Autonomy and the Gateway Human-Robotic Systems and Operation
Describes NASA autonomous systems scope and possible tech demos for the future Deep Space Gateway.
Fong, Terry↗
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Results for “Autonomous Systems”
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.
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Developed AprilNav, an Indoor Navigation and Localization System for Autonomous Testing of Electric Sail Dynamics
An electrostatic sail (E-sail) is a new type of propulsion which harnesses the Sun's solar wind to propel a spacecraft. Voyager I took about 40 years to reach interstellar space using solid rocket propellant, whereas electrostatic sails can travel the same distance in 6-10 years by using small but constant acceleration. As part of Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Space Systems Dept. and Advanced Concepts Office, we are continuing research for the HERTS (Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System) E-sail project. Previous researchers developed a Nano Air-bearing Simulator (NAS) prototype for initial testing of E-sails; this prototype was properly documented in CAD (Computer-Aided Drafting) in order to build a second improved NAS. MSFC's Robotic Lab (Flat Floor) allows for 2-dimensional simulations of spacecraft dynamics by attaching air bearings to a system. An indoor navigation system AprilNav, was developed and has been implemented on the ceiling of the flat floor for localization and autonomous testing of the two bearing-equipped NAS. With two NAS, tether dynamics between the two simulators as well as steering control algorithms are being tested on the flat floor using AprilNav.
Schuler, Tristan↗
Bootstrapping Multi-Agent Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) System Integration Using Ground-Based Assets: Lessons Learned
In support of the Autonomy Teaming and TRAjectories for Complex Trusted Operational Reliability (ATTRACTOR) project, a fleet of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) was developed as a test and evaluation (T\&E) platform to reduce system integration gaps between simulation and live flight hardware. While simulation and hardware-in-the-loop bench testing provide adequate environments for preliminary validation, differences in system deployment architecture, software interfaces, and hardware infrastructure increase the risks to safety, property, and the project. Given ATTRACTOR’s goal of establishing a basis of certification of trust and trustworthiness in multi-agent autonomous systems, bridging these gaps was critical to successful project execution and feasibility assessment. In this paper we present the UGV fleet and its role in speeding up system integration, smoothing the transition from simulation to flight, and providing researchers an easy-to-use hardware test bed. An overview of the hardware and software on-board the vehicles is provided along with supporting infrastructure. The system integration process is documented including results in supporting both the overarching design reference mission (DRM) of ATTRACTOR and individual research efforts conducted since the creation of the fleet. Finally, we discuss the practical lessons learned regarding the testing, deployment, and operation of multi-agent autonomous systems.
Matthew P. Vaughan↗
Bootstrapping Multi-Agent Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) System Integration Using Ground-Based Assets: Lessons Learned
The highly dynamic nature of UAVs imposes significant challenges when conducting initial testing ranging from safety risks posed by high-capacity lithium batteries and spinning propellers to rigorous timing demands on controllers and the consequences of failures mid-air. Flight testing of a single vehicle is time and labor intensive due to these challenges and more, and the complexity increases exponentially with the number of vehicles. While simulations and hardware-in-the-loop bench testing can provide adequate environments for preliminary validation, differences in system deployment architecture, software interfaces, and hardware infrastructure between simulation and a fleet of real UAVs create a sizable gap that must be navigated carefully during system integration. In support of the Autonomy Teaming and TRAjectories for Complex Trusted Operational Reliability (ATTRACTOR) project, which had the goal of establishing a basis of certification of trust and trustworthiness in multi-agent autonomous systems, this gap was tackled from two directions. First, a novel mixed-reality simulation environment was engineered to blur the transition from simulation to flight hardware. Second, a fleet of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) was developed as a test and evaluation platform that more closely represented the final aerial fleet while eliminating many of the risks associated with air vehicles. This paper delves into the second element, analyzing the efficacy of the USV platform in performing system integration testing for the UAV system. In this paper we present the USV fleet and its role in reducing the aforementioned gaps in deployment architecture, software interfaces, and hardware infrastructure when moving from simulation to flight. An overview of the hardware and software onboard the vehicles will be provided along with supporting infrastructure. The system integration process will be documented including results in supporting both the overarching design reference mission (DRM) of ATTRACTOR and individual research efforts conducted during the project. Finally, we will discuss some of the practical lessons learned regarding the testing, deployment, and operation of multi-agent autonomous systems.
