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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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At least 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Adaptive filtering of biodynamic stick feedthrough in manipulation tasks on board moving platforms

A novel approach to suppress the effects of biodynamic interference is presented. An adaptive noise canceling technique is employed for substracting the platform motion correlated components from the control stick output. The effects of biodynamic interference and its suppression by adaptive noise cancellation has been evaluated in a series of tracking tasks performed in a moving base simulator. Simulator motions were in pitch, roll and combined pitch and roll. Human operator performance was assessed from the mean square values of the tracking error and the control activity. The tracking error and the total stick output signal were found to increase significantly with motion and to diminish substantially with adaptive noise cancellation, thus providing a considerable improvement in tracking performance under conditions in which platform motion were present. The adaptive filter was found to cause a significant increase in the cross-over frequency and decrease in the phase margin. Moreover, the adaptive filter was found to significantly improve the human operator visual motor response. This improvement is manifested as an increased human operator gain, a smaller time delay and lower pilot workload.

Velger, M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Automatic Speech Recognition in Air Traffic Control: a Human Factors Perspective

The introduction of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology into the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system has the potential to improve overall safety and efficiency. However, because ASR technology is inherently a part of the man-machine interface between the user and the system, the human factors issues involved must be addressed. Here, some of the human factors problems are identified and related methods of investigation are presented. Research at M.I.T.'s Flight Transportation Laboratory is being conducted from a human factors perspective, focusing on intelligent parser design, presentation of feedback, error correction strategy design, and optimal choice of input modalities.

Karlsson, Joakim↗
NASA NTRS1994

Evaluation of lens distortion errors using an underwater camera system for video-based motion analysis

Video-based motion analysis systems are widely employed to study human movement, using computers to capture, store, process, and analyze video data. This data can be collected in any environment where cameras can be located. One of the NASA facilities where human performance research is conducted is the Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF), a pool of water which simulates zero-gravity with neutral buoyance. Underwater video collection in the WETF poses some unique problems. This project evaluates the error caused by the lens distortion of the WETF cameras. A grid of points of known dimensions was constructed and videotaped using a video vault underwater system. Recorded images were played back on a VCR and a personal computer grabbed and stored the images on disk. These images were then digitized to give calculated coordinates for the grid points. Errors were calculated as the distance from the known coordinates of the points to the calculated coordinates. It was demonstrated that errors from lens distortion could be as high as 8 percent. By avoiding the outermost regions of a wide-angle lens, the error can be kept smaller.

Poliner, Jeffrey↗
NASA NTRS2011

Investigating Material Approximations in Spacecraft Radiation Analysis

During the design process, the configuration of space vehicles and habitats changes frequently and the merits of design changes must be evaluated. Methods for rapidly assessing astronaut exposure are therefore required. Typically, approximations are made to simplify the geometry and speed up the evaluation of each design. In this work, the error associated with two common approximations used to simplify space radiation vehicle analyses, scaling into equivalent materials and material reordering, are investigated. Over thirty materials commonly found in spacesuits, vehicles, and human bodies are considered. Each material is placed in a material group (aluminum, polyethylene, or tissue), and the error associated with scaling and reordering was quantified for each material. Of the scaling methods investigated, range scaling is shown to be the superior method, especially for shields less than 30 g/cm2 exposed to a solar particle event. More complicated, realistic slabs are examined to quantify the separate and combined effects of using equivalent materials and reordering. The error associated with material reordering is shown to be at least comparable to, if not greater than, the error associated with range scaling. In general, scaling and reordering errors were found to grow with the difference between the average nuclear charge of the actual material and average nuclear charge of the equivalent material. Based on this result, a different set of equivalent materials (titanium, aluminum, and tissue) are substituted for the commonly used aluminum, polyethylene, and tissue. The realistic cases are scaled and reordered using the new equivalent materials, and the reduced error is shown.

Walker, Steven A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

A Framework for Modeling Human-Machine Interactions

Modern automated flight-control systems employ a variety of different behaviors, or modes, for managing the flight. While developments in cockpit automation have resulted in workload reduction and economical advantages, they have also given rise to an ill-defined class of human-machine problems, sometimes referred to as 'automation surprises'. Our interest in applying formal methods for describing human-computer interaction stems from our ongoing research on cockpit automation. In this area of aeronautical human factors, there is much concern about how flight crews interact with automated flight-control systems, so that the likelihood of making errors, in particular mode-errors, is minimized and the consequences of such errors are contained. The goal of the ongoing research on formal methods in this context is: (1) to develop a framework for describing human interaction with control systems; (2) to formally categorize such automation surprises; and (3) to develop tests for identification of these categories early in the specification phase of a new human-machine system.

