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At least 631 records · Page 35
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1999

Global Observation Information Networking: Using the Distributed Image Spreadsheet (DISS)

The DISS and many other tools will be used to present visualizations which span the period from the original Suomi/Hasler animations of the first ATS-1 GEO weather satellite images in 1966 ....... to the latest 1999 NASA Earth Science Vision for the next 25 years. Hot off the SGI Onyx Graphics-Supercomputers are NASA's visualizations of Hurricanes Mitch, Georges, Fran and Linda. These storms have been recently featured on the covers of National Geographic, Time, Newsweek and Popular Science and used repeatedly this season on National and International network TV. Results will be presented from a new paper on automatic wind measurements in Hurricane Luis from 1-min GOES images that appeared in the November BAMS.

Hasler, Fritz↗
NASA NTRS1997

Emulating the Visual Receptive Field Properties of MST Neurons with a Template Model of Heading Estimation

We have previously proposed a computational neural-network model by which the complex patterns of retinal image motion generated during locomotion (optic flow) can be processed by specialized detectors acting as templates for specific instances of self-motion. The detectors in this template model respond to global optic flow by sampling image motion over a large portion of the visual field through networks of local motion sensors with properties similar to neurons found in the middle temporal (MT) area of primate extrastriate visual cortex. The model detectors were designed to extract self-translation (heading), self-rotation, as well as the scene layout (relative distances) ahead of a moving observer, and are arranged in cortical-like heading maps to perform this function. Heading estimation from optic flow has been postulated by some to be implemented within the medial superior temporal (MST) area. Others have questioned whether MST neurons can fulfill this role because some of their receptive-field properties appear inconsistent with a role in heading estimation. To resolve this issue, we systematically compared MST single-unit responses with the outputs of model detectors under matched stimulus conditions. We found that the basic physiological properties of MST neurons can be explained by the template model. We conclude that MST neurons are well suited to support heading estimation and that the template model provides an explicit set of testable hypotheses which can guide future exploration of MST and adjacent areas within the primate superior temporal sulcus.

Perrone, John A.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Adjustable-Viewing-Angle Endoscopic Tool for Skull Base and Brain Surgery

The term Multi-Angle and Rear Viewing Endoscopic tooL (MARVEL) denotes an auxiliary endoscope, now undergoing development, that a surgeon would use in conjunction with a conventional endoscope to obtain additional perspective. The role of the MARVEL in endoscopic brain surgery would be similar to the role of a mouth mirror in dentistry. Such a tool is potentially useful for in-situ planetary geology applications for the close-up imaging of unexposed rock surfaces in cracks or those not in the direct line of sight. A conventional endoscope provides mostly a frontal view that is, a view along its longitudinal axis and, hence, along a straight line extending from an opening through which it is inserted. The MARVEL could be inserted through the same opening as that of the conventional endoscope, but could be adjusted to provide a view from almost any desired angle. The MARVEL camera image would be displayed, on the same monitor as that of the conventional endoscopic image, as an inset within the conventional endoscopic image. For example, while viewing a tumor from the front in the conventional endoscopic image, the surgeon could simultaneously view the tumor from the side or the rear in the MARVEL image, and could thereby gain additional visual cues that would aid in precise three-dimensional positioning of surgical tools to excise the tumor. Indeed, a side or rear view through the MARVEL could be essential in a case in which the object of surgical interest was not visible from the front. The conceptual design of the MARVEL exploits the surgeon s familiarity with endoscopic surgical tools. The MARVEL would include a miniature electronic camera and miniature radio transmitter mounted on the tip of a surgical tool derived from an endo-scissor (see figure). The inclusion of the radio transmitter would eliminate the need for wires, which could interfere with manipulation of this and other surgical tools. The handgrip of the tool would be connected to a linkage similar to that of an endo-scissor, but the linkage would be configured to enable adjustment of the camera angle instead of actuation of a scissor blade. It is envisioned that thicknesses of the tool shaft and the camera would be less than 4 mm, so that the camera-tipped tool could be swiftly inserted and withdrawn through a dime-size opening. Electronic cameras having dimensions of the order of millimeters are already commercially available, but their designs are not optimized for use in endoscopic brain surgery. The variety of potential endoscopic, thoracoscopic, and laparoscopic applications can be expected to increase as further development of electronic cameras yields further miniaturization and improvements in imaging performance.

