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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 631 records · Page 35
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Information Management for a Large Multidisciplinary Project

In 1989, NASA's Langley Research Center (LaRC) initiated the High-Speed Airframe Integration Research (HiSAIR) Program to develop and demonstrate an integrated environment for high-speed aircraft design using advanced multidisciplinary analysis and optimization procedures. The major goals of this program were to evolve the interactions among disciplines and promote sharing of information, to provide a timely exchange of information among aeronautical disciplines, and to increase the awareness of the effects each discipline has upon other disciplines. LaRC historically has emphasized the advancement of analysis techniques. HiSAIR was founded to synthesize these advanced methods into a multidisciplinary design process emphasizing information feedback among disciplines and optimization. Crucial to the development of such an environment are the definition of the required data exchanges and the methodology for both recording the information and providing the exchanges in a timely manner. These requirements demand extensive use of data management techniques, graphic visualization, and interactive computing. HiSAIR represents the first attempt at LaRC to promote interdisciplinary information exchange on a large scale using advanced data management methodologies combined with state-of-the-art, scientific visualization techniques on graphics workstations in a distributed computing environment. The subject of this paper is the development of the data management system for HiSAIR.

Kennie H Jones↗
NASA NTRS2008

Emergency Response Virtual Environment for Safe Schools

An intelligent emergency response virtual environment (ERVE) that provides emergency first responders, response planners, and managers with situational awareness as well as training and support for safe schools is presented. ERVE incorporates an intelligent agent facility for guiding and assisting the user in the context of the emergency response operations. Response information folders capture key information about the school. The system enables interactive 3D visualization of schools and academic campuses, including the terrain and the buildings' exteriors and interiors in an easy to use Web..based interface. ERVE incorporates live camera and sensors feeds and can be integrated with other simulations such as chemical plume simulation. The system is integrated with a Geographical Information System (GIS) to enable situational awareness of emergency events and assessment of their effect on schools in a geographic area. ERVE can also be integrated with emergency text messaging notification systems. Using ERVE, it is now possible to address safe schools' emergency management needs with a scaleable, seamlessly integrated and fully interactive intelligent and visually compelling solution.

Wasfy, Ayman↗
NASA NTRS1983

Impact of LANDSAT MSS sensor differences on change detection analysis

Differences in overall sensor response, due to both factors within the sensor system, and external factors such as atmospheric effects, must be dealt with before change detection techniques using image differencing can be successfully implemented. The approach used to be coregister data to a base, followed by between image scatterogram generation and evaluation, and image differencing. Data from LANDSAT 2 and 3 were registered to LANDSAT 4 data. The area was limited to a small protion of the scene near the City of Santa Cruz because this was the only area cloud and haze free on all the images. Visual examination of each image, as well as the between image scatterograms, provide information on radiometric characteristics of each sensor. The image differencing, after normalizing for radiometric differences, provides a visual depiction of geometric distortions.

Likens, W.↗
NASA NTRS2019

NASA GES DISC Giovanni: Current and Future

Giovanni (Geospatial Interactive Online Visualization and Analysis Infrastructure), developed by the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), has established a reputation among NASA users for easy access, analysis, and visualization of NASA Earth science data. Currently, Giovanni supports over 1900 variables in eight disciplinary areas. Like any other enterprise application, Giovanni faces big data challenges, such as servicing increasingly large data volumes and more complex data types, while at the same time addressing the demands of a more diverse user community, e.g., placing requests for long-term time series from multiple spatially and temporally dense data records. I will present how Giovanni has been evolving from an on-premises, monolithic software application towards a cloud-enabled implementation to address these challenges.