Matthew P Vaughan↗
The Road from Costa Rica to the International Space Station
Astrobee is complex autonomous system comprehending components on board the International Space Station and on Earth. It aims to help scientists and engineers drive innovative research faster as well as becoming the foundation for autonomous systems operating on future un-crewed space stations. I would have not believed I was going to work with Astrobee 10 years ago, let alone when I was a growing up. Being a kid in the mid 80s-90s in Costa Rica was quite different from today. Dreaming of working in space robotics was, unsurprisingly, only a dream. During this presentation, I will talk about the events that helped me navigate through the road that took me from this small Central American country to create maps on a weekly basis for the Astrobee robots in the International Space Station.
Astrobee↗
The Road from Costa Rica to the International Space Station
Astrobee is complex autonomous system comprehending components on board the International Space Station and on Earth. It aims to help scientists and engineers drive innovative research faster as well as becoming the foundation for autonomous systems operating on future un-crewed space stations. I would have not believed I was going to work with Astrobee 10 years ago, let alone when I was a growing up. Being a kid in the mid 80s-90s in Costa Rica was quite different from today. Dreaming of working in space robotics was, unsurprisingly, only a dream. During this presentation, I will talk about the events that helped me navigate through the road that took me from this small Central American country to create maps on a weekly basis for the Astrobee robots in the International Space Station.
Astrobee↗
Dynamical system analysis of Einstein–Skyrme model in a Kantowski–Sachs spacetime
The present work deals with anisotropic (but zero heat flux) Skyrme fluid with a constant radial profile in locally rotational Kantowski–Sachs spacetime in the background of Einstein gravity. By suitably change of variables the field equations are transformed to an autonomous system. To examine the stability of the system critical points are determined. For hyperbolic critical points the analysis of the system is done using Hartman–Grobman theorem, while center manifold theory is used to analyze non-hyperbolic critical points. Also stability at infinity is analyzed to visualize the global evolution of the Universe. As a result the 3D-phase space is identified with the Poincaré 3-sphere embedded in R{sup 4}. It is found that the parameters in the autonomous system play a crucial role for phase transition of the Universe. Finally possible bifurcation scenarios are discussed to identify the point of phase transition.
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
Vestibular influences on autonomic cardiovascular control in humans
There is substantial evidence that anatomical connections exist between vestibular and autonomic nuclei. Animal studies have shown functional interactions between the vestibular and autonomic systems. The nature of these interactions, however, is complex and has not been fully defined. Vestibular stimulation has been consistently found to reduce blood pressure in animals. Given the potential interaction between vestibular and autonomic pathways this finding could be explained by a reduction in sympathetic activity. However, rather than sympathetic inhibition, vestibular stimulation has consistently been shown to increase sympathetic outflow in cardiac and splanchnic vascular beds in most experimental models. Several clinical observations suggest that a link between vestibular and autonomic systems may also exist in humans. However, direct evidence for vestibular/autonomic interactions in humans is sparse. Motion sickness has been found to induce forearm vasodilation and reduce baroreflex gain, and head down neck flexion induces transient forearm and calf vasoconstriction. On the other hand, studies using optokinetic stimulation have found either very small, variable, or inconsistent changes in heart rate and blood pressure, despite substantial symptoms of motion sickness. Furthermore, caloric stimulation severe enough to produce nystagmus, dizziness, and nausea had no effect on sympathetic nerve activity measured directly with microneurography. No effect was observed on heart rate, blood pressure, or plasma norepinephrine. Several factors may explain the apparent discordance of these results, but more research is needed before we can define the potential importance of vestibular input to cardiovascular regulation and orthostatic tolerance in humans.