Bae, Youngsam↗
NASA NTRS2016

Persistence Mapping Using EUV Solar Imager Data

We describe a simple image processing technique that is useful for the visualization and depiction of gradually evolving or intermittent structures in solar physics extreme-ultraviolet imagery. The technique is an application of image segmentation, which we call "Persistence Mapping," to isolate extreme values in a data set, and is particularly useful for the problem of capturing phenomena that are evolving in both space and time. While integration or "time-lapse" imaging uses the full sample (of size N ), Persistence Mapping rejects (N - 1)/N of the data set and identifies the most relevant 1/N values using the following rule: if a pixel reaches an extreme value, it retains that value until that value is exceeded. The simplest examples isolate minima and maxima, but any quantile or statistic can be used. This paper demonstrates how the technique has been used to extract the dynamics in long-term evolution of comet tails, erupting material, and EUV dimming regions.

Thompson, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS2017

The First Brown Dwarf Discovered by the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 Citizen Science Project

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is a powerful tool for finding nearby brown dwarfs and searching for new planets in the outer solar system, especially with the incorporation of NEOWISE and NEOWISE Reactivation data. However, so far, searches for brown dwarfs in WISE data have yet to take advantage of the full depth of the WISE images. To efficiently search this unexplored space via visual inspection, we have launched anew citizen science project, called "Backyard Worlds: Planet 9," which asks volunteers to examine short animations composed of difference images constructed from time-resolved WISE co adds. We report the first new substellar object discovered by this project, WISEA J110125.95+540052.8, a T5.5 brown dwarf located approximately 34 pc from the Sun with a total proper motion of approx.0. "7/ yr. WISEA J110125.95+540052.8 has a WISE W2 magnitude of W2 = 15.37+/- 0.09; our sensitivity to this source demonstrates the ability of citizen scientists to identify moving objects via visual inspection that are 0.9 mag fainter than the W2 single-exposure sensitivity, a threshold that has limited prior motion-based brown dwarf searches with WISE.

Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)↗
NASA NTRS2005

NASA's Earth Observations of the Global Environment: Our Changing Planet and the View from Space

A birds eye view of the Earth from afar and up close reveals the power and magnificence of the Earth and juxtaposes the simultaneous impacts and powerlessness of humankind. The NASA Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations in an historical perspective. See the latest spectacular images from NASA remote sensing missions like TRMM, SeaWiFS, Landsat 7, Terra, and Aqua, which will be visualized and explained in the context of global change and man s impact on our world s environment. See visualizations of global data sets currently available from Earth orbiting satellites, including the Earth at night with its city lights. Shown in high resolution are visualizations of tropical cyclone Eline and the resulting flooding of Mozambique. See flybys of Cape Town, South Africa with its dramatic mountains and landscape, as well as satellite imagery of fires that occurred globally, with a special emphasis on fires in the western US during summer 2001, and how new satellite tools can be used to help fight these disasters from spreading further. See where and when lightning occurs globally, and how dramatic urbanization has been in the desert southwest since 1910. Spectacular visualizations of the global atmosphere and oceans are shown. Learn when and where carbon is absorbed by vegetation on the land and ocean as the product of photosynthesis. See demonstrations of the 3-dimensional structure of hurricanes and cloud structures derived from recently launched Earth-orbiting satellites, and how hurricanes can modify the sea surface temperature in their wake. See massive dust storms in the Middle East as well as dust transport sweeping from north Africa across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and Amazon basin. Learn where and how much the temperature of the Earth s surface has changed during the 20th century, as well as how sea ice has decreased over the Arctic region, how sea level has and is likely to continue to change, and how glaciers have retreated worldwide in a response to global change. We will illustrate these and other topics with a dynamic theater-style presentation, along with animations of satellite launch deployments and orbital mapping to highlight aspects of Earth observations from space.

King, michael D.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Emulating the visual receptive-field properties of MST neurons with a template model of heading estimation

We have proposed previously a computational neural-network model by which the complex patterns of retinal image motion generated during locomotion (optic flow) can be processed by specialized detectors acting as templates for specific instances of self-motion. The detectors in this template model respond to global optic flow by sampling image motion over a large portion of the visual field through networks of local motion sensors with properties similar to those of neurons found in the middle temporal (MT) area of primate extrastriate visual cortex. These detectors, arranged within cortical-like maps, were designed to extract self-translation (heading) and self-rotation, as well as the scene layout (relative distances) ahead of a moving observer. We then postulated that heading from optic flow is directly encoded by individual neurons acting as heading detectors within the medial superior temporal (MST) area. Others have questioned whether individual MST neurons can perform this function because some of their receptive-field properties seem inconsistent with this role. To resolve this issue, we systematically compared MST responses with those of detectors from two different configurations of the model under matched stimulus conditions. We found that the characteristic physiological properties of MST neurons can be explained by the template model. We conclude that MST neurons are well suited to support self-motion estimation via a direct encoding of heading and that the template model provides an explicit set of testable hypotheses that can guide future exploration of MST and adjacent areas within the superior temporal sulcus.

