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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2019

Coordinated Turn Trajectory Generation and Tracking Control for Multi-rotors Operating in Urban Environment

The paper presents an efficient trajectory generation and tracking approach for multi-rotor air vehicles operating in urban environment, which takes into account uncertainties in the urban wind field and in the vehicle's parameters. Generated trajectories are sufficiently smooth, based on the differential flatness of the vehicle's dynamics and optimal in the sense of minimum agility and time. They pass through given set of way points, guarantee flight without a side-slip, and satisfy vehicle's dynamics and actuator constraints. In addition, an algorithm is presented to compute the required power to traverse the generated trajectory. Presented algorithms are implementable in real time using on-board computers. They do not take into account the vehicle's existing flight controller, hence there is no guarantee that the controller will be able to provide acceptable tracking of the generated trajectory, especially in the presence of atmospheric disturbances. To this end, we propose an adaptive augmentation algorithm to improve vehicle's performance by taking into account the effects of disturbances and on-line estimates of vehicle's existing flight controller's gains. The algorithms have been verified by simulations using DJI S1000 octocopter's model.

Stepanyan, Vahram↗
NASA NTRS2019

Coordinated Turn Trajectory Generation and Tracking Control for Multi-Rotors Operating in Urban Environment

The paper presents an efficient trajectory generation and tracking approach for multi-rotor air vehicles operating in urban environment, which takes into account uncertainties in the urban wind field and in the vehicle's parameters. Generated trajectories are sufficiently smooth, based on the differential flatness of the vehicle's dynamics and optimal in the sense of minimum agility and time. They pass through given set of way points, guarantee flight without a side-slip, and satisfy vehicle's dynamics and actuators constraints. In addition, an algorithm is presented to compute the required power to traverse the generated trajectory. Presented algorithms are implementable in real time using on-board computers. They do not take into account the vehicle's existing flight controller, hence there is no guarantee that the controller will be able to provide acceptable tracking of the generated trajectory, especially in the presence of atmospheric disturbances. To this end, we propose an adaptive augmentation algorithm to improve vehicle's performance by taking into account the effects of disturbances and on-line estimates of vehicle's existing flight controller's gains. The algorithms have been verified by simulations using DJI S1000 octocopter's model.

Stepanyan, Vahram↗
NASA NTRS2001

Identification of Communication and Coordination Issues in the US Air Traffic Control System

Today's air traffic control system is approaching the point of saturation, as evidenced by increasing delays across the National Airspace System (NAS). There exists an opportunity to enhance NAS efficiency and reduce delays by improving strategic communication throughout the ATC system. Although several measures have been taken to improve communication (e.g., Collaborative Decision Making tools), communication issues between ATC facilities remain. It is hypothesized that by identifying the key issues plaguing inter-facility strategic communication, steps can be taken to enhance these communications, and therefore ATC system efficiency. In this report, a series of site visits were performed at Boston and New York ATC facilities as well as at the Air Traffic Control System Command Center. The results from these site visits were used to determine the current communication and coordination structure of Traffic Management Coordinators, who hold a pivotal role in inter-facility communications. Several themes emerged from the study, including: ambiguity of organizational structure in the current ATC system, awkward coordination between ATC facilities, information flow issues, organizational culture issues, and negotiation behaviors used to cope with organizational culture issues.

Davison, Hayley J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Functional Coordination of a Full-Body Gaze Control Mechanisms Elicited During Locomotion

