Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Remote Design”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1977

Multispectral system analysis through modeling and simulation

The design and development of multispectral remote sensor systems and associated information extraction techniques should be optimized under the physical and economic constraints encountered and yet be effective over a wide range of scene and environmental conditions. Direct measurement of the full range of conditions to be encountered can be difficult, time consuming, and costly. Simulation of multispectral data by modeling scene, atmosphere, sensor, and data classifier characteristics is set forth as a viable alternative, particularly when coupled with limited sets of empirical measurements. A multispectral system modeling capability is described. Use of the model is illustrated for several applications - interpretation of remotely sensed data from agricultural and forest scenes, evaluating atmospheric effects in Landsat data, examining system design and operational configuration, and development of information extraction techniques.

Malila, W. A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

NASA Lunabotics Mining Competition for Universities: Results and Lessons Learned

Space Mining for resources such as water ice, and regolith, which contain many elements in the form of metals, minerals, volatiles and other compounds, is a necessary step in Space Resource Utilization. One of the primary goals is to extract propellants from the regolith such as oxygen and hydrogen which could then be used for in-space transportation. In addition, the space mining system can be used for various construction tasks that can benefit human and robotic exploration as well as scientific investigations based on the exposed topography. The National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) Lunabotics Mining Competition is a university-level competition designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). NASA will directly benefit from the competition by encouraging the development of innovative lunar excavation concepts from universities which may result in clever ideas and solutions which could be applied to an actual lunar excavation device or payload. The challenge is for students to design and build a remote controlled or autonomous excavator, called a lunabot, that can collect and deposit a minimum of 10 kilograms of lunar simulant within 15 minutes. The complexities of the challenge include the abrasive characteristics of the lunar simulant, the weight and size limitations of the lunabot, and the ability to control the lunabot from a remote control center. This paper will present the results of the first and second annual Lunabotics Mining Competitions held in May 2010 and May 2011. In 2010, 22 United States (US) universities competed, and in May 2011 the competition was opened to international participation, with 46 Universities expected to attend. There are 12 international teams and 34 US teams. This combined total directly inspired an estimated 544 university students. More students and the public were engaged via internet broadcasting and social networking media. The various designs will be cataloged and categorized to provide information to future Lunabotics mining robot designers and competitors. It is also expected to be of value for actual future space missions, as knowledge is gained from testing many innovative prototypes in simulated lunar regolith.

Mueller, Robert P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

International program for Earth observations

During the 1990 summer session of the International Space University, graduate students of many different countries and with various academic backgrounds carried out a design project that focused on how to meet the most pressing environmental information requirements of the 1990's. The International Program for Earth Observations (IPEO) is the result of the students labor. The IPEO report examines the legal and institutional, scientific, engineering and systems, financial and economic, and market development approaches needed to improve international earth observations and information systems to deal with environmental issues of global importance. The IPEO scenario is based on the production of a group of lightweight satellites to be used in global remote sensing programs. The design and function of the satellite is described in detail.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1999

NASA's Virtual Product Laboratory Overview

The Virtual Product Laboratory (VPL) developed at Stennis Space Center is a tool that enables design and verification of remote sensing systems within a software (virtual) environment. The VPL can serve NASA's industry, government, and university partners by providing a means to conduct system trade studies, visual modeling, and data product simulations entirely in a virtual environment. The VPL can serve as a complete end-to-end simulation tool capable of producing system-level compatability assessments, performance characterizations, and simulated data products. In this paper, we present an overview of the VPL's current functions and planned capabilities. The VPL functional areas include Requirements, Design and Analysis, Simulation, Project Management, and Knowledge Base. A description of each function, along with the tools and techniques used to accomplish these functions, is provided.

Gasser, Gerald↗
NASA NTRS2003

Shared Knowledge for Decision-making on Environment and Health Issues in the Arctic

This paper will describe a remote sensing and GIs-based system to bring indigenous traditional knowledge together with contemporary scientific knowledge to address impacts resulting from changes in climate, environment, weather and pollution in the Arctic. As scientists and policy-makers from both indigenous and non-indigenous communities continue to build closer partnerships to address common sustainability issues such as the health impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities, it becomes increasingly important to create shared information management systems which integrate all relevant factors for optimal information sharing and decision-making. This system is being designed to bring together remotely sensed, indigenous and other data and observations for analysis, measuring, and monitoring parameters of interest (e.g., snow cover, rainfall, temperature, ice conditions, vegetation, infrastructure, fires). A description of the system and its components as well as a preliminary application of the system in the Arctic will be presented.

