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At least 397 records · Page 22

Human Factors Research Considerations for Terminal Area Urban Air Mobility Operations

In this presentation, we discuss the human factors research challenges from introducing greater levels of automation in a future air transportation concept called Urban Air Mobility (UAM). UAM is an air transportation concept that aims to provide air transportation services to the daily commuter, as well as emergency response and package delivery. The principal innovation over current day large air transport system is the greater distribution of important safety functions to automated and human agents; these functions include air traffic management, traditionally an air traffic controller responsibility. A central aspect of UAM is the development of an automated air traffic manager, whose primary responsibility is to approve airspace access for vehicle operators. Vehicle operator roles may include onboard and remote pilots, as well as a human manager who will supervise an entire fleet. Alternatively, both fleet manager and vehicle operators can be merged into a single role – a feasible option if UAM aircraft are autonomous. In lieu of tower controllers, vertiport managers, with the assistance of automation, will manage arrival and departure schedules between vertiports, as well as supervise surface operations. Our approach here will be to introduce use cases currently being developed by NASA, and then provide preliminary definitions for each of the roles introduced above and how coordination between them can be configured to support the operations within the use cases described. Subsequently, we review the tools and interfaces being developed to support the various roles. To conclude, we present current human factors work related to defining the roles above and suggest future work to advance the UAM concept.

trial planning↗

An expert system to manage the operation of the Space Shuttle's fuel cell cryogenic reactant tanks

This paper describes a rule-based expert system to manage the operation of the Space Shuttle's cryogenic fuel system. Rules are based on standard fuel tank operating procedures described in the EECOM Console Handbook. The problem of configuring the operation of the Space Shuttle's fuel tanks is well-bounded and well defined. Moreover, the solution of this problem can be encoded in a knowledge-based system. Therefore, a rule-based expert system is the appropriate paradigm. Furthermore, the expert system could be used in coordination with power system simulation software to design operating procedures for specific missions.

Murphey, Amy Y.↗

Designing for Advanced Aerial Mobility: Human-Autonomy Teaming and In-Time System-Wide Safety Assurance

