Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “stereo camera”

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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

Localization Using Visual Odometry and a Single Downward-Pointing Camera

Stereo imaging is a technique commonly employed for vision-based navigation. For such applications, two images are acquired from different vantage points and then compared using transformations to extract depth information. The technique is commonly used in robotics for obstacle avoidance or for Simultaneous Localization And Mapping, (SLAM). Yet, the process requires a number of image processing steps and therefore tends to be CPU-intensive, which limits the real-time data rate and use in power-limited applications. Evaluated here is a technique where a monocular camera is used for vision-based odometry. In this work, an optical flow technique with feature recognition is performed to generate odometry measurements. The visual odometry sensor measurements are intended to be used as control inputs or measurements in a sensor fusion algorithm using low-cost MEMS based inertial sensors to provide improved localization information. Presented here are visual odometry results which demonstrate the challenges associated with using ground-pointing cameras for visual odometry. The focus is for rover-based robotic applications for localization within GPS-denied environments.

Swank, Aaron J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Study of optical techniques for the Ames unitary wind tunnels. Part 4: Model deformation

A survey of systems capable of model deformation measurements was conducted. The survey included stereo-cameras, scanners, and digitizers. Moire, holographic, and heterodyne interferometry techniques were also looked at. Stereo-cameras with passive or active targets are currently being deployed for model deformation measurements at NASA Ames and LaRC, Boeing, and ONERA. Scanners and digitizers are widely used in robotics, motion analysis, medicine, etc., and some of the scanner and digitizers can meet the model deformation requirements. Commercial stereo-cameras, scanners, and digitizers are being improved in accuracy, reliability, and ease of operation. A number of new systems are coming onto the market.

Lee, George↗
NASA NTRS2007

The EPEC Algorithm for Vision Guided Manipulation: Analysis and Validation

This paper describes the simulated performance and experimental validation of a computationally efficient algorithm for improving positioning accuracy of robot arms using low speed feedback from fixed stereo cameras. The algorithm, called End-Effector Position Error Compensation (EPEC) is robust to visual occlusion of the end-effector and does not require high fidelity calibration of either the arm or stereo camera. The algorithm works by calculating an error vector between the locations of a fiducial on the arm's end-effector as predicted by arm kinematics and detected by a stereo camera triangulation. With this knowledge, the commanded target pose is adjusted to compensate for positioning errors. A simulation environment where arbitrary error can be introduced into arm-camera systems is introduced and used to provide an assessment of the performance of the algorithm under both ideal and degraded conditions.

manipulations↗
NASA NTRS1993

International testing of a Mars rover prototype

Tests on a prototype engineering model of the Russian Mars 96 Rover were conducted by an international team in and near Death Valley in the United States in late May, 1992. These tests were part of a comprehensive design and testing program initiated by the three Russian groups responsible for the rover development. The specific objectives of the May tests were: (1) evaluate rover performance over different Mars-like terrains; (2) evaluate state-of-the-art teleoperation and autonomy development for Mars rover command, control and navigation; and (3) organize an international team to contribute expertise and capability on the rover development for the flight project. The range and performance that can be planned for the Mars mission is dependent on the degree of autonomy that will be possible to implement on the mission. Current plans are for limited autonomy, with Earth-based teleoperation for the nominal navigation system. Several types of television systems are being investigated for inclusion in the navigation system including panoramic camera, stereo, and framing cameras. The tests used each of these in teleoperation experiments. Experiments were included to consider use of such TV data in autonomy algorithms. Image processing and some aspects of closed-loop control software were also tested. A micro-rover was tested to help consider the value of such a device as a payload supplement to the main rover. The concept is for the micro-rover to serve like a mobile hand, with its own sensors including a television camera.

Kemurjian, Alexsandr Leonovich↗
NASA NTRS1969

Camera mount for close-up stereo photographs

Camera mount, adaptable to any camera, facilitates obtaining close-up stereo pairs of photographs. The basic mount can be used with any standard camera, or with a stereo camera. The design of the camera adapter can be varied to meet mounting requirements of the particular camera used.