Maynard, Nancy G.↗
NASA NTRS1977

An information system design for watershed-wide modeling of water loss to the atmosphere using remote sensing techniques

Results are presented of a study intended to develop a general location-specific remote-sensing procedure for watershed-wide estimation of water loss to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration. The general approach involves a stepwise sequence of required information definition (input data), appropriate sample design, mathematical modeling, and evaluation of results. More specifically, the remote sensing-aided system developed to evaluate evapotranspiration employs a basic two-stage two-phase sample of three information resolution levels. Based on the discussed design, documentation, and feasibility analysis to yield timely, relatively accurate, and cost-effective evapotranspiration estimates on a watershed or subwatershed basis, work is now proceeding to implement this remote sensing-aided system.

Khorram, S.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Remote sensing of foliar chemistry

Remotely sensed data are being used to estimate foliar chemical content. This paper reviews how stepwise multiple regression and deconvolution have been used to extract chemical information from foliar spectra, and concludes that both methods are useful, but neither is ideal. It is recommended that the focus of research be modeling in the long term and experimentation in the short term. Long-term research should increase our understanding of the interaction between radiation and foliar chemistry so that the focus of research can move from leaf model to canopy model to field experiment. Short-term research should aim to design experiments in which remotely sensed data are used to generate unambiguous and accurate estimates of foliar chemical content.

Curran, Paul J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Portable Medical System

Portable Medical Status and Treatment System (PMSTS) is designed for use in remote areas where considerable time may elapse before a patient can be transported to a hospital. First units were delivered to the Department of Transportation last year and tested in two types of medical emergency environments: one in a rural Pennsylvania community and another aboard a U.S. Coast Guard rescue helicopter operating along Florida's Gulf Coast. The system has the capability to transmit vital signs to a distantly located physician, who can perform diagnosis and relay treatment instructions to the attendant at the scene. The battery powered PMSTS includes a vital signs monitor and a defibrillator. Narco has also developed a companion system, called Porta-Fib III designed for use in a hospital environment with modifications accordingly. Both systems are offshoots of an earlier NASA project known as the Physician's Black Bag developed by Telecare, Inc., a company now acquired by NARCO.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1975

Practical applications of low, medium, and high altitude aircraft remote sensing data to land use planning

Remotely sensed data is gaining wider acceptance in land use planning activities because of several inherent advantages offered by the technology. Scope of applications have increased to meet planners broadening responsibilities and needs for more comprehensive and specific information in response to new legislative mandates. Specific data needs associated with the land use planning process are varied. To illustrate how remote sensing surveys can be designed to meet a variety of goals at several planning levels, specific examples of the use of remotely sensed data and analysis techniques in four planning oriented land use surveys are discussed. These examples illustrate the use of aerial photography at the state planning level in Maryland and county level in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Special applications of aerial photography are demonstrated by energy planning in San Bernardino County, California and water management planning in New Castle County, Delaware.

Drackett, K.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Miniature Sensor Probe for O2, CO2, and H2O Monitoring in Portable Life Support Systems

A miniature sensor probe, composed of four sensors which monitor the partial pressure of O2, CO2, H2O, and temperature, designed to operate in the portable life support system (PLSS), has been demonstrated. The probe provides an important advantage over existing technology in that it is able to operate reliably while wet. These luminescence-based fiber optic sensors consist of an indicator chemistry immobilized in a polymeric film, whose emission lifetime undergoes a strong change upon a reversible interaction with the target gas. Each sensor includes chemistry specifically sensitive to one target parameter. All four sensors are based on indicator chemistries that include luminescent dyes from the same chemical family, and therefore exhibit similar photochemical properties, which allow performing measurements of all the sensors by a single, compact, low-power optoelectronic unit remotely connected to the sensors by an electromagnetic interference-proof optical fiber cable. For space systems, using these miniature sensor elements with remote optoelectronics provides unmatched design flexibility for measurements in highly constrained volume systems such as the PLSS. A 10 mm diameter and 15 mm length prototype multiparameter probe was designed, fabricated, tested, and demonstrated over a wide operational range of gas concentration, humidity, and temperature relevant to operation in the PLSS. The sensors were evaluated for measurement range, precision, accuracy, and response time in temperatures ranging from 50 aF-150 aF and relative humidity from dry to 100% RH. Operation of the sensors in water condensation conditions was demonstrated wherein the sensors not only tolerated liquid water but actually operated while wet.