The continued growth of aviation shall require new innovative technologies and operational concepts to meet the ever-increasing demands on air transportation. The NASA Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) project focuses on emerging aviation markets, such as Urban Air Mobility (UAM). UAM is defined as “...a safe and efficient system for air passenger and cargo transportation within an urban area. It is inclusive of small package delivery and other urban unmanned aerial system services and supports a mix of onboard/ground-piloted and increasingly autonomous operations” ([1]). The AAM project emphasizes technology development and validating system-level concepts and solutions in coordination with other NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) projects to enable UAM metro- and micro-plex vertiport and airspace concepts of operations. The NASA AAM research portfolio includes the concepts of Remote Supervisor-in-Command (RSC) and Fleet and Airspace Manager (FAM) as possible human roles for consumer fleet providers. NASA research in RSC is focused on development of guidelines and standards for remote pilots/operators passively and actively controlling a large fleet of autonomous aircraft. For FAM, flight and ground system concepts and technologies to enable high density homogeneous operations at increased scale from vertiport(s), and coordination with other humans in the systems (e.g., UAM urban airspace manager, Air Traffic Control) are key research areas. The envisioned UAM operations are posited to require autonomous systems to enable functions ranging from fleet and resource management to vehicle control. Although automation has become increasingly sophisticated and ubiquitous in civil aviation, autonomy represents a significant evolution in automation, which has generally been limited in functional scope and capability. As autonomy takes on increasing responsibilities, humans and machines will be required to work together in new and different ways [2], rather than traditional design approaches focused on how machines (i.e., autonomy) can do the work of people. The emerging field of human-autonomy teaming (HAT) represents a comprehensive and prioritized research-driven approach to enable the success of future emerging aviation market applications through capabilities and principles that facilitate humans and machine working and thinking better together. The NASA Transformational Tools and Technologies (TTT) Autonomous System (AS) Sub-project was created to assist with the transition into higher levels of autonomy to enable new modes of air transportation, such as UAM. TTT-AS has identified HAT as a key research need to enable UAM while maintaining today’s ultra-safe aviation system safety levels. The latter challenge has been taken up by the NASA System-Wide Safety (SWS) Project, which recognizes that aviation safety, as it evolves, shall require new ways of thinking about safety to include integration of a wide-range of existing and new safety systems and practices, enhanced tools and technologies, increased access to data and data fusion, improved data analysis capabilities, enhanced in-time risk monitoring and detection, hazard prioritization and mitigation, safety assurance decision-support, and in-time integrated system analytics [3].The operational concept of UAM represents a variety of work that has been termed, “work-as-imagined” to characterize the idea that how people think that work is done and how work is actually done are often not the same [4]. To ensure design success and system safety, looking at “work-as-done” provides a comparative approach toward UAM concept and technology design through examination of corresponding analogs found today in aviation (e.g., on-demand operations) and other transportation domains (e.g., port operations). The paper shall discuss various alternative applications with specific focus on airline operation center (AOC) operations, and unmanned aerial system (UAS) command-and-control to inform scaled-versions of FAM and RSC, respectively, and with consideration of the national airspace system contextual environment. The tenets and principles of the HAT field and current NASA research efforts under the TTT-AS sub-project shall also be described. Finally, the SWS sub-project efforts to develop In-Time System-Wide Safety Assurance (ISSA) and In-Time Safety Management Systems (IASMS) are discussed in terms of how “in-time” safety assurance may be conceptualized for the on-demand mobility air taxi “work-as-imagined” operational concept [5]. As part of this effort, concepts from the emerging field of resilience engineering, are being studied. Traditional approaches to aviation safety have focused on what can go wrong and how to prevent it. Another approach to thinking about system safety should reflect not only “avoiding things that go wrong” (protective safety) but also “ensuring that things go right” (productive safety), that enables a system to exhibit the resilient performance [6] necessary for the success of the future aviation system emerging concepts of operations. The paper shall describe efforts focused on how productive safety and resilience may enable a more complete approach to system safety thinking and design of ISSA and IASMS for UAM. Future directions and research needs shall also be discussed.

resilience↗

Coordination of data relay satellite support

Interoperability as it relates to NASDA and ESA plans to implement S-band services compatible with that provided by TDRSS is discussed. The administrative and operational prerequisites for interoperability are introduced with attention given to coordination before and during the mission, and orbital slot planning. Areas for future technical discussions include a more detailed definition of the RF signal structures for achieving a coordinated S-band service and the examination of schemes (such as baseband cooling) which minimize interference while permitting the joint use of the S-band and promoting interoperability.

Sobieski, S.↗

UTM and D-NET: NASA and JAXA's Collaborative Research on Integrating Small UAS with Disaster Response Efforts

Natural disasters, such as flooding, wildfire, hurricane, tornadoes, earthquakes and tsunamis, pose challenges in preserving human life and minimizing the damages to a region. During catastrophic events, timely response of disaster relief personnel, an efficient deployment of resources in the recovery effort, and coordinated information sharing amongst different relief agencies can make a substantial difference in responding to those impacted by the disaster. Many relief activities currently utilize both ground personnel and manned airborne assets during different phases of the disaster response. Typically, multiple organizations support relief activities and this often creates logistics coordination challenges between agencies which can result in wasted time or resources. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has been developing an "Integrated aircraft operation system for disaster relief (D-NET)", which assists collection and sharing of disaster information through the integrated operation of aircraft such as helicopters, aircraft, and satellites, for efficient and safe rescue operations by disaster relief aircraft. Due to the advancement in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technologies, public safety organizations have started incorporating small UAS (sUAS) as an asset in their disasters response activities. To address the airspace integration challenges of the influx of sUAS in the United States the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), under the UAS Traffic Management (UTM) project, has been engaged in research to enable large-scale commercial applications of sUAS operating in low altitude airspace. This paper presents the integration of D-NET, which incorporate sUAS in the planning, information sharing, and operation support of disasters response activities, and UTM, which provides airspace management to enable large scale high density operations. The integration of the DNET and UTM systems enables coordination, data sharing, and airspace management to improve the timeliness of the disaster response, enable relief organization to reduce cost and overhead by using UAS assets and still maintain airspace safety during the relief activities.