Glaude, P. H.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Autonomous Rock Tracking and Acquisition from a Mars Rover

Future Mars exploration missions will perform two types of experiments: science instrument placement for close-up measurement, and sample acquisition for return to Earth. In this paper we describe algorithms we developed for these tasks, and demonstrate them in field experiments using a self-contained Mars Rover prototype, the Rocky 7 rover. Our algorithms perform visual servoing on an elevation map instead of image features, because the latter are subject to abrupt scale changes during the approach. 'This allows us to compensate for the poor odometry that results from motion on loose terrain. We demonstrate the successful grasp of a 5 cm long rock over 1m away using 103-degree field-of-view stereo cameras, and placement of a flexible mast on a rock outcropping over 5m away using 43 degree FOV stereo cameras.

Maimone, Mark W.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Optical stereo video signal processor

An otpical video signal processor is described which produces a two-dimensional cross-correlation in real time of images received by a stereo camera system. The optical image of each camera is projected on respective liquid crystal light valves. The images on the liquid crystal valves modulate light produced by an extended light source. This modulated light output becomes the two-dimensional cross-correlation when focused onto a video detector and is a function of the range of a target with respect to the stereo camera. Alternate embodiments utilize the two-dimensional cross-correlation to determine target movement and target identification.

Craig, G. D.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Mars Missions

The session "Mars Missions" included the following reports:Future Planetary Surface Imager Development by the Beagle 2 Stereo Camera System Team; Localization, Localization, Localization; Preliminary Assessment of Mars Exploration Rover Landing Site Predictions; Spirit at Gusev Crater: Preliminary Observations, Potential Processes and Hypotheses; MER Field Geologic Traverse in Gusev Crater, Mars: Initial Results From the Perspective of Spirit; Coordinated Observations of Aeolian Features from the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) and the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera and Other Orbiters; Soil and Rock Physical Properties at the Mars Exploration Rover Landing Sites: Early Returns; Transient Liquid Water as a Mechanism for Induration of Soil Crusts on Mars; First Results of the Athena Microscopic Imager Investigation; APXS on Mars: Analyses of Soils and Rocks at Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum; Mars Exploration Rover Panoramic Camera Multidimensional Analyses and Surface Spectral Variability ; Hematite at Meridiani Planum: Detailed Spectroscopic Observations and Testable Hypotheses; Maussbauer Spectroscopy of Soils and Rocks at Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum; and Student Interns Work on Mars.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2003

EVA Robotic Assistant Project: Platform Attitude Prediction

The Robotic Systems Technology Branch is currently working on the development of an EVA Robotic Assistant under the sponsorship of the Surface Systems Thrust of the NASA Cross Enterprise Technology Development Program (CETDP). This will be a mobile robot that can follow a field geologist during planetary surface exploration, carry his tools and the samples that he collects, and provide video coverage of his activity. Prior experiments have shown that for such a robot to be useful it must be able to follow the geologist at walking speed over any terrain of interest. Geologically interesting terrain tends to be rough rather than smooth. The commercial mobile robot that was recently purchased as an initial testbed for the EVA Robotic Assistant Project, an ATRV Jr., is capable of faster than walking speed outside but it has no suspension. Its wheels with inflated rubber tires are attached to axles that are connected directly to the robot body. Any angular motion of the robot produced by driving over rough terrain will directly affect the pointing of the on-board stereo cameras. The resulting image motion is expected to make tracking of the geologist more difficult. This will either require the tracker to search a larger part of the image to find the target from frame to frame or to search mechanically in pan and tilt whenever the image motion is large enough to put the target outside the image in the next frame. This project consists of the design and implementation of a Kalman filter that combines the output of the angular rate sensors and linear accelerometers on the robot to estimate the motion of the robot base. The motion of the stereo camera pair mounted on the robot that results from this motion as the robot drives over rough terrain is then straightforward to compute. The estimates may then be used, for example, to command the robot s on-board pan-tilt unit to compensate for the camera motion induced by the base movement. This has been accomplished in two ways: first, a standalone head stabilizer has been implemented and second, the estimates have been used to influence the search algorithm of the stereo tracking algorithm. Studies of the image motion of a tracked object indicate that the image motion of objects is suppressed while the robot crossing rough terrain. This work expands the range of speed and surface roughness over which the robot should be able to track and follow a field geologist and accept arm gesture commands from the geologist.