Analytics↗
NASA NTRS2019

NASA GIBS and Worldview: Bringing 20 Years of Terra Data into View

For nearly 10 years, the NASA Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS) and Worldview interactive mapping site have provided users full resolution visualizations of Terra land, cryosphere, ocean, and atmosphere science parameters available within hours of acquisition. Over that time, GIBS and Worldview have expanded their Terra visualization suite to include even more parameters covering the entire mission of science data. Users can now view daily visualizations of nearly 50 near-real time and over 125 science quality science parameters from Terra instruments. These visualizations provide a unique capability for a broad user base to interact and discover the wealth of information sense by instruments on the Terra platform. By viewing Terra-based visualizations in a single location, users can correlate retrievals across instruments. Additionally, GIBS and Worldview include visualizations from many other platforms, allowing for an even greater data discovery capability.The GIBS and Worldview teams continue to work with Terra instrument science teams to add more visualized layers, as well as supporting visualization updates as the data is continually improved. Additionally, the GIBS interfaces and Worldview site are actively working on improved visualization functionality, including vector- and granule/swath-based products, to better address the expanding needs of its user community. This presentation will focus on an overview of existing and future visualization products and capabilities that have supported, and will support, a broad use of Terra data in science, media, and application communities.

Cechini, Matthew↗
DOE OSTI2023

Real-time mixed reality display of dual particle radiation detector data

Radiation source localization and characterization are challenging tasks that currently require complex analyses for interpretation. Mixed reality (MR) technologies are at the verge of wide scale adoption and can assist in the visualization of complex data. Herein, we demonstrate real-time visualization of gamma ray and neutron radiation detector data in MR using the Microsoft HoloLens 2 smart glasses, significantly reducing user interpretation burden. Radiation imaging systems typically use double-scatter events of gamma rays or fast neutrons to reconstruct the incidence directional information, thus enabling source localization. The calculated images and estimated ’hot spots’ are then often displayed in 2D angular space projections on screens. By combining a state-of-the-art dual particle imaging system with HoloLens 2, we propose to display the data directly to the user via the head-mounted MR smart glasses, presenting the directional information as an overlay to the user’s 3D visual experience. We describe an open source implementation using efficient data transfer, image calculation, and 3D engine. We thereby demonstrate for the first time a real-time user experience to display fast neutron or gamma ray images from various radioactive sources set around the detector. We also introduce an alternative source search mode for situations of low event rates using a neural network and simulation based training data to provide a fast estimation of the source’s angular direction. Using MR for radiation detection provides a more intuitive perception of radioactivity and can be applied in routine radiation monitoring, education & training, emergency scenarios, or inspections.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS2019

Bringing Analysis Closer to Data: Developing a Visualization Tool for L2 Earth Science Satellite Data

Earth Science satellite missions provide a unique opportunity for scientists to visualize complex and multifaceted observations projected geospatially across maps of the Earth. While visualization tools can help scientists comprehend, analyze, and share data, visualizing Level-2 Earth Sciences data poses its own specific set of challenges. Since the geospatial information in Level-2 data files is stored as independent variables, the plotting process involves matching dimensional information from latitude and longitude with a desired variable. Variables are stored in different ways across various Earth Science data file formats, which complicates the process of extracting data and plotting variables from a given file without requiring extensive user input and prerequisite familiarity with the file type variable structure. In coordination with NASA’s Goddard Earth Sciences Data Information Services Center (GES DISC), the team developed a Level-2 Earth Science data visualization tool that aims to address some of the complexities associated with plotting Level-2 data. This tool offers command-line and user interface support for file and variable selection to accommodate varying use cases and degrees of user familiarity with the structure of a given file. The visualization tool is written in Python 3 and utilizes a modular approach to facilitate continued expansion and reuse. In addressing some common complications involved in plotting Level-2 Earth Sciences data, the tool aims to help to link the process of analysis more directly with data acquisition and visualization, bringing analysis closer to data across levels of processing.

Li, Angela W.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Intelligent Data Visualization for Cross-Checking Spacecraft System Diagnosis

Any reasoning system is fallible, so crew members and flight controllers must be able to cross-check automated diagnoses of spacecraft or habitat problems by considering alternate diagnoses and analyzing related evidence. Cross-checking improves diagnostic accuracy because people can apply information processing heuristics, pattern recognition techniques, and reasoning methods that the automated diagnostic system may not possess. Over time, cross-checking also enables crew members to become comfortable with how the diagnostic reasoning system performs, so the system can earn the crew s trust. We developed intelligent data visualization software that helps users cross-check automated diagnoses of system faults more effectively. The user interface displays scrollable arrays of timelines and time-series graphs, which are tightly integrated with an interactive, color-coded system schematic to show important spatial-temporal data patterns. Signal processing and rule-based diagnostic reasoning automatically identify alternate hypotheses and data patterns that support or rebut the original and alternate diagnoses. A color-coded matrix display summarizes the supporting or rebutting evidence for each diagnosis, and a drill-down capability enables crew members to quickly view graphs and timelines of the underlying data. This system demonstrates that modest amounts of diagnostic reasoning, combined with interactive, information-dense data visualizations, can accelerate system diagnosis and cross-checking.

