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At least 181 records · Page 10

Jerky loads on surface-hardened gears

Damage occurs again and again in practice in the form of transmissions with surface hardened gears which break after a very long operating time (explained by seldom occurring jerky loads). Gear drives are frequently exposed to jerky stresses which are greater than their fatigue limit. These stresses are considered in gear calculations, first, by shock factors when the transmission is to be designed as high endurance with regard to overloads and, second, in the form of operating ratios when the design is to be time enduring with regard to overloads. The size of the operating ratio depends not only on torque characteristics, drive and processing machine, but also on the material and heat treatment.

Rettig, H.↗

A first interpretation of East African swiddening via computer-assisted analysis of 3 Landsat tapes

A preliminary application of the machine processing of Landsat data for the identification of swidden farming in East Africa is discussed. Three sets of Landsat data were analyzed: the 1972 mid-dry season, the 1973 late dry season, and the 1975 early wet season. The analysis procedure consisted of: (1) a preprocessing step to de-skew, rotate, and rescale the data, (2) a geometric correction process, (3) photographic enlargement, and (4) a procedure to obtain spectral response values for training the classification algorithm.

Conant, F. P.↗

Predicting the workload of a computer system

A technique based on clustering is described for characterizing the current workload of a computer system and for predicting future workload. The technique was applied to predicting the load for an installation operating two machines processing about 20,000 job steps per month.

Agrawala, A. K.↗

AgRISTARS: Foreign commodity production forecasting. Minutes of the annual formal project manager's review, including preliminary technical review reports of FY80 experiments

The U.S./Canada wheat/barley exploratory experiment is discussed with emphasis on labeling, machine processing using P1A, and the crop calendar. Classification and the simulated aggregation test used in the U.S. corn/soybean exploratory experiment are also considered. Topics covered regarding the foreign commodity production forecasting project include: (1) the acquisition, handling, and processing of both U.S. and foreign agricultural data, as well as meteorological data. The accuracy assessment methodology, multicrop sampling and aggregation technology development, frame development, the yield project interface, and classification for area estimation are also examined.

Source record↗

AgRISTARS: Foreign commodity production forecasting. The 1980 US/Canada wheat and barley exploratory experiment

The crop identification procedures used performed were for spring small grains and are conducive to automation. The performance of the machine processing techniques shows a significant improvement over previously evaluated technology; however, the crop calendars require additional development and refinements prior to integration into automated area estimation technology. The integrated technology is capable of producing accurate and consistent spring small grains proportion estimates. Barley proportion estimation technology was not satisfactorily evaluated because LANDSAT sample segment data was not available for high density barley of primary importance in foreign regions and the low density segments examined were not judged to give indicative or unequvocal results. Generally, the spring small grains technology is ready for evaluation in a pilot experiment focusing on sensitivity analysis to a variety of agricultural and meteorological conditions representative of the global environment.

Payne, R. W.↗

FOCIS: A forest classification and inventory system using LANDSAT and digital terrain data

Accurate, cost-effective stratification of forest vegetation and timber inventory is the primary goal of a Forest Classification and Inventory System (FOCIS). Conventional timber stratification using photointerpretation can be time-consuming, costly, and inconsistent from analyst to analyst. FOCIS was designed to overcome these problems by using machine processing techniques to extract and process tonal, textural, and terrain information from registered LANDSAT multispectral and digital terrain data. Comparison of samples from timber strata identified by conventional procedures showed that both have about the same potential to reduce the variance of timber volume estimates over simple random sampling.

Strahler, A. H.↗

Development of techniques for producing static strata maps and development of photointerpretive methods based on multitemporal LANDSAT data

The results and progress of work conducted in support of the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment (LACIE) are documented. Research was conducted for two tasks. These tasks include: (1) evaluation of the UCB static stratification procedure and modification of that procedure if warranted; and (2) the development of alternative photointerpretive techniques to the present LACIE procedure for the identification and selection of training areas for machine-processing of LACIE segments.