Delgado, Jesus↗
NASA NTRS2012

Lunabotics Mining Competition: Inspiration through Accomplishment

Space Mining for resources such as water ice, and regolith, which contain many elements in the form of metals, minerals, volatiles and other compounds, is a necessary step in Space Resource Utilization. One of the primary goals is to extract propellants from the regolith such as oxygen and hydrogen which could then be used for in-space transportation. In addition, the space mining system can be used for various construction tasks that can benefit human and robotic exploration as well as scientific investigations based on the exposed topography. The National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) Lunabotics Mining Competition is a university-level competition designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). NASA will directly benefit from the competition by encouraging the development of innovative lunar excavation concepts from universities which may result in clever ideas and solutions which could be applied to an actual lunar excavation device or payload. The challenge is for students to design and build a remote controlled or autonomous excavator, called a lunabot, that can collect and deposit a minimum of 10 kilograms of lunar simulant within 15 minutes. The complexities of the challenge include the abrasive characteristics of the lunar simulant, the weight and size limitations of the lunabot, and the ability to control the lunabot from a remote control center or operate autonomously. This paper will present an update of the results and lessons learned during the first and second annual Lunabotics Mining Competitions held in May 2010 and May 2011. It will also preview the 2012 competition with a review of the revised rules. In 2010,22 United States (US) universities competed, and in May 2011 the competition was opened to international participation. In 2011, 36 teams actually competed from 26 USA states and 4 foreign countries (India, Bangladesh, Colombia and Canada). This combined total directly inspired an estimated 653 university students. In 2012 more students and the public will be engaged via internet broadcasting and social networking media. The various designs will be cataloged and categorized to provide information to future Lunabotics mining robot designers and competitors. It is also expected to be of value for actual future space missions, as knowledge is gained from testing many innovative prototypes in simulated lunar regolith.

Mueller, Robert P.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Thermodynamic Paradigm for Studying Disease Vector’s Habitats & Life Cycles Using NASA’s NextGen Remote Sensing Instruments

Global public health is entering a new informational age through the use of spatial models of disease vector/host ecologies driven by the use of remotely sensed data to measure environmental and structural factors critical in determining disease vector habitats, distributions, life cycles, and host interactions. The vector habitat microclimates can be quantified in terms of the surface energy budget measured by satellites. The epidemiological equations (processes) can be adapted and modified to explicitly incorporate environmental factors and interfaces required by a specific disease and its vector/host cycle. Remote sensing can be used to measure or evaluate or estimate both environment (state functions) and interface (process functions). Remote sensing can be used to measure or evaluate or estimate both environment (state functions) and interface (process functions) defining vector habitats. The products of remote sensing can be integrated directly into the epidemiological equations to significantly enhance our understanding of disease vector’s life cycles and habitats. The next generation of NASA’s remote sensing instruments recently operational will provide a significant enhancement in our ability to study disease vector’s life cycles and habitats. Three new instruments have become operational on the International Space Station (ISS) In June 2018, ECOSTRESS (The ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station), a five channel, thermal IR instrument with 70 m resolution and approximately 4-5 day repeat cycle of day/night pairs along with DESISa hyperspectral sensor system 235 channels (between 400 and 1000 nanometers), 30 m resolution, and data only being acquired on demand. In November 2018. GEDI (Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation). GEDI is a high-resolution laser ranging of Earth’s forests and topography. These instruments set the stage for NASA’s new global designated observables set of remote sensing measurements collecting hyperspectral and multispectral thermal data called SBG (Surface Biology Geology). The SBG is currently in the planning stage. The availability and use of level 1-4 data products generated from these ISS instruments will be discussed.