Control of locomotion requires precise interaction between several sensorimotor subsystems. Exposure to the microgravity environment of spaceflight leads to postflight adaptive alterations in these multiple subsystems leading to postural and gait disturbances. Countermeasures designed to mitigate these postflight gait alterations will need to be assessed with a new generation of functional tests that evaluate the interaction of various elements central to locomotor control. The goal of this study is to determine how the multiple, interdependent, full- body sensorimotor subsystems aiding gaze stabilization during locomotion are functionally coordinated. To explore this question two experiments were performed. In the first study (Study 1) we investigated how alteration in gaze tasking changes full-body locomotor control strategies. Subjects (n=9) performed two discreet gaze stabilization tasks while walking at 6.4 km/hr on a motorized treadmill: 1) focusing on a central point target; 2) reading numeral characters; both presented at 2m in front at eye level. The second study (Study 2) investigated the potential of adaptive remodeling of the full-body gaze control systems following exposure to visual-vestibular conflict. Subjects (n=14) walked (6.4 km/h) on the treadmill before and after they were exposed to 0.5X minifying lenses worn for 30 minutes during self-generated sinusoidal vertical head rotations performed while seated. In both studies we measured: temporal parameters of gait, full body sagittal plane segmental kinematics of the head, trunk, thigh, shank and foot, accelerations along the vertical axis at the head and the shank, and the vertical forces acting on the support surface. Results from Study 1 showed that while reading numeral characters as compared to the central point target: 1) compensatory head pitch movements were on average 22% greater 2) the peak acceleration measured at the head was significantly reduced by an average of 13% in four of the six subjects 3) the knee joint total movement was on average 11% greater during the period from the heel strike event to the peak knee flexion event in stance phase of the gait cycle. Results from Study 2 indicate that following exposure to visual-vestibular conflict changes in full-body strategies were observed consistent with the requirement to aid gaze stabilization during locomotion.

Bloomberg, Jacob J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Two-dimensional graphics tools for a transputer based display board

A package of 2-D graphics routines has been developed in an effort to standardize and simplify the user interface for a transputer based graphics display board. The routines available take advantage of the graphic board's capabilities while also presenting an intuitive approach for generating drawings. The routines allow a user to perform graphics rendering in a 2-D real-coordinate space without regard to the actual screen coordinates. Multiple windows, which can be placed arbitrarily on the screen as well as the ability to use double-buffering techniques for smooth animations are also supported. The routines are designed to be run on a transputer other than the graphics display board. The window and screen parameters are maintained locally. The conversion to device coordinates is also performed locally. The only data sent to the display board are control and device coordinate display commands. The routines available include: rotation translation, and scaling commands; absolute and relative point and line commands; circle, rectangle and polygon commands; and window and viewpoint definition commands.

Ellis, Graham K.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Evaluation of an Arrival Coordinator Position in a Terminal Metering Enviornment

NASA has developed an integrated arrival-management solution for terminal area precision scheduling (TAPSS). Ahuman-in-the-loop simulation investigated the performance of the components of the TAPSS system. The focus ofthis paper is set on the terminal radar approach control (TRACON) traffic management controller (TMC) and ArrivalRadar Coordinator (ARC) combined position, which played an integral part in coordinating, adjusting, and instantiatingthe arrival schedule computed by the TAPSS system. Analysis of the simulation data highlights the roleof the ARC within the described terminal metering environment, describes his planning strategies, the interactionswith his tools and coordination with controllers, and lends insights to the impact of the ARCs actions to the arrivalproblem. High levels of comfort and confidence were reported when working with the TAPSS system. Challengesposed the sequencing of unscheduled satellite arrival flights during periods of peak demand. To accommodate thoseflights into the arrival stream, the ARC had to identify sequence slots, while minimizing disruptions to the schedule.

terminal metering↗
NASA NTRS1992

The spin vector of Venus determined from Magellan data

A control network of the north polar region of Venus has been established by selecting and measuring control points on full-resolution radar strips. The measurements were incorporated into a least-squares adjustment program that improved initial estimates of the coordinates of the control points, pole direction, and rotation rate of Venus. The current dataset contains 4206 measurements of 606 points on 619 radar strips. The accuracy of the determination is driven by spacecraft ephemeris errors. An accurate estimate of the rotation period of Venus was obtained by applying an ephemeris improvement technique. The second cycle closure orbits improved ephemeris solutions for 40 orbits (376-384, 520-528, 588-592, 658-668, 1002-1010, 1408-1412, 1746-1764, and 2166-2170) are included and fixed in the geodetic control computations, thus trying the network to the J2000 coordinate system.