NASA Discipline Neuroscience↗
NASA NTRS1988

Head-mounted spatial instruments: Synthetic reality or impossible dream

A spatial instrument is defined as a display device which has been either geometrically or symbolically enhanced to better enable a user to accomplish a particular task. Research conducted over the past several years on 3-D spatial instruments has shown that perspective displays, even when viewed from the correct viewpoint, are subject to systematic viewer biases. These biases interfere with correct spatial judgements of the presented pictorial information. It is also found that deliberate, appropriate geometric distortion of the perspective projection of an image can improve user performance. These two findings raise intriguing questions concerning the design of head-mounted spatial instruments. The design of such instruments may not only require the introduction of compensatory distortions to remove the neutrally occurring biases but also may significantly benefit from the introduction of artificial distortions which enhance performance. These image manipulations, however, can cause a loss of visual-vestibular coordination and induce motion sickness. Additionally, adaptation to these manipulations is apt to be impaired by computational delays in the image display. Consequently, the design of head-mounted spatial instruments will require an understanding of the tolerable limits of visual-vestibular discord.

Ellis, Stephen R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Stereo imaging with spaceborne radars

Stereo viewing is a valuable tool in photointerpretation and is used for the quantitative reconstruction of the three dimensional shape of a topographical surface. Stereo viewing refers to a visual perception of space by presenting an overlapping image pair to an observer so that a three dimensional model is formed in the brain. Some of the observer's function is performed by machine correlation of the overlapping images - so called automated stereo correlation. The direct perception of space with two eyes is often called natural binocular vision; techniques of generating three dimensional models of the surface from two sets of monocular image measurements is the topic of stereology.

Leberl, F.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Digital enhancement of X-rays for NDT

Report is "cookbook" for digital processing of industrial X-rays. Computer techniques, previously used primarily in laboratory and developmental research, have been outlined and codified into step by step procedures for enhancing X-ray images. Those involved in nondestructive testing should find report valuable asset, particularly is visual inspection is method currently used to process X-ray images.

Butterfield, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Visions of Our Planet's Atmosphere, Land & Oceans - ETheater Presentation

The NASA/NOAA/AMS Earth Science Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations in a historical perspective. Fly in from outer space to Florida and the KSC Visitor's Center. Go back to the early weather satellite images from the 1960s see them contrasted with the latest International global satellite weather movies including killer hurricanes & tornadic thunderstorms. See the latest spectacular images from NASA and NOAA remote sensing missions like GOES, NOAA, TRMM, SeaWiFS, Landsat7, & new Terra which will be visualized with state-of-the art tools. Shown in High Definition TV resolution (2048 x 768 pixels) are visualizations of hurricanes Lenny, Floyd, Georges, Mitch, Fran and Linda. See visualizations featured on covers of ma'gazines like Newsweek, TIME, National Geographic, Popular Science and on National & International Network TV. New Digital Earth visualization tools allow us to roam & zoom through massive global images including a Landsat tour of the US, with drill-downs into major cities using 1 m resolution spy-satellite technology from the Space Imaging IKONOS satellite. Spectacular new visualizations of the global atmosphere & oceans are shown. See massive dust storms sweeping across Africa. See ocean vortexes and currents that bring up the nutrients to feed tiny plankton and draw the fish, giant whales and fisherman. See the how the ocean blooms in response to these currents and El Nino/La Nina climate changes. The demonstration is interactively driven by a SGI Octane Graphics Supercomputer with dual CPUS, 5 Gigabytes of RAM and Terabyte disk using two projectors across the super sized Universe Theater panoramic screen.

Hasler, F.↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Presentation of Spectacular Visualizations. Visions of Our Planet's Atmosphere, Land and Oceans: ETheater Presentation

The NASA/NOAA/AMS Earth Science Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations in a historical perspective. Fly in from outer space to Florida and the KSC Visitor's Center. Go back to the early weather satellite images from the 1960s see them contrasted with the latest International global satellite weather movies including killer hurricanes & tornadic thunderstorms. See the latest spectacular images from NASA and NOAA remote sensing missions like GOES, NOAA, TRMM, SeaWiFS, Landsat7, & new Terra which will be visualized with state-of-the art tools. Shown in High Definition TV resolution (2048 x 768 pixels) are visualizations of hurricanes Lenny, Floyd, Georges, Mitch, Fran and Linda. See visualizations featured on covers of magazines like Newsweek, TIME, National Geographic, Popular Science and on National & International Network TV. New Digital Earth visualization tools allow us to roam & zoom through massive global images including a Landsat tour of the US, with drill-downs into major cities using 1 m resolution spy-satellite technology from the Space Imaging IKONOS satellite. Spectacular new visualizations of the global atmosphere & oceans are shown. See massive dust storms sweeping across Africa. See ocean vortices and currents that bring up the nutrients to feed tiny plankton and draw the fish, giant whales and fisherman. See how the ocean blooms in response to these currents and El Nino/La Nina climate changes. The demonstration is interactively driven by a SGI Octane Graphics Supercomputer with dual CPUs, 5 Gigabytes of RAM and Terabyte disk using two projectors across the super sized Universe Theater panoramic screen.