Shafto, Michael G.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Preliminary error budget for an optical ranging system: Range, range rate, and differenced range observables

Future missions to the outer solar system or human exploration of Mars may use telemetry systems based on optical rather than radio transmitters. Pulsed laser transmission can be used to deliver telemetry rates of about 100 kbits/sec with an efficiency of several bits for each detected photon. Navigational observables that can be derived from timing pulsed laser signals are discussed. Error budgets are presented based on nominal ground stations and spacecraft-transceiver designs. Assuming a pulsed optical uplink signal, two-way range accuracy may approach the few centimeter level imposed by the troposphere uncertainty. Angular information can be achieved from differenced one-way range using two ground stations with the accuracy limited by the length of the available baseline and by clock synchronization and troposphere errors. A method of synchronizing the ground station clocks using optical ranging measurements is presented. This could allow differenced range accuracy to reach the few centimeter troposphere limit.

Folkner, W. M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Instrument scan - Is it an indicator of the pilot's workload

Results of an investigation of the relationship between an aircraft pilot's visual scanning of instruments and the level of mental activity during a simulated approach and landing are presented. Noting that periods of activity which demand either close to 100% of human capacity or low levels of capacity are the times when most errors are committed, trials were conducted with three NASA test pilots in a terminal configured vehicle simulator. The pilots flew a normal approach while verbally responding to three digit stimuli to be judged plus or minus according to an order of magnitude scheme, and also while using a control stick to extinguish a light that came on and off to the right and left of the instrument panel. Eyescans of the instrumentation were monitored, and determinations were made of the most common instruments used during approach and flare. Fixation on instruments was found to increase with the arithmetic tasks.

Ephrath, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Twenty-First Annual Conference on Manual Control

The proceedings of the entitled conference are presented. Twenty-nine manuscripts and eight abstracts pertaining to workload, attention and errors, controller evaluation, movement skills, coordination and decision making, display evaluation and human operator modeling and manual control.

Miller, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Computerized Analysis Of Helicopter-Rotor Aeroelasticity

Analysis of aeroelastic stability of helicopter rotor automated. Symbolic-manipulation program, HESL, written in FORTRAN, used to aid in derivation of government equations of motion for elastic-bladed rotor. Operates both on expressions and matrices. By transferring some burden of algebraic manipulations from human analyst to computer, program reduces tedium analysis and conequent opportunity for errors.

Reddy, T. S. R.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Information for Successful Interaction with Autonomous Systems

Interaction in heterogeneous mission operations teams is not well matched to classical models of coordination with autonomous systems. We describe methods of loose coordination and information management in mission operations. We describe an information agent and information management tool suite for managing information from many sources, including autonomous agents. We present an integrated model of levels of complexity of agent and human behavior, which shows types of information processing and points of potential error in agent activities. We discuss the types of information needed for diagnosing problems and planning interactions with an autonomous system. We discuss types of coordination for which designs are needed for autonomous system functions.

Malin, Jane T.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS) System Manager

The Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS) mission is an ambitious NASA space science mission in which 4 spacecraft are flown in tight formation about a highly elliptical orbit. Each spacecraft has multiple instruments that measure particle and field compositions in the Earths magnetosphere. By controlling the members relative motion, MMS can distinguish temporal and spatial fluctuations in a way that a single spacecraft cannot.To achieve this control, 2 sets of four maneuvers, distributed evenly across the spacecraft must be performed approximately every 14 days. Performing a single maneuver on an individual spacecraft is usually labor intensive and the complexity becomes clearly increases with four. As a result, the MMS flight dynamics team turned to the System Manager to put the routine or error-prone under machine control freeing the analysts for activities that require human judgment.The System Manager is an expert system that is capable of handling operations activities associated with performing MMS maneuvers. As an expert system, it can work off a known schedule, launching jobs based on a one-time occurrence or on a set reoccurring schedule. It is also able to detect situational changes and use event-driven programming to change schedules, adapt activities, or call for help.

Ground System Expert Automation↗
NASA NTRS1984

Effects of Control Stick Parameters on Human Controller Response

A fixed base laboratory tracking study was conducted to determine the effects of stick displacement and stick force characteristics on human tracking performance. Three different levels of control stick force/displacement characteristics and stick electrical gain were varied to observe their influence on RMS (Root Mean Square) tracking error and RMS control activity (stick output). The results indicated that both RMS tracking error and RMS control activity were influenced by the three different levels of control stick force/displacement characteristics and stick electrical gain. The human neuromotor time constant was affected by the electrical control gain of the stick while the spring stiffness of the stick influenced the time delay characteristics of the human response behavior.

Repperger, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Generalizable Skills and Knowledge for Exploration Missions

This report describes research conducted under Cooperative Agreement 80NSSC18K0042 for the Human Factors and Behavioral Performance Element, Human Research Program, located at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Johnson Space Center. The research addresses the Risk of Inadequate Mission, Process, and Task Design and the Risk of Performance Errors Due to Training Deficiencies during exploration-class space missions by identifying the tasks that will be conducted by human crew during an expedition to Mars and the abilities, skills, and knowledge that will be required of crew members. By focusing on an expedition to Mars, we have considered the extremes of what is possible for human space exploration during the first half of the 21st Century and accommodated the human requirements for missions to asteroids, Cis-Lunar orbit, and a return to the Moon.