Ong, James C.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Characteristics of a Well Clear Definition and Alerting Criteria for Encounters Between UAS and Manned Aircraft in Class E Airspace

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) will be required to equip with a detect-and-avoid (DAA) system in order to satisfy the federal aviation regulations to remain well clear of other aircraft. For a DAA system to satisfy the requirement to stay well clear of other airborne traffic, a quantitative definition of well clear needs to be defined and evaluated. This study investigates the implications of UAS using proposed well clear definitions as a separation standard for conducting operations in the National Airspace System (NAS). The first analysis considers three well clear definitions and presents the relative state conditions of intruder aircraft as they encroach upon the well clear boundary. The second analysis focuses on the definition of the alerting criteria needed to inform the UAS operator of a potential loss of well clear. All analyses are conducted in a NAS-wide fast-time simulation environment using UAS aircraft models, proposed UAS missions, and historical air defense radar data to populate the background traffic operating under visual flight rules. The results presented in this study inform the safety case, requirements development, and the operational environment for DAA minimum operational performance standards.

Safety↗
DOE OSTI2021

Investigating the influence of environmental information on perceived indoor environmental quality: An exploratory study

Under the assumption that information can impact perception, most research on human sensation and satisfaction with indoor environmental quality (IEQ) parameters has been conducted with respondents uninformed about the test conditions. Therefore, researchers know little about the impact of information on perception. These potential effects are increasingly relevant as quantitative information about indoor environments becomes accessible via low-cost, wirelessly connected sensors. In this experimental study, 48 subjects were exposed to varied indoor environmental conditions and provided with different types of environmental information. The subjects' sensation and satisfaction were compared when they were blinded or provided with quantitative information about and/or qualitative ratings of specific parameters. The results indicate that accurate information on parameter values influenced how the subjects perceived the indoor air quality (IAQ) but not how they perceived the thermal, acoustic, or visual quality. The subjects rated the IAQ more positively when they were informed that there were nonzero ventilation rates. The qualitative ratings influenced the subjects' perceptions of all four environmental factors, but in different directions. The subjects generally had more positive sensation and higher satisfaction when they were told that the parameter values and qualitative ratings were more favorable than the test conditions. However, the improved sensation and satisfaction were often not as good as when the environmental conditions were actually improved and the subjects were provided with accurate information. Here, these findings affirm the critical need for more research on the impacts of information on perceptions of the indoor environment.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1999

Integrated Computational System for Aerodynamic Steering and Visualization

In February of 1994, an effort from the Fluid Dynamics and Information Sciences Divisions at NASA Ames Research Center with McDonnel Douglas Aerospace Company and Stanford University was initiated to develop, demonstrate, validate and disseminate automated software for numerical aerodynamic simulation. The goal of the initiative was to develop a tri-discipline approach encompassing CFD, Intelligent Systems, and Automated Flow Feature Recognition to improve the utility of CFD in the design cycle. This approach would then be represented through an intelligent computational system which could accept an engineer's definition of a problem and construct an optimal and reliable CFD solution. Stanford University's role focused on developing technologies that advance visualization capabilities for analysis of CFD data, extract specific flow features useful for the design process, and compare CFD data with experimental data. During the years 1995-1997, Stanford University focused on developing techniques in the area of tensor visualization and flow feature extraction. Software libraries were created enabling feature extraction and exploration of tensor fields. As a proof of concept, a prototype system called the Integrated Computational System (ICS) was developed to demonstrate CFD design cycle. The current research effort focuses on finding a quantitative comparison of general vector fields based on topological features. Since the method relies on topological information, grid matching and vector alignment is not needed in the comparison. This is often a problem with many data comparison techniques. In addition, since only topology based information is stored and compared for each field, there is a significant compression of information that enables large databases to be quickly searched. This report will (1) briefly review the technologies developed during 1995-1997 (2) describe current technologies in the area of comparison techniques, (4) describe the theory of our new method researched during the grant year (5) summarize a few of the results and finally (6) discuss work within the last 6 months that are direct extensions from the grant.