Davies, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Methods to Reduce Communication Workload for UAM Operations

Implementation of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations, or air passenger transportation systems within densely populated metropolitan areas, seeks to mitigate increasing traffic congestion. However, the development and integration of UAM operations into the national airspace system comes with its own unique challenges, such as vehicle requirements, flight planning and scheduling, and coordination between UAM flights and air traffic controllers. In particular, verbal coordination will play an integral part in the determined success of UAM operations and its ability to meet projected high consumer demands. In order to meet demands and higher traffic volumes on UAM routes, verbal communication between the UAM pilot and controller must be streamlined to reduce the controller's workload while helping to maintain safety within a given airspace. One method of reducing verbal workload are Letters Of Agreement (LOAs) that outline responsibilities and procedures for operations in an airspace. These LOAs will specify the operations, procedures, and routes for UAM flights. The proposed study will examine the usability of two route formatting styles for LOAs; (i) Verbal route descriptions and (ii) Tower En Route Control (TECs) routes. Verbal route descriptions will include the route name and associated visual cues on the route. The TEC route versions will include relevant waypoints and charts outlining the route with waypoints marked. The study will be part of a UAM X1 human in the loop (HITL) simulation. Controller participants will handle traditional air traffic including moderate levels of UAM traffic on current and modified helicopter routes within the Dallas Fort-Worth area. Scenarios will be counterbalanced and repeated to test both route formatting versions. After each trial, participants will rate the usability of the LOA used in the previous trial via a subjective questionnaire. We expect that controllers will prefer the LOA with TEC routes due to simplicity and visual elements available.

aerospace human factors↗
NASA NTRS1998

A Method for Integrating Thrust-Vectoring and Actuated Forebody Strakes with Conventional Aerodynamic Controls on a High-Performance Fighter Airplane

A method, called pseudo controls, of integrating several airplane controls to achieve cooperative operation is presented. The method eliminates conflicting control motions, minimizes the number of feedback control gains, and reduces the complication of feedback gain schedules. The method is applied to the lateral/directional controls of a modified high-performance airplane. The airplane has a conventional set of aerodynamic controls, an experimental set of thrust-vectoring controls, and an experimental set of actuated forebody strakes. The experimental controls give the airplane additional control power for enhanced stability and maneuvering capabilities while flying over an expanded envelope, especially at high angles of attack. The flight controls are scheduled to generate independent body-axis control moments. These control moments are coordinated to produce stability-axis angular accelerations. Inertial coupling moments are compensated. Thrust-vectoring controls are engaged according to their effectiveness relative to that of the aerodynamic controls. Vane-relief logic removes steady and slowly varying commands from the thrust-vectoring controls to alleviate heating of the thrust turning devices. The actuated forebody strakes are engaged at high angles of attack. This report presents the forward-loop elements of a flight control system that positions the flight controls according to the desired stability-axis accelerations. This report does not include the generation of the required angular acceleration commands by means of pilot controls or the feedback of sensed airplane motions.

Lallman, Frederick J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The KALI multi-arm robot programming and control environment

The KALI distributed robot programming and control environment is described within the context of its use in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) telerobot project. The purpose of KALI is to provide a flexible robot programming and control environment for coordinated multi-arm robots. Flexibility, both in hardware configuration and software, is desired so that it can be easily modified to test various concepts in robot programming and control, e.g., multi-arm control, force control, sensor integration, teleoperation, and shared control. In the programming environment, user programs written in the C programming language describe trajectories for multiple coordinated manipulators with the aid of KALI function libraries. A system of multiple coordinated manipulators is considered within the programming environment as one motion system. The user plans the trajectory of one controlled Cartesian frame associated with a motion system and describes the positions of the manipulators with respect to that frame. Smooth Cartesian trajectories are achieved through a blending of successive path segments. The manipulator and load dynamics are considered during trajectory generation so that given interface force limits are not exceeded.

Backes, Paul↗
NASA NTRS1983

The control network of Rhea

A control network of the Saturnian satellite Rhea has been established photogrammetrically from pictures taken by the two Voyager spacecraft. Coordinates of 288 control points on Rhea have been computed and listed; some of these are identified on the preliminary U.S. Geological Survey map of Rhea and many of the control point features have been named. Pixel measurements of these points were made on 81 Voyager 1 and 3 Voyager 2 pictures. The longitude system on Rhea is defined by the crater Tore; the 340 deg meridian passes through the center of this crater. The mean radius of Rhea has been determined at 764 + or - 4 km.