UTM↗

Medical Response, Search and Recovery during the Space Shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation

On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during atmospheric re-entry on mission STS-107. After an event such as this, with high visibility and international interest, the operational challenge of recovering the crewmembers could not be underestimated. The Space Shuttle Program is organized to respond to a vehicle mishap using the resources of the Mishap Investigation Team (MIT). On the afternoon of Feb. 1, 2003, the MIT deployed to Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB), Louisiana. This location became the investigative center and interim storage location for crewmembers received from the Lufkin, Texas Disaster Field Office (DFO). The Lufkin DFO served as the primary area for all operations, including staging assets and deploying field teams for search, recovery and security of crewmember remains. More than 2,000 people from numerous organizations were involved with the recovery of the crew. All seven crewmembers of STS-107 were recovered and ceremonial last rights were administered. Astronaut and military personnel escorted the crew with honor to the MIT at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. At Barksdale AFB a temporary morgue was established in an aircraft hangar and operated for approximately two weeks during which time coordination with the DFO field recovery teams, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) medical personnel, and the crew surgeons was on going. Families of crewmembers and NASA management were notified daily of the current findings. Working under the leadership of the MIT Lead, the medical team developed and executed a short-term plan to identify and relocate the crew with a military honor guard and protocol to the medical examiner at the Armed Forces Port Mortuary, Dover AFB, Delaware. After operations at Barksdale AFB were concluded the medical team transitioned back to Houston and a long-term plan was developed and implemented which involved the Air Force Mortuary Affairs at Randolph AFB, Texas. This plan was coordinated with search teams in the field, Barksdale AFB Mortuary Affairs, KSC security, AFIP, and the crew surgeons at JSC.

Stepaniak, Philip C.↗

Feasibility study for automatic reduction of phase change imagery

The feasibility of automatically reducing a form of pictorial aerodynamic heating data is discussed. The imagery, depicting the melting history of a thin coat of fusible temperature indicator painted on an aerodynamically heated model, was previously reduced by manual methods. Careful examination of various lighting theories and approaches led to an experimentally verified illumination concept capable of yielding high-quality imagery. Both digital and video image processing techniques were applied to reduction of the data, and it was demonstrated that either method can be used to develop superimposed contours. Mathematical techniques were developed to find the model-to-image and the inverse image-to-model transformation using six conjugate points, and methods were developed using these transformations to determine heating rates on the model surface. A video system was designed which is able to reduce the imagery rapidly, economically and accurately. Costs for this system were estimated. A study plan was outlined whereby the mathematical transformation techniques developed to produce model coordinate heating data could be applied to operational software, and methods were discussed and costs estimated for obtaining the digital information necessary for this software.

Nossaman, G. O.↗

A real time data acquisition system by satellite relay

The overall aim was to evaluate the future usefulness of satellites in the performance of coordination and management functions related to the operation of flood control and other multipurpose projects in New England. Results on the data collection portion of the work are presented. The principal task was to develop statistics that demonstrate the relationship between conventional means of acquiring hydrologic data and the contribution made by using the satellite and its data collection platforms. Main interest was in determining the availability, reliability and usability of the data. Significant results on DCS show that the DCP's are reliable and useful and satellite data collection appears feasible on a nationwide basis.

Cooper, S.↗

Global disaster satellite communications system for disaster assessment and relief coordination

The global communication requirements for disaster assistance and examines operationally feasible satellite system concepts and the associated system parameters are analyzed. Some potential problems associated with the current method of providing disaster assistance and a scenario for disaster assistance relying on satellite communications are described. Historical statistics are used with the scenario to assess service requirements. Both present and planned commercially available systems are considered. The associated global disaster communication yearly service costs are estimated.