Nickels, Kevin M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The ACCP Inclined Orbit Project: Enabling New and Synergistic Aerosol Remote Sensing Inversions

Atmospheric aerosols have high spatiotemporal variations due to their diverse sources including windblown dust, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and anthropogenic emissions. These aerosols also have strong diurnal emission characteristics that influence long-range transport, air quality, Earth’s radiation budget, biogeochemical cycles, and weather forecasting. While current sensors can measure the steady-state of global 3D cloud and aerosol properties, we lack the observational datasets to discover the diurnal variability of aerosols, even at seasonal and regional scales, because these missions utilize sun synchronous orbits. An Aerosols and Clouds, Convection and Precipitation (ACCP) observing system has been established as part of NASA’s new Earth System Observatory (ESO) to fulfill the science needs presented in the 2017 Earth Science Decadal Survey. The selected ACCP architecture encompasses sensors in two orbit planes, one of which utilizes an inclined orbit (nominally ~55 degrees at a 407 km altitude) to advance our understanding of aerosol and cloud properties and target the dynamics of the cloud and aerosol processes on sub-daily time scales. The anticipated instrumentation suite for the ACCP Inclined Orbit Project is a Stereo Camera System, Polarimeter, Microwave Radiometer, Two-Frequency Radar, and Backscatter Lidar. The polarimeter is expected to have multiple wavelength bands and viewing angles to enable accurate retrievals of aerosol microphysical and optical properties. The backscatter lidar will provide vertical profiles of attenuated backscatter and depolarization ratio at two wavelengths, with better daytime signal-to-noise ratio than previous space-based lidar systems to improve aerosol detection/typing and estimates of aerosol optical properties. The stereo camera system, while designed primarily for clouds, will also provide aerosol plume heights and air motions at the plume heights. This invited presentation will provide (1) an overview of the ACCP Inclined Orbit Project, (2) a description of the new sensor capabilities and orbital characteristics, and (3) a preview of the potential for new synergistic aerosol inversion techniques.

John E Yorks↗
NASA NTRS1991

The spacecraft control laboratory experiment optical attitude measurement system

A stereo camera tracking system was developed to provide a near real-time measure of the position and attitude of the Spacecraft COntrol Laboratory Experiment (SCOLE). The SCOLE is a mockup of the shuttle-like vehicle with an attached flexible mast and (simulated) antenna, and was designed to provide a laboratory environment for the verification and testing of control laws for large flexible spacecraft. Actuators and sensors located on the shuttle and antenna sense the states of the spacecraft and allow the position and attitude to be controlled. The stereo camera tracking system which was developed consists of two position sensitive detector cameras which sense the locations of small infrared LEDs attached to the surface of the shuttle. Information on shuttle position and attitude is provided in six degrees-of-freedom. The design of this optical system, calibration, and tracking algorithm are described. The performance of the system is evaluated for yaw only.

Welch, Sharon S.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Small Orbital Stereo Tracking Camera Technology Development

Any exploration vehicle assembled or Spacecraft placed in LEO or GTO must pass through this debris cloud and survive. Large cross section, low thrust vehicles will spend more time spiraling out through the cloud and will suffer more impacts.Better knowledge of small debris will improve survival odds. Current estimated Density of debris at various orbital attitudes with notation of recent collisions and resulting spikes. Orbital Debris Tracking and Characterization has now been added to NASA Office of Chief Technologists Technology Development Roadmap in Technology Area 5 (TA5.7)[Orbital Debris Tracking and Characterization] and is a technical gap in the current National Space Situational Awareness necessary to safeguard orbital assets and crews due to the risk of Orbital Debris damage to ISS Exploration vehicles. The Problem: Traditional orbital trackers looking for small, dim orbital derelicts and debris typically will stare at the stars and let any reflected light off the debris integrate in the imager for seconds, thus creating a streak across the image. The Solution: The Small Tracker will see Stars and other celestial objects rise through its Field of View (FOV) at the rotational rate of its orbit, but the glint off of orbital objects will move through the FOV at different rates and directions. Debris on a head-on collision course (or close) will stay in the FOV at 14 Km per sec. The Small Tracker can track at 60 frames per sec allowing up to 30 fixes before a near-miss pass. A Stereo pair of Small Trackers can provide range data within 5-7 Km for better orbit measurements.