thermodynamics↗
NASA NTRS1981

Users manual for the US baseline corn and soybean segment classification procedure

A user's manual for the classification component of the FY-81 U.S. Corn and Soybean Pilot Experiment in the Foreign Commodity Production Forecasting Project of AgRISTARS is presented. This experiment is one of several major experiments in AgRISTARS designed to measure and advance the remote sensing technologies for cropland inventory. The classification procedure discussed is designed to produce segment proportion estimates for corn and soybeans in the U.S. Corn Belt (Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois) using LANDSAT data. The estimates are produced by an integrated Analyst/Machine procedure. The Analyst selects acquisitions, participates in stratification, and assigns crop labels to selected samples. In concert with the Analyst, the machine digitally preprocesses LANDSAT data to remove external effects, stratifies the data into field like units and into spectrally similar groups, statistically samples the data for Analyst labeling, and combines the labeled samples into a final estimate.

Horvath, R.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Retrievals of Cloud Droplet Size from the RSP Data: Validation Using in Situ Measurements

We present comparisons of cloud droplet size distributions retrieved from the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) data with correlative in situ measurements made during the North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES). This field experiment was based at St. Johns airport, Newfoundland, Canada with the latest deployment in May - June 2016. RSP was onboard the NASA C-130 aircraft together with an array of in situ and other remote sensing instrumentation. The RSP is an along-track scanner measuring polarized and total reflectances in9 spectral channels. Its unique high angular resolution allows for characterization of liquid water droplet size using the rainbow structure observed in the polarized reflectances in the scattering angle range between 135 and 165 degrees. A parametric fitting algorithm applied to the polarized reflectances provides retrievals of the droplet effective radius and variance assuming a prescribed size distribution shape (gamma distribution). In addition to this, we use a non-parametric method, Rainbow Fourier Transform (RFT), which allows us to retrieve the droplet size distribution (DSD) itself. The latter is important in the case of clouds with complex structure, which results in multi-modal DSDs. During NAAMES the aircraft performed a number of flight patterns specifically designed for comparison of remote sensing retrievals and in situ measurements. These patterns consisted of two flight segments above the same straight ground track. One of these segments was flown above clouds allowing for remote sensing measurements, while the other was at the cloud top where cloud droplets were sampled. We compare the DSDs retrieved from the RSP data with in situ measurements made by the Cloud Droplet Probe (CDP). The comparisons show generally good agreement with deviations explainable by the position of the aircraft within cloud and by presence of additional cloud layers in RSP view that do not contribute to the in situ DSDs. In the latter case the distributions retrieved from the RSP data were consistent with the multi-layer cloud structures observed in the correlative High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) profiles. The comparison results provide a rare validation of polarimetric droplet size retrieval techniques, which can be used for analysis of satellite data on global scale.

cloud droplets↗
NASA NTRS2012

2012 Alabama Lunabotics Systems Engineering Paper

Excavation will hold a key role for future lunar missions. NASA has stated that "advances in lunar regolith mining have the potential to significantly contribute to our nation's space vision and NASA space exploration operations." [1]. The Lunabotics Mining Competition is an event hosted by NASA that is meant to encourage "the development of innovative lunar excavation concepts from universities which may result in clever ideas and solutions which could be applied to an actual lunar excavation device or payload." [2]. Teams entering the competition must "design and build a remote controlled or autonomous excavator, called a lunabot, that can collect and deposit a minimum of 10 kilograms of lunar simulant within 10 minutes." [2]. While excavation will play an important part in lunar missions, there will still be many other tasks that would benefit from robotic assistance. An excavator might not be as well suited for these tasks as other types of robots might be. For example a lightweight rover would do well with reconnaissance, and a mobile gripper arm would be fit for manipulation, while an excavator would be comparatively clumsy and slow in both cases. Even within the realm of excavation it would be beneficial to have different types of excavators for different tasks, as there are on Earth. The Alabama Lunabotics Team at the University of Alabama has made it their goal to not only design and build a robot that could compete in the Lunabotics Mining Competition, but would also be a multipurpose tool for future NASA missions. The 2010-2011 resulting robot was named the Modular Omnidirectional Lunar Excavator (MOLE). Using the Systems Engineering process and building off of two years of Lunabotics experience, the 20ll-2012 Alabama Lunabotics team (Team NASACAR) has improved the MOLE 1.0 design and optimized it for the 2012 Lunabotics Competition rules [I]. A CAD model of MOLE 2.0 can be seen below in Fig. 1.