Leroy, B. E.↗

An efficient algorithm for computing the crossovers in satellite altimetry

An efficient algorithm has been devised to compute the crossovers in satellite altimetry. The significance of the crossovers is twofold. First, they are needed to perform the crossover adjustment to remove the orbit error. Secondly, they yield important insight into oceanic variability. Nevertheless, there is no published algorithm to make this very time consuming task easier, which is the goal of this report. The success of the algorithm is predicated on the ability to predict (by analytical means) the crossover coordinates to within 6 km and 1 sec of the true values. Hence, only one interpolation/extrapolation step on the data is needed to derive the crossover coordinates in contrast to the many interpolation/extrapolation operations usually needed to arrive at the same accuracy level if deprived of this information.

Tai, Chang-Kou↗

An efficient algorithm for computing the crossovers in satellite altimetry

An efficient algorithm has been devised to compute the crossovers in satellite altimetry. The significance of the crossovers is twofold. First, they are needed to perform the crossover adjustment to remove the orbit error. Secondly, they yield important insight into oceanic variability. Nevertheless, there is no published algorithm to make this very time-consuming task easier, which is the goal of this report. The success of the algorithm is predicated on the ability to predict (by analytical means) the crossover coordinates to within 6 km and 1 sec of the true values. Hence, only one interpolation/extrapolation step on the data is needed to derive the crossover coordinates in contrast to the many interpolation/extrapolation operations usually needed to arrive at the same accuracy level if deprived of this information.

Tai, Chang-Kou↗

Robotic space construction

Research at Langley AFB concerning automated space assembly is reviewed, including a Space Shuttle experiment to test astronaut ability to assemble a repetitive truss structure, testing the use of teleoperated manipulators to construct the Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures I truss, and assessment of the basic characteristics of manipulator assembly operations. Other research topics include the simultaneous coordinated control of dual-arm manipulators and the automated assembly of candidate Space Station trusses. Consideration is given to the construction of an Automated Space Assembly Laboratory to study and develop the algorithms, procedures, special purpose hardware, and processes needed for automated truss assembly.

Mixon, Randolph W.↗

Proceedings of the NASA Conference on Space Telerobotics, volume 5

Papers presented at the NASA Conference on Space Telerobotics are compiled. The theme of the conference was man-machine collaboration in space. The conference provided a forum for researchers and engineers to exchange ideas on the research and development required for the application of telerobotics technology to the space systems planned for the 1990's and beyond. Volume 5 contains papers related to the following subject areas: robot arm modeling and control, special topics in telerobotics, telerobotic space operations, manipulator control, flight experiment concepts, manipulator coordination, issues in artificial intelligence systems, and research activities at the Johnson Space Center.

Rodriguez, Guillermo↗

Aircraft/island/ship/satellite intercomparison: Preliminary results from July 16, 1987

The First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) objective of validating and improving satellite algorithms for inferring cloud properties from satellite radiances was one of the central motivating factors in the design of the specific field experimental strategies used in the July, 1987 marine stratocumulus intensive field observations (IFO). The in situ measuring platforms were deployed to take maximum advantage of redundant measurements (for intercomparison of the in situ sensors) and to provide optimal coverage within satellite images. One of the most ambitious of these strategies was the attempt to coordinate measurements from San Nicolas Island (SNI), the R/V Pt. Sur, the meteorological aircraft, and the satellites. For the most part, this attempt was frustrated by flight restrictions in the vicinity of SNI. The exception was the mission of July 16, 1987, which achieved remarkable success in the coordination of the platforms. This presentation concerns operations conducted by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Electra and how data from the Electra can be integrated with and compared to data from the Pt. Sur, SNI, and the satellites. The focus is on the large-scale, integrated picture of the conditions on July 16 from the perspective of the Electra's flight operations.