Bryan, Tom↗
NASA NTRS2001

Beagle 2: The Next Exobiology Mission to Mars

Beagle 2 is a 60 kg probe (with a 30 kg lander) developed in the United Kingdom for inclusion on the European Space Agency's 2003 Mars Express. Beagle 2 will deliver to the Martian surface a payload which consists of a high percentage of science instruments to landed spacecraft mass. Beagle 2 will be launched in June, 2003 with Mars Express on a Soyuz-Fregat rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Beagle 2 will land on Mars on December 26, 2003 in the Isidis Planitia basin (approximately 10 degrees N and 275 degrees W), a large sedimentary basin that overlies the boundary between ancient highlands and northern plains. Isidis Planitia, the third largest basin on Mars, which is possibly filled with sediment deposited at the bottom of long-standing lakes or seas, offers an ideal environment for preserving traces of life. Beagle 2 was developed to search for organic material and other volatiles on and below the surface of Mars in addition to the study of the inorganic chemistry and mineralogy. Beagle 2 will utilize a mechanical mole and grinder to obtain samples from below the surface, under rocks and inside rocks. A pair of stereo cameras will image the landing site along with a microscope for examination of surface and rock samples. Analyses will include both rock and soil samples at various wavelengths, X-ray spectrometer and Mossbauer spectrometer as well as a search for organics and other light element species (e.g. carbonates and water) and measurement of their isotopic compositions. Beagle 2 has as its focus the goal of establishing whether evidence for life existed in the past on Mars at the Isidis Planitia site or at least establishing if the conditions were ever suitable. Carbonates and organic components were first recognized as existing on Mars when they were found in the Martian meteorite Nakhla. Romanek et al showed the carbonates in ALH84001 were formed at low temperatures. McKay et al noted possible evidence of early life on Mars within the ALH84001 meteorite. Thomas-Keprta et al showed the magnetite biomarkers in ALH84001's carbonates are indistinguishable from those formed by magnetotactic bacteria found on Earth. Gibson et al showed there was significant evidence for liquid water and biogenic products present on Mars across a 3.9 billion year period. A mechanical arm (PAW) operates from the lander and is used for science operations along with sample acquisition. Instruments attached to the PAW include: stereo cameras, Mossbauer instrument, X-ray fluorescence instrument, microscope, environmental sensors, rock corer/grinder, a spoon, mirror, brushes, a mole attachment for acquisition of subsurface to depths of 1 to 2 meters and an illumination device. Each camera has 14 filters which have been optimized for mineralogy composition, dust and water vapor detection. The microscope's camera is designed for viewing the size and shape of dust particles, rock surfaces, microfossils, and characteristics of the samples prior to introduction into the gas analysis package (GAP). The camera has a resolution of 4 microns/pixel, features four color capability (red, green, blue and UV (ultraviolet) fluoresence), a depth of focus of 40 micrometers and translation stage of +3 millimeters. The heart of the Beagle 2's life detection package is the gas analysis package (GAP), which consists of a mass spectrometer with collectors at fixed masses for precise isotopic ratio measurements and voltage scanning for spectral analysis. Primary aim of the GAP is to search for the presence of bulk constituents, individual species, and isotopic fractionations for both extinct and extent life along with studying the low-temperature geochemistry of the hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen components on Mars from both the surface and atmosphere. GAP is a magnetic sector mass spectrometer with the range of 1 to 140 amu which can be operated in both the static and dynamic modes. A triple Faraday collector array will be used for C, N and O ratios along with a double Faraday array for H/D. Pulse counting electron multiplier will be utilized for noble gases and selected organics. Anticipated detection limits are at the picomole level for operation in the static mode of operation and high precision isotopic measurements will be made in the dynamic mode. Sample processing and preparation system consists of reaction vessels along with references. Sample ovens capable of being heated are attached to the manifold for sample combustion. Surface, subsurface materials and interior rock specimens will be combusted in pure oxygen gas at various temperature intervals to release organic matter and volatiles. Combustion process will permit detection of all forms and all atoms of carbon present in the samples. A chemical processing system is capable of a variety of conversion reactions. Gases are manipulated either by cryogenic or chemical reactions and passed through the gas handling portion of the vacuum system. There are two modes of operation: quantitative analysis and precise isotopic measurements. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Gibson, Everett K., Jr.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Design of a Lunar Plume-Surface Interaction Measurement System

Plume-surface interactions between a rocket plume and the lunar surface will be studied in-situ during two of NASA’s upcoming Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program missions. The payload, Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies (SCALPSS), will employ a multiple-camera photogrammetry system to obtain stereo images of the lunar regolith before, during, and after significant erosion and subsequent crater formation. The evaluation of measurement system capabilities and design process of the payload is informed by computational fluid dynamics predictions, accuracy modeling based on experimental data, camera simulation, and lander design, all of which are combined in the Virtual Diagnostic Interface. The second SCALPSS mission, traveling to the moon on Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander in early 2023, aims to build on the design and complexity of the first payload, which is launching in early 2022 on Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander. The Blue Ghost SCALPSS mission will include two additional cameras and a total of three different lens focal lengths which will target specific points in the vehicle’s descent to obtain quantitative and accurate 3D reconstruction of the lunar surface both prior to and after crater formation.