Davies, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The control network of Iapetus

A control network of the Saturnian satellite Iapetus has been established photogrammetrically from pictures taken by the two Voyager spacecraft. Coordinates of 62 control points have been computed and listed; pixel measurements of these points were made on 14 Voyager 1 and 66 Voyager 2 pictures. Some of these points are identified on the preliminary U.S. Geological Survey map of Iapetus and many are identified by name. The Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 pictures covered limited regions of the satellite's surface and contained no overlapping areas. The longitude system on Iapetus is defined by the crater Almeric; the 276 deg meridian passes through the center of this crater. The obliquity of Iapetus has been measured as 0.4 deg + or - 1.6 deg. The mean radius of Iapetus has been determined at 718 + or - 8 km.

Davies, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Mariner 9 control net of Mars, April 1973

A planet-wide geodetic control net of Mars that is based on the Mariner 9 television pictures has been in the process of being computed since January 1972. Results of the computations as of April 1973 are presented. Areocentric and areographic coordinates of 1340 control points have been computed using 613 frames and are presented tabularly. These coordinates will be revised as additional points and frames are added to the computation in the future.

Davis, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Planetary geological studies

A global data base was assembled for the study of Mars crater ejecta morphology. The craters were classified as to morhology using individual photographic prints of Viking orbiter frames. Positional and scale information were derived by fitting digitized mosaic coordinates to lattitude-longitude coordinates of surface features from the Mars geodetic control net and feature coordinates from the U.S.G.S. series of 1:5,00,000 scale shaded relief maps. Crater morphology characteristics recorded are of two classes - attributes of each ejecta deposit and other crater charactersitics. Preliminary efforts to check the data base with findings of other workers are described.

Blasius, K. R.↗
NASA NTRS1998

The Data Acquisition and Control Systems of the Jet Noise Laboratory at the NASA Langley Research Center

The features of the data acquisition and control systems of the NASA Langley Research Center's Jet Noise Laboratory are presented. The Jet Noise Laboratory is a facility that simulates realistic mixed flow turbofan jet engine nozzle exhaust systems in simulated flight. The system is capable of acquiring data for a complete take-off assessment of noise and nozzle performance. This paper describes the development of an integrated system to control and measure the behavior of model jet nozzles featuring dual independent high pressure combusting air streams with wind tunnel flow. The acquisition and control system is capable of simultaneous measurement of forces, moments, static and dynamic model pressures and temperatures, and jet noise. The design concepts for the coordination of the control computers and multiple data acquisition computers and instruments are discussed. The control system design and implementation are explained, describing the features, equipment, and the experiences of using a primarily Personal Computer based system. Areas for future development are examined.

Jansen, B. J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2017

A Celestial Reference Frame Based on Kalman Filtering

In this study, we investigate a novel approach to the determination of celestial reference frames (CRF). Instead of a constant model for radio sources positions, we adopt a time series representation, which allows temporal variations of radio source coordinates to be taken into account. In particular, the added flexibility is beneficial for radio sources with extended structure. We compute our time series-based CRF solutions by Kalman filtering and smoothing radio source positions, which are initially obtained from single-session VLBI analysis. The temporal resolution of the estimated CRF coordinates is identical to that of the input data, i.e. usually 1-4 days. The magnitude of the coordinate variations is controlled by the amount of process noise applied in the filter, which is in turn derived from analyzing the Allan standard deviation of the corresponding radio source coordinate time series. Measures have been developed to reduce the impact of observation errors and datum effects on the noise model.

Soja, B.↗
NASA NTRS1991

System For Research On Multiple-Arm Robots

Kali system of computer programs and equipment provides environment for research on distributed programming and distributed control of coordinated-multiple-arm robots. Suitable for telerobotics research involving sensing and execution of low level tasks. Software and configuration of hardware designed flexible so system modified easily to test various concepts in control and programming of robots, including multiple-arm control, redundant-arm control, shared control, traded control, force control, force/position hybrid control, design and integration of sensors, teleoperation, task-space description and control, methods of adaptive control, control of flexible arms, and human factors.

Backes, Paul G.↗