Review↗
Long-time uncertainty propagation using generalized polynomial chaos and flow map composition
We present an efficient and accurate method for long-time uncertainty propagation in dynamical systems. Uncertain initial conditions and parameters are both addressed. The method approximates the intermediate short-time flow maps by spectral polynomial bases, as in the generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) method, and uses flow map composition to construct the long-time flow map. In contrast to the gPC method, this approach has spectral error convergence for both short and long integration times. The short-time flow map is characterized by small stretching and folding of the associated trajectories and hence can be well represented by a relatively low-degree basis. The composition of these low-degree polynomial bases then accurately describes the uncertainty behavior for long integration times. The key to the method is that the degree of the resulting polynomial approximation increases exponentially in the number of time intervals, while the number of polynomial coefficients either remains constant (for an autonomous system) or increases linearly in the number of time intervals (for a non-autonomous system). The findings are illustrated on several numerical examples including a nonlinear ordinary differential equation (ODE) with an uncertain initial condition, a linear ODE with an uncertain model parameter, and a two-dimensional, non-autonomous double gyre flow.
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
Integrated System for Health Management and Autonomous Control (ISHM-AC) for Cryogenic Operations on the Simulated Propellant Loading System
Autonomous control systems represent a technological barrier from manual and automated operated control systems in an industry wide application. An increase in energy-efficient storage, transfer and use of cryogens and cryogenic propellants on Earth and in space has been observed in space related industries between NASA, government and commercial programs. An increase in efficiency of cryogenic systems demands an increase in the capabilities of the control and monitoring system that manages them. As new technologies are developed for cryogenic systems, complexity and capability increases. The increase in complexities are a natural drive to develop better and more capable health monitoring and control system management. Current research and development efforts lead the Cryogenics Test Laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center to improve its automated control and health monitoring system from a Programmable Logic Control (PLC) based-only system to a fully Integrated System for Health Management (ISHM) - Autonomous Control (AC) capable of performing autonomous operations on a cryogenic propellant transfer system. This ISHM-AC system has been developed and tested by controlling a complete simulated propellant transfer operation. The capabilities and test results of this fully integrated autonomous system for cryogenics propellant transfer operation will be presented in this paper.
Toro Medina, Jaime A.↗
Application of a hybrid digital-optical cross-correlator as a semi-autonomous vision system
We describe a complex optical system consisting of a 4f optical correlator with programmable filters under control of a digital on-board computer that operates at video rates for filter generation, storage, and management. It gives intelligent vision to a semi-autonomous vehicle, with ability to recognize immediate danger to its survival in the near term and ability to pursue navigational goals on the basis of tracking the previously identified features.
Scholl, Marija S.↗
A Framework for the Analysis of Deep Neural Networks in Autonomous Aerospace Applications using Bayesian Statistics
Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) are considered to be key components in many autonomous systems. Applications range from vision-based obstacle avoidance to intelligent/learning control and planning. Safety-critical applications as found in the aerospace domain require that the behavior of the DNN is validated and tested rigorously for safety of the autonomous system (AUS). In this paper, we present a framework to support testing of DNNs and the analysis of the network structure. Our framework employs techniques from statistical modeling and active learning to effectively generate test cases for DNN safety testing and performance analysis. We will present results of a case study on a physics-based Deep recurrent residual neural network (DR-RNN), which has been trained to emulate the aerodynamics behavior of a fixed-wing aircraft.
