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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

Vehicle Steering control: A model of learning

A hierarchy of strategies were postulated to describe the process of learning steering control. Vehicle motion and steering control data were recorded for twelve novices who drove an instrumented car twice a week during and after a driver training course. Car-driver describing functions were calculated, the probable control structure determined, and the driver-alone transfer function modelled. The data suggested that the largest changes in steering control with learning were in the way the driver used the lateral position cue.

Smiley, A.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Reduced mental capacity and behavior of a rider of a bicycle simulator under alcohol stress or under dual task load

Experiments were carried out on a bicycle simulator with alcohol administration and a binary choice task in separate sessions, intending to reduce the subject's mental capacity. Before and after such sessions a visual evoked response measurement was done. The subject's performance was analyzed with describing function techniques. The results indicate that the alcohol affects the course-following task as well as the balancing task. The binary choice task is more specifically influencing the course-following task. The dual task shows a more pronounced effect on the recovery of the evoked response. The alcohol is delaying the recovery curve of the evoked response. A tentative explanation can be given which agrees with the performance data.

Soede, M.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Driver steering dynamics measured in car simulator under a range of visibility and roadmaking conditions

A simulation experiment was conducted to determine the effect of reduced visibility on driver lateral (steering) control. The simulator included a real car cab and a single lane road image projected on a screen six feet in front of the driver. Simulated equations of motion controlled apparent car lane position in response to driver steering actions, wind gusts, and road curvature. Six drivers experienced a range of visibility conditions at various speeds with assorted roadmaking configurations (mark and gap lengths). Driver describing functions were measured and detailed parametric model fits were determined. A pursuit model employing a road curvature feedforward was very effective in explaining driver behavior in following randomly curving roads. Sampled-data concepts were also effective in explaining the combined effects of reduced visibility and intermittent road markings on the driver's dynamic time delay. The results indicate the relative importance of various perceptual variables as the visual input to the driver's steering control process is changed.

Allen, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Motion cue effects on human pilot dynamics in manual control

Two experiments were conducted to study the motion cue effects on human pilots during tracking tasks. The moving-base simulator of National Aerospace Laboratory was employed as the motion cue device, and the attitude director indicator or the projected visual field was employed as the visual cue device. The chosen controlled elements were second-order unstable systems. It was confirmed that with the aid of motion cues the pilot workload was lessened and consequently the human controllability limits were enlarged. In order to clarify the mechanism of these effects, the describing functions of the human pilots were identified by making use of the spectral and the time domain analyses. The results of these analyses suggest that the sensory system of the motion cues can yield the differential informations of the signal effectively, which coincides with the existing knowledges in the physiological area.

Washizu, K.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Evaluation of the effect of elastic joints on the auto-oscillation of spacecraft with gas-reactive direction systems

A mathematical model was obtained, on the basis of the method of mixed coordinates, of a generalized flexible spacecraft at one end of which was appended the directive action of a system of gas reactive nozzles. Various structural forms were obtained functionally describing flexible spacecraft, as systems consisting of a solid central body with flexible structural elements joined to it.

Sasin, G. G.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Space Shuttle utilization of TDRSS services

This paper provides a general description of how the tracking and data relay satellite system (TDRSS) will be utilized by the Space Shuttle. The design approaches which were necessitated for both the Shuttle S-band and Ku-band subsystems are functionally described, and current performance estimates are summarized for each communications link. The operational advantages and disadvantages of TDRSS to Shuttle are briefly considered, and both the technical and operational problem areas which have been identified to date are described.

Batson, B. H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Payload data processing for the Space Shuttle program

The paper examines communications and data handling services that the Space Shuttle will provide for payloads and discusses mission and data processing capabilities. Uses of these capabilities are considered, and the Orbiter data processing system is described. Functional scientific data interfaces for attached payloads and functional system status data interfaces for attached payloads are indicated.

Batson, B. H.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Terrestrial solar arrays with integral glass construction

An excellent encapsulation system for a terrestrial solar array can be formed using two sheets of glass. Superior technical character, very low cost and simple assembly can result if the active components and the glass sheets are integrally bonded together such that the array is hermetically sealed without employing organic encapsulation materials. Such an approach is being developed using electrostatic bonding. Status of this development is described. Functioning integral glass test modules have been fabricated and subjected to environmental testing. Results have been excellent.

Younger, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A structural model of the adaptive human pilot

A compensatory tracking model of the human pilot is offered which attempts to provide a more realistic representation of the human's signal processing structure than that which is exhibited by pilot models currently in use. Two features of the model distinguish it from other representations of the human pilot. First, proprioceptive information from the control stick or manipulator constitutes one of the major feedback paths in the model, providing feedback of vehicle output rate due to control activity. Implicit in this feedback loop is a model of the vehicle dynamics which is valid in and beyond the region of crossover. Second, error-rate information is continuously derived and independently but intermittently controlled. An output injected remnant model is offered and qualitatively justified on the basis of providing a measure of the effect of inaccuracies such as time variations in the pilot's internal model of the controlled element dynamics. The data from experimental tracking tasks involving five different controlled element dynamics and one nonideal viewing condition were matched with model generated describing functions and remnant power spectral densities.