Hesselink, Lambertus↗
NASA NTRS1994

Constraints on Neural Mechanisms Underlying the Spatial Integration of Speed Information

We measured human ability to integrate speed information presented simultaneously at multiple locations in the visual field. Observers did a two-interval forced-choice speed discrimination task with n grating patches in each interval at 4' eccentricity from fixation. In the first (integration) paradigm, all gratings in each interval moved at the same speed and observers were asked to pick the interval containing the faster gratings. Speed discrimination improved as the number of gratings in each interval increased. The observed decrease in threshold is not due simply to an increase in the effective area because performance with a single grating two, four, or six times the area of the original grating showed no such improvement. Furthermore, the improvement with n was still observed even when the speeds of the individual gratings in each interval were independent samples from a Gaussian distribution and the grating directions were balanced (i.e. equal numbers of gratings moved to the left and right). These results indicate that the neural mechanisms responsible for the integration of speed information act as if each patch provides an independent sample of speed, independent of grating direction. The results are not consistent with simple summation across space by a directionally selective mechanism with a large receptive field. In the second (search) paradigm, only one of the gratings in an interval moved faster and observers were asked to pick this interval. In this case, thresholds increased with the number of distractor gratings. The decrease in performance with increased n is common in search tasks and is often attributed to a bottleneck in the information that observers can process simultaneously. However, the results in the integration paradigm show that subjects indeed have access to and can use additional information with increasing n, at least up to 4 patches. Finally, simple detection models predict the trends in both the search and integration paradigms without invoking an input bottleneck.

Verghese, Preeti↗
NASA NTRS1994

Constraints on Neural Mechanisms Underlying the Spatial Integration of Speed Information

We measured human ability to integrate speed information presented simultaneously at multiple locations in the visual field. Observers did a two-interval forced-choice speed discrimination task with n grating patches in each interval at 4deg eccentricity from fixation. In the first (integration) paradigm, all gratings in each interval moved at the same speed and observers were asked to pick the interval containing the faster gratings. Speed discrimination improved as the number of gratings in each interval increased. The observed decrease in threshold is not due simply to an increase in the effective area because performance with a single grating two, four, or six times the area of the original grating showed no such improvement. Furthermore, the improvement with n was still observed even when the speeds of the individual gratings in each interval were independent samples from a Gaussian distribution and the grating directions were balanced (i.e. equal numbers of gratings moved to the left and right). These results indicate that the neural mechanisms responsible for the integration of speed information act as if each patch provides an independent sample of speed, independent of grating direction. The results are not consistent with simple summation across space by a directionally selective mechanism with a large receptive field. in the second (search) paradigm, only one of the gratings in an interval moved faster and observers were asked to pick this interval. In this case, thresholds increased with the number of distractor gratings. The decrease in performance with increased n is common in search tasks and is often attributed to a bottleneck in the information that observers can process simultaneously. However, the results in the integration paradigm show that subjects indeed have access to and can use additional information with increasing n, at least up to 4 patches. Finally, simple detection models predict the trends in both the search and integration paradigms without invoking an input bottleneck.

Verghese, Preeti↗
NASA NTRS1970

Visual display panel functions as computer input/output device

Display panel permits information entry and erasure using a probe, and has an inherent storage capability for use on time-shared systems. Data input need not be online. Other advantages include direct display of input and output, simplicity, and low fabrication cost.

Hilborn, E. H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Studies of perception of information on the spatial position of an aircraft

Problems of pilot visual perception were identified, specifically problems of identifiying the surface of the earth at moment of transition from flight-instrument observation. The percepted difficulties studied were: (1) the accuracy of defining the slope of the flight path during lack of visibility of the actual line of the horizon, (2) the accuracy of predicting the time remaining before landing under conditions of limited external visibility, and (3) the structure of the shape of the earth's surface necessary for the maximum accurate determination of flight-path slope and prediction of time remaining to landing.