photogrammetry↗
NASA NTRS2012

Mars Technology Rover with Arm-Mounted Percussive Coring Tool, Microimager, and Sample-Handling Encapsulation Containerization Subsystem

A report describes the PLuto (programmable logic) Mars Technology Rover, a mid-sized FIDO (field integrated design and operations) class rover with six fully drivable and steerable cleated wheels, a rocker-bogey suspension, a pan-tilt mast with panorama and navigation stereo camera pairs, forward and rear stereo hazcam pairs, internal avionics with motor drivers and CPU, and a 5-degrees-of-freedom robotic arm. The technology rover was integrated with an arm-mounted percussive coring tool, microimager, and sample handling encapsulation containerization subsystem (SHEC). The turret of the arm contains a percussive coring drill and microimager. The SHEC sample caching system mounted to the rover body contains coring bits, sample tubes, and sample plugs. The coring activities performed in the field provide valuable data on drilling conditions for NASA tasks developing and studying coring technology. Caching of samples using the SHEC system provide insight to NASA tasks investigating techniques to store core samples in the future.

Younse, Paulo J.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Mapping in the Northern Martian Plains: A Renewed Survey of the Acidalia Mensae and Colles Regions

Acidalia Mensae is an oblong field of tilted mesas roughly trending east-west, with Acidalia Colles encompassing a regime of knobby terrain trending northeast from the center of the mesa region. Each province extends for approximately 300km in their respective directions in the heart of the vast plains of Acidalia Planitia. As part of efforts in the 1980s targeting evidences for a putative northern Martian paleo-ocean – manifesting itself most notably in geologic maps of quadrangles in East Acidalia – the Acidalia Mensae region was selected and divided into three quadrangles ranging across 26.8 deg W to 36 deg W and 47.5 deg N to 52.5 deg N. The region was then mapped at a 1:1,000,000 scale using Canvas on a Viking base map. We present an updated draft of this document converted into ArcMap, including a completed fourth quadrangle that covers the bulk of the Acidalia Colles region. Previously mapped units have been updated according to the availability of new higher-resolution data – particularly, Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) Day Infrared (IR) data as a base map, paired with supporting Context Camera (CTX) and High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) HRSC stamps extracted from the Mars Orbital Data Explorer repository. Geologic units and contacts for the mesa and knob regimes, interstitial alluvial units and the surrounding plains are comprehensively presented alongside lower-level features such as levels (hypothesized to be shorelines) and pitted cones (putative pingos). The project was mapped in a transverse Mercator projection. Upon minor revision, the map is to be submitted to the USGS for publication.

Siwabessy, Andrew G.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Investigating Photogrammetric Accuracy of a Lunar-lander-induced Crater Measurement System

Laboratory measurements have been made to validate the performance of the Stereo CAmeras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies (SCALPSS) stereo photogrammetry systems which will be flying to the moon on two of NASA’s upcoming Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) missions. Until recently, the system’s accuracy had only been studied using idealized geometric shapes as measurement targets. A realistic crater model of representative scale and an idealized ‘staircase’ target have been used to compare measurement accuracy of ideal versus lunar-like objects, with the commercial V-STARS® system being used to provide the known reference values for comparison. In a parametric study, altitude, lens focal length, and camera separation are varied to assess each parameter’s impact on photogrammetric accuracy in relation to the scaling law prediction developed previously. The SCALPSS 1.0 and 1.1 configurations have been validated on the crater model within acceptable accuracy for the missions, performing significantly better than the scaling law prediction in some cases. A semi-automated post-processing routine was developed in MATLAB® and proved successful for the cross-correlation of features between two stereo images. For some cases of extreme convergence angles between a camera pair, manual feature detection and matching was required. By using this manual process, the crater depth map was reconstructed but with worse accuracy than the idealized staircase measurements; refinements to the processing algorithm are expected to improve future results. Also examined in this work is the impact of illumination environments, both natural (e.g., Sun angles) and artificial (diffuse or structured illumination sources), on the camera system’s ability to measure the erosion of the lunar terrain.

Plume-surface interaction↗