Hasler, Fritz↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Presentation of Spectracular Visualizations

The NASA/NOAA/AMS Earth Science Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations in a historical perspective. Fly in from outer space to Florida and the KSC Visitor's Center. Go back to the early weather satellite images from the 1960s see them contrasted with the latest International global satellite weather movies including killer hurricanes & tornadic thunderstorms. See the latest spectacular images from NASA and NOAA remote sensing missions like GOES, NOAA, TRMM, SeaWiFS, Landsat7, & new Terra which will be visualized with state-of-the art tools. Shown in High Definition TV resolution (2048 x 768 pixels) are visualizations of hurricanes Lenny, Floyd, Georges, Mitch, Fran and Linda. See visualizations featured on covers of magazines like Newsweek, TIME, National Geographic, Popular Science and on National & International Network TV. New Digital Earth visualization tools allow us to roam & zoom through massive global images including a Landsat tour of the US, with drill-downs into major cities using I m resolution spy-satellite technology from the Space Imaging IKONOS satellite. Spectacular new visualizations of the global atmosphere & oceans are shown. See massive dust storms sweeping across Africa. See ocean vortexes and currents that bring up the nutrients to feed tiny plankton and draw the fish, giant whales and fisherman. See the how the ocean blooms in response to these currents and El Nino/La Nina climate changes. The demonstration is interactively driven by a SGI Octane Graphics Supercomputer with dual CPUs, 5 Gigabytes of RAM and Terabyte disk using two projectors across the super sized Universe Theater panoramic screen.

Hasler, Fritz↗
NASA NTRS1981

Shaded computer graphic techniques for visualizing and interpreting analytic fluid flow models

Mathematical models which predict the behavior of fluid flow in different experiments are simulated using digital computers. The simulations predict values of parameters of the fluid flow (pressure, temperature and velocity vector) at many points in the fluid. Visualization of the spatial variation in the value of these parameters is important to comprehend and check the data generated, to identify the regions of interest in the flow, and for effectively communicating information about the flow to others. The state of the art imaging techniques developed in the field of three dimensional shaded computer graphics is applied to visualization of fluid flow. Use of an imaging technique known as 'SCAN' for visualizing fluid flow, is studied and the results are presented.

Parke, F. I.↗
NASA NTRS1973

First look analysis of geologic ground patterns on ERTS-1 imagery of Missouri

Examination of ERTS-1 data for selected areas of Missouri revealed not only many of the known geologic features but also a number of unknown linear, circular and arcuate ground patterns. The number of new geologic elements that have been brought to light as well as the sharp definition and probable extensions of several known geologic features point out the importance of multispectral imagery via satellite and the synoptic views which they provide. To date, analysis and interpretations have been a first-look visual examination of the unenhanced projected images.

Allen, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Usefulness of ERTS-1 satellite imagery as a data-gathering tool by resource managers in the Bureau of Land Management

ERTS-1 satellite imagery can be an effective data-gathering tool for resource managers. Techniques are developed which allow managers to visually analyze simulated color infrared composite images to map perennial and ephemeral (annual) plant communities. Tentative results indicate that ephemeral plant growth and development and potential to produce forage can be monitored.

Bentley, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Use of LANDSAT data to monitor pasture project in Amazonia

The author has identified the following significant results. No differences were found between acreage evaluation by visual and automatic interpretation of LANDSAT images. It was necessary to interpret both channels 5 and 7 to exactly outline the deforested areas. Channel 7 was necessary for the identification of deforested areas in the presence of recently grown natural vegetation, and channel 5 was necessary to identify the deforested areas in the cerrado regions. Automatic interpretation permitted the discrimination between areas with predominant grass coverage and recently grown natural vegetation.

Dejesusparada, N.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Image processing of aerodynamic data

The use of digital image processing techniques in analyzing and evaluating aerodynamic data is discussed. An image processing system that converts images derived from digital data or from transparent film into black and white, full color, or false color pictures is described. Applications to black and white images of a model wing with a NACA 64-210 section in simulated rain and to computed low properties for transonic flow past a NACA 0012 airfoil are presented. Image processing techniques are used to visualize the variations of water film thicknesses on the wing model and to illustrate the contours of computed Mach numbers for the flow past the NACA 0012 airfoil. Since the computed data for the NACA 0012 airfoil are available only at discrete spatial locations, an interpolation method is used to provide values of the Mach number over the entire field.

Faulcon, N. D.↗