Zebrowski, M.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Exploring Remote Sensing Products Online with Giovanni for Studying Urbanization

Recently, a Large amount of MODIS land products at multi-spatial resolutions have been integrated into the online system, Giovanni, to support studies on land cover and land use changes focused on Northern Eurasia and Monsoon Asia regions. Giovanni (Goddard Interactive Online Visualization ANd aNalysis Infrastructure) is a Web-based application developed by the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES-DISC) providing a simple and intuitive way to visualize, analyze, and access Earth science remotely-sensed and modeled data. The customized Giovanni Web portals (Giovanni-NEESPI and Giovanni-MAIRS) are created to integrate land, atmospheric, cryospheric, and social products, that enable researchers to do quick exploration and basic analyses of land surface changes and their relationships to climate at global and regional scales. This presentation documents MODIS land surface products in Giovanni system. As examples, images and statistical analysis results on land surface and local climate changes associated with urbanization over Yangtze River Delta region, China, using data in Giovanni are shown.

Shen, Suhung↗
NASA NTRS2015

Forest Disturbance Across the Conterminous United States from 1985-2012: The Emerging Dominance of Forest Decline

Evidence of shifting dominance among major forest disturbance agent classes regionally to globally has been emerging in the literature. For example, climate-related stress and secondary stressors on forests (e.g., insect and disease, fire) have dramatically increased since the turn of the century globally, while harvest rates in the western US and elsewhere have declined. For shifts to be quantified, accurate historical forest disturbance estimates are required as a baseline for examining current trends. We report annual disturbance rates (with uncertainties) in the aggregate and by major change causal agent class for the conterminous US and five geographic subregions between 1985 and 2012. Results are based on human interpretations of Landsat time series from a probability sample of 7200 plots (30 m) distributed throughout the study area. Forest disturbance information was recorded with a Landsat time series visualization and data collection tool that incorporates ancillary high-resolution data. National rates of disturbance varied between 1.5% and 4.5% of forest area per year, with trends being strongly affected by shifting dominance among specific disturbance agent influences at the regional scale. Throughout the time series, national harvest disturbance rates varied between one and two percent, and were largely a function of harvest in the more heavily forested regions of the US (Mountain West, Northeast, and Southeast). During the first part of the time series, national disturbance rates largely reflected trends in harvest disturbance. Beginning in the mid-90s, forest decline-related disturbances associated with diminishing forest health (e.g., physiological stress leading to tree canopy cover loss, increases in tree mortality above background levels), especially in the Mountain West and Lowland West regions of the US, increased dramatically. Consequently, national disturbance rates greatly increased by 2000, and remained high for much of the decade. Decline-related disturbance rates reached as high as 8% per year in the western regions during the early-2000s. Although low compared to harvest and decline, fire disturbance rates also increased in the early- to mid-2000s. We segmented annual decline-related disturbance rates to distinguish between newly impacted areas and areas undergoing gradual but consistent decline over multiple years. We also translated Landsat reflectance change into tree canopy cover change information for greater relevance to ecosystem modelers and forest managers, who can derive better understanding of forest-climate interactions and better adapt management strategies to changing climate regimes. Similar studies could be carried out for other countries where there are sufficient Landsat data and historic temporal snapshots of high-resolution imagery.

Cohen, Warren B.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Visual Cueing Effects Investigation for a Hovering Task

In simulators, as in actual aircraft, pilots conduct their missions according to perceived vehicle performance and spatial orientation from out-the-window (OTW) information. Ground-based flight simulations rely upon computer-generated OTW visual scenes. The realism and fidelity of a specific OTW simulation therefore has a significant impact on mission effectiveness. This study investigates effects of three visual parameters of the computer-generated image system (field-of-view, collimation, and resolution) on a disturbance-rejection hovering task. Pilots' performance and workload were studied under the following conditions: collimated optics vs. noncollimated optics, wide field-of-view (FOV) vs. narrow FOV, and higher resolution vs. lower resolution. Subjects were instructed to maintain a station-keeping position during disturbances while piloting an uncoupled four degrees-of-freedom (DOF) helicopter model, which had a satisfactory rate-command system in pitch and roll axes and ideal heading and altitude hold. Display collimation and FOV were found to have significant effects on pilots performance and subjective their subjective perception of visual cueing quality.

Chung, William W. Y.↗