Baker, Justin↗
NASA NTRS2016

The Cognitive Challenges of Flying a Remotely Piloted Aircraft

A large variety of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) designs are currently in production or in development. These aircraft range from small electric quadcopters that are flown close to the ground within visual range of the operator, to larger systems capable of extended flight in airspace shared with conventional aircraft. Before RPA can operate routinely and safely in civilian airspace, we need to understand the unique human factors associated with these aircraft. The task of flying an RPA in civilian airspace involves challenges common to the operation of other highly-automated systems, but also introduces new considerations for pilot perception, decision-making, and action execution. RPA pilots participated in focus groups where they were asked to recall critical incidents that either presented a threat to safety, or highlighted a case where the pilot contributed to system resilience or mission success. Ninety incidents were gathered from focus-groups. Human factor issues included the impact of reduced sensory cues, traffic separation in the absence of an out-the-window view, control latencies, vigilance during monotonous and ultra-long endurance flights, control station design considerations, transfer of control between control stations, the management of lost link procedures, and decision-making during emergencies. Some of these concerns have received significant attention in the literature, or are analogous to human factors of manned aircraft. The presentation will focus on issues that are poorly understood, and have not yet been the subject of extensive human factors study. Although many of the reported incidents were related to pilot error, the participants also provided examples of the positive contribution that humans make to the operation of highly-automated systems.

remote pilot station↗
NASA NTRS2004

Radiobrightness Forward Modelling vs Observations from Local to Satellite Scales during the 2003 NASA Cold Land Processes Experiment

A key issue for passive microwave Earth sensing applications is subpixel heterogeneity and its role in the connection between local-scale conditions vs. what is observed at the satellite footprint scale. The recently-completed NASA Cold Land Processes Field Experiment (CLPX-1) was designed to provide microwave remote sensing observations and ground truth for studies of snow and from ground remote sensing, particularly issues related to scaling. CLPX-1 was conducted in the spring of 2003 in Colorado, USA. Measurements of radiobrightness were made with nested footprint sizes ranging from scales of meters at a single site to 25 x 25 km across the entire CLPX-1 domain. Corresponding measurements of snowpack conditions (snow depth and temperature. density, and grain size profiles) as well as weather analyses were used to provide input data for forward radiative transfer model investigations. This paper will focus on the ability of forward modelling, based primarily on Dense Medium Radiative Transfer (DMRT) theory, combined with snowpack measurements and weather data to reproduce the radiobrightness signatures observed at multiple scales during both the third and fourth Intensive Observing Periods (February and March, 2003). The conditions include both wet and dry periods as well as a variety of forest cover conditions, providing a valuable test of model performance. These analyses will help guide the choice of future snow retrieval algorithm and the design of future Cold Lands observing systems.

Kim, Edward J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The Design of PC/MISI, a PC-Based Common User Interface to Remote Information Storage and Retrieval Systems

The amount of information contained in the data bases of large-scale information storage and retrieval systems is very large and growing at a rapid rate. The methods available for assessing this information have not been successful in making the information easily available to the people who have the greatest need for it. This thesis describes the design of a personal computer based system which will provide a means for these individuals to retrieve this data through one standardized interface. The thesis identifies each of the major problems associated with providing access to casual users of IS and R systems and describes the manner in which these problems are to be solved by the utilization of the local processing power of a PC. Additional capabilities, not available with standard access methods, are also provided to improve the user's ability to make use of this information. The design of PC/MISI is intended to facilitate its use as a research vehicle. Evaluation mechanisms and possible areas of future research are described. The PC/MISI development effort is part of a larger research effort directed at improving access to remote IS and R systems. This research effort, supported in part by NASA, is also reviewed.

Dominick, Wayne D.↗