Hess, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

An adaptive-control switching buck regulator - Implementation, analysis, and design

Describing-function techniques and averaging methods have been employed to characterize a multiloop switching buck regulator by three functional blocks: power stage, analog signal processor, and pulse modulator. The model is employed to explore possible forms of pole-zero cancellation and the adaptive nature of the control to filter parameter changes. Analysis-based design guidelines are provided including a suggested additional RC-compensation loop to optimize regulator performances such as stability, audiosusceptibility, output impedance, and load transient response.

Lee, F. C.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Discrete event simulation and the resultant data storage system response in the operational mission environment of Jupiter-Saturn /Voyager/ spacecraft

The Data Storage Subsystem Simulator (DSSSIM) simulating (by ground software) occurrence of discrete events in the Voyager mission is described. Functional requirements for Data Storage Subsystems (DSS) simulation are discussed, and discrete event simulation/DSSSIM processing is covered. Four types of outputs associated with a typical DSSSIM run are presented, and DSSSIM limitations and constraints are outlined.

Mukhopadhyay, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Analysis and design of an adaptive multi-loop controlled two winding buck/boost regulator

Small signal low frequency linear average model is derived for a multi-loop controlled two-winding buck/boost converter employing average techniques and the describing function method. The model reveals that a well-designed multi-loop control can provide a second-order zero adaptive to output filter parameter changes due to component tolerances, temperature changes, aging, and the effect of duty cycle modulation. It also can provide stabilization effect by shifting the positive zero to the left-half S-plane. Design guidelines are formulated to optimize regulator-loop dependent characteristics.

Mahmoud, M. F.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Effects of displacement and rate saturation on the control of statically unstable aircraft

Methodologies are presented for the analysis and design of stability augmentation control laws for aircraft in which 'hard' displacement and rate limiting are significant. Candidate control laws are derived using the linear-quadratic (LQ) regulator. Analytical and computational estimates of the stability limits imposed by control saturation are presented using state trajectories with control limiting, as well as describing functions and eigenvalue computation. Analysis also includes an investigation of the interaction of the state-space saturation and stability boundaries for various choices of LQ weighting matrices. For minimum-energy control, the saturation and stability boundaries are shown to be parallel. In this case, there is a direct relation between the solution to the matrix Riccati equation and the aircraft's open-loop dynamics.

Hanson, G. D.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Visual/motion cue mismatch during a coordinated roll maneuver

The effect of a performance mismatch between the simulator visual and motion display systems on pilot performance while engaged in a compensatory tracking task, and the effect of a reduction in simulator motion scaling while maintaining constant visual scaling on pilot performance for this same task were investigated. A jet transport aircraft with motion in the roll and lateral simulator axes was used as a test vehicle for a computer simulation. The aircraft was disturbed by moderate levels of turbulence which resulted in flight path deviations in the roll and lateral axes. The task of the pilot was to maintain flight formation behind the aircraft in front of him as displayed by a video monitor located in the simulator cockpit. Experimental data consisting of pilot describing functions and pilot performance scores are presented and discussed as they relate to experimental evidence.

Shirachi, D. K.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Application of a pilot control strategy identification technique to a joint FAA/NASA ground-based simulation of head-up displays for CTOL aircraft

A technique for measuring a pilot's control strategy was developed, evaluated, and applied to a joint FAA-NASA ground-based simulation of two competing concepts of head-up displays for use in conventional takeoff and landing aircraft. The technique, called the Non-Intrusive Pilot Identification Program (NIPIP), estimates the pilot's input-output describing function and combined pilot-vehicle performance parameters such as crossover frequency and phase margin by using a time domain model of the pilot and a least-squares identification algorithm. NIPIP functions in realtime and uses a sliding time window to maintain freshness in the data; thus time-varying characteristics in the pilot's control strategy can be measured.

Jewell, W. F.↗
NASA NTRS1981

A comparison of tracking with visual and kinesthetic-tactual displays

Recent research on manual tracking with a kinesthetic-tactual (KT) display suggests that under appropriate conditions it may be an effective means of providing visual workload relief. In order to better understand how KT tracking differs from visual tracking, both a critical tracking task and stationary single-axis tracking tasks were conducted with and without velocity quickening. On the critical tracking task, the visual displays were superior; however, the KT quickened display was approximately equal to the visual unquickened display. Mean squared error scores in the stationary tracking tasks for the visual and KT displays were approximately equal in the quickened conditions, and the describing functions were very similar. In the unquickened conditions, the visual display was superior. Subjects using the unquickened KT display exhibited a low frequency lead-lag that may be related to sensory adaptation.

Jagacinski, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A jet controlled magnetic referenced attitude control system for spinning payloads

An attitude control system was designed permitting large angle acquisition and alignment of the principle axis of a spinning payload to within 1 degree of the earth's magnetic field. Signals from magnetometer and gyro sensors are fed to the control algorithm to generate commands for the jet thrusters. The algorithm contains a cross axis magnetometer signal to prevent a large angle magnetometer signal to prevent a large angle equilibrium solution. The acquisition will occur within 50 seconds from initial precession and nutation angles of 30 degrees. An electronic spin filter passes signals at spin and nutation frequencies and rejects bias signals due to sensor misalignment and principle axis offset. Describing function analysis and total analog simulation techniques were used. The flight ACS hardware was interfaced with the analog computer simulation for design and verification. The controller has flown on four successful missions.

Celmer, J. J.↗