Hanson, Howard P.↗

Programmable remapper for image processing

A video-rate coordinate remapper includes a memory for storing a plurality of transformations on look-up tables for remapping input images from one coordinate system to another. Such transformations are operator selectable. The remapper includes a collective processor by which certain input pixels of an input image are transformed to a portion of the output image in a many-to-one relationship. The remapper includes an interpolative processor by which the remaining input pixels of the input image are transformed to another portion of the output image in a one-to-many relationship. The invention includes certain specific transforms for creating output images useful for certain defects of visually impaired people. The invention also includes means for shifting input pixels and means for scrolling the output matrix.

Juday, Richard D.↗

Simulation of the Attitude Determination System for Space Station berthing dynamics research

Langley has developed a simulator of the Space Station coupled to the Space Shuttle via the Remote Manipulator System for use in evaluating handling during Station assembly. To date, evaluations of this scenario had included the Station Attitude Control System (ACS), assuming that the Station Attitude Determination System (ADS) provides perfect information on the coupled configuration. Herein, the complete Station digital autopilot (DAP) is considered including both the ADS and ACS systems. The ADS, its modelling and simulation are briefly overviewed and studies concerning the closed-loop operation of the DAP during local-coordinate, orbital attitude hold are presented. Results show that the presence of a type 0 filter in the ADS angular velocity signal processing has an adverse effect on attitude estimation because of the error in steady-state tracking of the angular velocity following reaction control jet firings. This error propagates into the attitude estimate almost linearly with time and star tracker updates are required at frequent, 3-second intervals if a .001 degree accuracy is to be maintained.

Montgomery, Raymond C.↗

Dexterity enhancement in microsurgery using telemicro-robotics

The presentation will focus on finding the spectrum of dexterity performance while performing microsurgery in various specialties. It will be noted that individuals vary markedly in their performance in the position, velocity, stability, and force domains. There are surgeons who have a tremor who otherwise move very slowly and carefully while there are other surgeons who apply excessive force, but never have a tremor or move excessively fast. There are yet other surgeons who move excessively fast, yet they do not have a tremor. Dexterity enhancement includes position down scaling, tremor filtering, fatigue elimination, and other second-order issues such as confining the work space, velocities, accelerations, or forces. It will be described that the hand's position performance is degraded when it is asked to actuate the tools and that remote actuation alone increases the positioning capabilities. It will be noted that rotary and telescopic functions are far more difficult than writing or engraving-like motions. The safety issues concerning velocities and forces will be discussed and the need for impedance control pointed out. Simplistically, the devices should be made with variable compliance so that they can function rigidly as a robot would or compliantly as a human would, depending on the setting of this parameter. Tool interfaces will be discussed with an emphasis on the overall performance of the position, end effector, and tool as a unit. Space constraints, force, and velocity requirements will be discussed in this section as well. Referencing the coordinate system to pre- or inter-operative imaging systems will be discussed as well as an emphasis on the system architecture.

Charles, Steve↗

The Network Operations Control Center upgrade task: Lessons learned

This article synthesizes and describes the lessons learned from the Network Operations Control Center (NOCC) upgrade project, from the requirements phase through development and test and transfer. At the outset, the NOCC upgrade was being performed simultaneously with two other interfacing and dependent upgrades at the Signal Processing Center (SPC) and Ground Communications Facility (GCF), thereby adding a significant measure of complexity to the management and overall coordination of the development and transfer-to-operations (DTO) effort. Like other success stories, this project carried with it the traditional elements of top management support and exceptional dedication of cognizant personnel. Additionally, there were several NOCC-specific reasons for success, such as end-to-end system engineering, adoption of open-system architecture, thorough requirements management, and use of appropriate off-the-shelf technologies. On the other hand, there were several difficulties, such as ill-defined external interfaces, transition issues caused by new communications protocols, ambivalent use of two sets of policies and standards, and mistailoring of the new JPL management standard (due to the lack of practical guidelines). This article highlights the key lessons learned, as a means of constructive suggestions for the benefit of future projects.

Sherif, J. S.↗