Colwell, R. N.↗

The 1980 US/Canada wheat and barley exploratory experiment, volume 1

The results from the U.S./Canada Wheat and Barley Exploratory Experiment which was completed during FY 1980 are presented. The results indicate that the new crop identification procedures performed well for spring small grains and that they are conductive to automation. The performance of the machine processing techniques shows a significant improvement over previously evaluated technology. However, the crop calendars will require additional development and refinements prior to integration into automated area estimation technology. The evaluation showed the integrated technology to be capable of producing accurate and consistent spring small grains proportion estimates. However, barley proportion estimation technology was not satisfactorily evaluated. The low-density segments examined were judged not to give indicative or unequivocal results. It is concluded that, generally, the spring small grains technology is ready for evaluation in a pilot experiment focusing on sensitivity analyses to a variety of agricultural and meteorological conditions representative of the global environment. It is further concluded that a strong potential exists for establishing a highly efficient technology or spring small grains.

Bizzell, R. M.↗

Mechanical Property Characterization of F-100/934 Graphite-Epoxy Composite Material

Procedures for quality control, fabrication techniques, specimen machining, test methodologies, and data collection and interpretation were defined using Thornel P-100 carbon fiber combined with Fiberite's 934 epoxy resin in unidirectional tape form. Tests on the prepreg material, including gel time, resin solids content, tack, volatile content, and flow are detailed. The steps of the fabrication and machining processes are described. Both destructive and nondestructive techniques were employed to assess the properties of the cured laminates. Tests to determine tensile strength and modulus, compressive strength and modulus, interlaminar and inplane shear strength, and flexural strength and modulus are discussed. The results of these experiments are compared with data generated by other researchers.

Clinton, R. G., Jr.↗

Transformations of software design and code may lead to reduced errors

The capability of programmers and non-programmers to specify problem solutions by developing example-solutions and also for the programmers by writing computer programs was investigated; each method of specification was accomplished at various levels of problem complexity. The level of difficulty of each problem was reflected by the number of steps needed by the user to develop a solution. Machine processing of the user inputs permitted inferences to be developed about the algorithms required to solve a particular problem. The interactive feedback of processing results led users to a more precise definition of the desired solution. Two participant groups (programmers and bookkeepers/accountants) working with three levels of problem complexity and three levels of processor complexity were used. The experimental task employed required specification of a logic for solution of a Navy task force problem.

Connelly, E. M.↗

Surface topography-connections between lubrication and failure initiation

The characteristics of the initial surface topography is intimately connected to the machining process by which it is produced. Both processes create a near surface region of residual stresses, microstructure and hardness that is different from the bulk. The material properties in this rather undefined region can significantly influence the mode of failure, such as wear, scuffing or fatigue, as well as the degree of failure resistance for a given material. Under full film elastohydrodynamic (EHD) conditions, where shear is accomodated within a relatively thick lubricant film, the normal and shear stresses are distributed uniformly over the near surface region, and the surface topography has little influence on the lubrication or failure process. Under more typical conditions where surface roughness and lubricant film thickness are of the same order of magnitude, the surface topography not only emerges as an important parameter in failure initiation, but it also becomes intimately involved in the lubrication process itself.

Wedeven, L. D.↗

Segmentation of remotely sensed data using parallel region growing

The improved spatial resolution of the new earth resources satellites will increase the need for effective utilization of spatial information in machine processing of remotely sensed data. One promising technique is scene segmentation by region growing. Region growing can use spatial information in two ways: only spatially adjacent regions merge together, and merging criteria can be based on region-wide spatial features. A simple region growing approach is described in which the similarity criterion is based on region mean and variance (a simple spatial feature). An effective way to implement region growing for remote sensing is as an iterative parallel process on a large parallel processor. A straightforward parallel pixel-based implementation of the algorithm is explored and its efficiency is compared with sequential pixel-based, sequential region-based, and parallel region-based implementations. Experimental results from on aircraft scanner data set are presented, as is a discussioon of proposed improvements to the segmentation algorithm.

