Shuttle Orbiter mission control, manpower and processing cost reductions at the NASA Kennedy Space Center's 'firing rooms' for liftoff monitoring, the automation of planetary exploration systems such as semiautonomous mobile robots, and AI for battlefield staff-related functions.
The Real Time Data System (RTDS) Project was undertaken in 1987 to introduce new concepts and technologies for advanced automation into the Mission Control Center environment at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The project's emphasis is on producing advanced near-operational prototype systems that are developed using a rapid, interactive method and are used by flight controllers during actual Shuttle missions. In most cases the prototype applications have been of such quality and utility that they have been converted to production status. A key ingredient has been an integrated team of software engineers and flight controllers working together to quickly evolve the demonstration systems.
In 1987, NASA-Johnson's Mission-Control Center (MCC) undertook the incorporation of novel concepts and technologies for advanced automation, collectively designated the Real Time Data System, emphasizing the achievement of advanced, near-operational systems by means of a rapid interactive method. In the majority of cases, the applications have been of such high quality and usefulness that they have been promoted to operational status. A key factor in this swift implementation has been the MCC's integrated team of software engineers and flight controllers.
A distributed system of proprietary engineering-class workstations is incorporated into NASA's Space Shuttle Mission-Control Center to increase the automation of mission control. The Real-Time Data System (RTDS) allows the operator to utilize expert knowledge in the display program for system modeling and evaluation. RTDS applications are reviewed including: (1) telemetry-animated communications schematics; (2) workstation displays of systems such as the Space Shuttle remote manipulator; and (3) a workstation emulation of shuttle flight instrumentation. The hard and soft real-time constraints are described including computer data acquisition, and the support techniques for the real-time expert systems include major frame buffers for logging and distribution as well as noise filtering. The incorporation of the workstations allows smaller programming teams to implement real-time telemetry systems that can improve operations and flight testing.
The development of two real-time expert systems for making flight-critical decisions during Space Shuttle missions is discussed. The expert systems, which monitor Space Shuttle communications and the Shuttle main engines, were first used in the STS-26 mission. The NASA Mission Control Center information systems are described. Consideration is given to the use of the C language inference production system expert system tool to develop the integrated communications officer (INCO) expert system, which monitors the Shuttle communications and data systems. The layered architecture of the INCO expert system is examined and results are presented from the use of the INCO expert system during Shuttle missions.