Deep Neural networks↗
An Expert System for Autonomous Spacecraft Control
The Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE), part of the New Millennium Space Technology 6 Project, is flying onboard the Earth Orbiter 1 (EO-1) mission. The ASE software enables EO-1 to autonomously detect and respond to science events such as: volcanic activity, flooding, and water freeze/thaw. ASE uses classification algorithms to analyze imagery onboard to detect chang-e and science events. Detection of these events is then used to trigger follow-up imagery. Onboard mission planning software then develops a response plan that accounts for target visibility and operations constraints. This plan is then executed using a task execution system that can deal with run-time anomalies. In this paper we describe the autonomy flight software and how it enables a new paradigm of autonomous science and mission operations. We will also describe the current experiment status and future plans.
utonomy flight software↗
Autonomous attitude determination systems
A summary of autonomous attitude determination systems is presented by separating it into four areas: types of attitude determination systems which can be automated, a description of the attitude determination problem and its solution, specific types of sensors, and the processor requirements of two automated systems. The sensors used in attitude determination have been characteristically carried on-board the spacecraft in the past, so the major development requirement of automated systems is in the area of on-board processors. It is concluded that standardization of computers is not as beneficial as the standardization of computer architecture and the basic components which go into making them. It is also concluded that charge-coupled devices (CCD) or other solid state star tracking devices offer considerable advantages over the image-dissector type of star tracker.
Lowrie, J. W.↗
Autonomous Flight Safety System - Phase III
The Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) is a joint KSC and Wallops Flight Facility project that uses tracking and attitude data from onboard Global Positioning System (GPS) and inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors and configurable rule-based algorithms to make flight termination decisions. AFSS objectives are to increase launch capabilities by permitting launches from locations without range safety infrastructure, reduce costs by eliminating some downrange tracking and communication assets, and reduce the reaction time for flight termination decisions.
Source record↗
An Autonomous Sensor System Architecture for Active Flow and Noise Control Feedback
Multi-channel sensor fusion represents a powerful technique to simply and efficiently extract information from complex phenomena. While the technique has traditionally been used for military target tracking and situational awareness, a study has been successfully completed that demonstrates that sensor fusion can be applied equally well to aerodynamic applications. A prototype autonomous hardware processor was successfully designed and used to detect in real-time the two-dimensional flow reattachment location generated by a simple separated-flow wind tunnel model. The success of this demonstration illustrates the feasibility of using autonomous sensor processing architectures to enhance flow control feedback signal generation.
Humphreys, William M, Jr.↗
Projected Demand and Potential Impacts to the National Airspace System of Autonomous, Electric, On-Demand Small Aircraft
Electric propulsion and autonomy are technology frontiers that offer tremendous potential to achieve low operating costs for small-aircraft. Such technologies enable simple and safe to operate vehicles that could dramatically improve regional transportation accessibility and speed through point-to-point operations. This analysis develops an understanding of the potential traffic volume and National Airspace System (NAS) capacity for small on-demand aircraft operations. Future demand projections use the Transportation Systems Analysis Model (TSAM), a tool suite developed by NASA and the Transportation Laboratory of Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Demand projections from TSAM contain the mode of travel, number of trips and geographic distribution of trips. For this study, the mode of travel can be commercial aircraft, automobile and on-demand aircraft. NASA's Airspace Concept Evaluation System (ACES) is used to assess NAS impact. This simulation takes a schedule that includes all flights: commercial passenger and cargo; conventional General Aviation and on-demand small aircraft, and operates them in the simulated NAS. The results of this analysis projects very large trip numbers for an on-demand air transportation system competitive with automobiles in cost per passenger mile. The significance is this type of air transportation can enhance mobility for communities that currently lack access to commercial air transportation. Another significant finding is that the large numbers of operations can have an impact on the current NAS infrastructure used by commercial airlines and cargo operators, even if on-demand traffic does not use the 28 airports in the Continental U.S. designated as large hubs by the FAA. Some smaller airports will experience greater demand than their current capacity allows and will require upgrading. In addition, in future years as demand grows and vehicle performance improves other non-conventional facilities such as short runways incorporated into shopping mall or transportation hub parking areas could provide additional capacity and convenience.
Smith, Jeremy C.↗