Tilton, J. C.↗

Satellite remote sensing - An integral tool in acquiring global crop production information

Since NASA's program of research concerning remote sensing was initiated in the 1960s, one of its major objectives has been to advance the state-of-the-art in machine processing of satellite acquired multispectral data. Possibilities have been studied regarding a use of these data to identify type, to monitor condition, and to estimate the ontogenetic stage of cultural vegetation. The present investigation provides a review of the state-of-the-art of the technology used to make remote sensing crop production estimates in foreign regions. Attention is given to Landsat data acquisition, aspects of registration and preprocessing, questions of data transformation, data modeling, proportion estimation, labeling, development stage models, crop condition models, and an outlook regarding future developments.

Hall, F. G.↗

Spaceborne SAR data for land-cover classification and change detection

Supervised maximum-likelihood classifications of Seasat, SIR-A, and Landsat pixel data demonstrated that SIR-A data provided the most accurate discrimination (72 percent) between five land-cover categories. Spatial averaging of the SAR data improved classification accuracy significantly due to a reduction in both fading and within-field variability. The best multichannel classification accuracy (97.5 percent) was achieved by combining the SIR-A data with two Seasat images (ascending and descending orbits). In addition, semiquantitative analysis of Seasat-A digital data shows that orbital SAR imagery can be successfully used for multitemporal detection of change related to hydrologic and agronomic conditions by using simple machine processing techniques.

Brisco, B.↗

Coniferous forest classification and inventory using Landsat and digital terrain data

Machine-processing techniques were used in a Forest Classification and Inventory System (FOCIS) procedure to extract and process tonal, textural, and terrain information from registered Landsat multispectral and digital terrain data. Using FOCIS as a basis for stratified sampling, the softwood timber volumes of the Klamath National Forest and Eldorado National Forest were estimated within standard errors of 4.8 and 4.0 percent, respectively. The accuracy of these large-area inventories is comparable to the accuracy yielded by use of conventional timber inventory methods, but, because of automation, the FOCIS inventories are more rapid (9-12 months compared to 2-3 years for conventional manual photointerpretation, map compilation and drafting, field sampling, and data processing) and are less costly.

Franklin, J.↗

Signature-extendable technology - Global space-based crop recognition

The use of signature-extendable technology to improve the efficiency of machine processing of remotely sensed data is examined. Temporal profile technology is employed to automatically recognize crops; the technique uses the Kauth and Thomas (1976) transform of Landsat, multidata, and parameters derived from a model of each crop's greenness-time trajectory. The basic characteristics of temporal profile technology and the U.S. based labeling algorithm are described. Consideration is given to signature extension, signature-extendable spaces, and signature-extendable features. The greenness and brightness parameters used in temporal profile technology are derived. The signature extendability of the parameters is evaluated by applying them to the analysis of corn and soybean crops in the U.S. and Argentina. It is noted that the technique is an affordable and efficient method for deriving data on crops on a global basis.

Hall, Forrest G.↗

The cortex transform - Rapid computation of simulated neural images

With a goal of providing means for accelerating the image processing, machine vision, and testing of human vision models, an image transform was designed, which makes it possible to map an image into a set of images that vary in resolution and orientation. Each pixel in the output may be regarded as the simulated response of a neuron in human visual cortex. The transform is amenable to a number of shortcuts that greatly reduce the amount of computation.

Watson, Andrew B.↗

Benchmarking and performance analysis of the CM-2

A suite of benchmarking routines testing communication, basic arithmetic operations, and selected kernel algorithms written in LISP and PARIS was developed for the CM-2. Experiment runs are automated via a software framework that sequences individual tests, allowing for unattended overnight operation. Multiple measurements are made and treated statistically to generate well-characterized results from the noisy values given by cm:time. The results obtained provide a comparison with similar, but less extensive, testing done on a CM-1. Tests were chosen to aid the algorithmist in constructing fast, efficient, and correct code on the CM-2, as well as gain insight into what performance criteria are needed when evaluating parallel processing machines.

Myers, David W.↗