Stuster, Jack↗
NASA NTRS2019

Common Habitat for Long Duration Transit and Surface Operations

This concept is based on the Skylab II concept, which proposes using a SLS propellant tank as the primary structure of a habitat. Common Habitat takes this a step further, proposing an interior architecture that is equally viable as a lunar surface hab, transit hab, and Mars surface hab, thus enabling a single development to support all three long duration habitat roles. Common Habitat has been pursued by the PI and co-investigators at MSFC and other centers in a spare time / funding available basis, often with heavy student intern support. Student resources have developed preliminary concepts, but these models must be refined to reflect accurate vehicle subsystems, utilities, stowage, workstations, and other crew systems. This investigation applies NASA civil servant and contractor expertise to correct errors in the most recent student concepts in order to prepare them for future human-in-the-loop evaluations to determine the most viable configuration for a Common Habitat. In prior studies there was never an opportunity to trade both crew size and internal orientation. Prior work has been a series of point designs with inconsistent design constraints, making apples to apples comparisons impossible. The most recent student work produced CAD models of four habitat variants for future use in a trade study, but the student products contain model construction and geometry errors, inaccurate subsystems design and placement, and unrealistic structural elements and outfitting. These must be corrected before the models can be moved into a VR environment for humanin- the-loop testing. Through consultation with SMEs throughout the Agency, the fidelity of these designs will be upgraded to a level of quality sufficient to make a comparative analysis of crew size sensitivity and internal orientation. The product of this activity is four upgraded CAD models, each reflecting a different configuration of the Common Habitat. One is a horizontal configuration using the full length of the SLS LOX tank. One is a vertical configuration using the same tank dimensions. The third is a horizontal configuration using a truncated SLS LOX tank (half the barrel length). The fourth is a vertical configuration of the half-length SLS LOX tank.

Howard, Robert L.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Evidence Report: Risk of Performance Errors Due to Training Deficiencies

The Risk of Performance Errors Due to Training Deficiencies is identified by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Research Program (HRP) as a recognized risk to human health and performance in space. The HRP Program Requirements Document (PRD) defines these risks. This Evidence Report provides a summary of the evidence that has been used to identify and characterize this risk. Given that training content, timing, intervals, and delivery methods must support crew task performance, and given that training paradigms will be different for long-duration missions with increased crew autonomy, there is a risk that operators will lack the skills or knowledge necessary to complete critical tasks, resulting in flight and ground crew errors and inefficiencies, failed mission and program objectives, and an increase in crew injuries.

Barshi, Immanuel↗
NASA NTRS2010

Human Factors in Training: Space Medical Proficiency Training

The early Constellation space missions are expected to have medical capabilities very similar to those currently on the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS). For Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) missions to the ISS, medical equipment will be located on the ISS, and carried into CEV in the event of an emergency. Flight surgeons (FS) on the ground in Mission Control will be expected to direct the crew medical officer (CMO) during medical situations. If there is a loss of signal and the crew is unable to communicate with the ground, a CMO would be expected to carry out medical procedures without the aid of a FS. In these situations, performance support tools can be used to reduce errors and time to perform emergency medical tasks. The space medical training work is part of the Human Factors in Training Directed Research Project (DRP) of the Space Human Factors Engineering (SHFE) Project under the Space Human Factors and Habitability (SHFH) Element of the Human Research Program (HRP). This is a joint project consisting of human factors team from the Ames Research Center (ARC) with Immanuel Barshi as Principal Investigator and the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Human factors researchers at JSC have recently investigated medical performance support tools for CMOs on-orbit, and FSs on the ground, and researchers at the Ames Research Center performed a literature review on medical errors. Work on medical training has been conducted in collaboration with the Medical Training Group at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) and with Wyle Laboratories that provides medical training to crew members, biomedical engineers (BMEs), and to flight surgeons under the Bioastronautics contract. One area of research building on activities from FY08, involved the feasibility of just-in-time (JIT) training techniques and concepts for real-time medical procedures. A second area of research involves FS performance support tools. Information needed by the FS during the ISS mission support, especially for an emergency situation (e.g., fire onboard ISS), may be located in many different places around the FS s console. A performance support tool prototype is being developed to address this issue by bringing all of the relevant information together in one place. The tool is designed to include procedures and other information needed by a FS during an emergency, as well as procedures and information to be used after the emergency is resolved. Several walkthroughs of the prototype with FSs have been completed within a mockup of an ISS FS console. Feedback on the current tool design as well as recommendations for existing ISS FS displays were captured. The tool could have different uses depending on the situation and the skill of the user. An experienced flight surgeon could use it during an emergency situation as a decision and performance support tool, whereas a new flight surgeon could use it as JITT, or part of his/her regular training. The work proposed for FY10 continues to build on this strong collaboration with the Space Medical Training Group and previous research.

Byrne, Vicky E.↗