Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Data segmentation”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,261 records · Page 70
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

A VR-based volumetric medical image segmentation and visualization system with natural human interaction

Volume rendering produces informative two-dimensional (2D) images from a 3-dimensional (3D) volume. It highlights the region of interest and facilitates a good comprehension of the entire data set. However, volume rendering faces a few challenges. First, a high-dimensional transfer function is usually required to differentiate the target from its neighboring objects with subtle variance. Unfortunately, designing such a transfer function is a strenuously trial-and-error process. Second, manipulating/visualizing a 3D volume with a traditional 2D input/output device suffers dimensional limitations. To address all the challenges, we design NUI-VR 2 , a natural user interface-enabled volume rendering system in the virtual reality space. NUI-VR 2 marries volume rendering and interactive image segmentation. It transforms the original volume into a probability map with image segmentation. A simple linear transfer function will highlight the target well in the probability map. More importantly, we set the entire image segmentation and volume rendering pipeline in an immersive virtual reality environment with a natural user interface. NUI-VR 2 eliminates the dimensional limitations in manipulating and perceiving 3D volumes and dramatically improves the user experience.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1978

Models for extracting vertical crustal movements from leveling data

Various adjustment strategies are being used in North America to obtain vertical crustal movements from repeated leveling. The more successful models utilize polynomials or multiquadric analysis to describe elevation change with a velocity surface. Other features permit determination of nonlinear motions, motions associated with earthquakes or episodes, and vertical motions of blocks where boundaries are prespecified. The preferred models for estimating crustal motions permit the use of detached segments of releveling to govern the shape of a velocity surface and allow for input from nonleveling sources such as tide gages and paired lake gages. Some models for extracting vertical crustal movements from releveling data are also excellent for adjusting leveling networks, and permit mixing old and new data in areas exhibiting vertical motion. The new adjustment techniques are more general than older static models and will undoubtedly be used routinely in the future as the constitution of level networks becomes mainly relevelings.

Holdahl, S. H.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

TOWARD A METHOD FOR SCALING HUMAN BODY MODELS IN AN IMU-BASED WORKFLOW

BACKGROUND Scaled biomechanical models can more accurately inform crew health decisions when tailored to the wide range of astronaut sizes. One component to improve scaling of existing models to better represent each unique astronaut’s size is the individual length scaling of limbs. Traditionally, these lengths are determined by motion capture or manual measurement. A new method is herein proposed for length scaling which can be done by measuring linear and angular accelerations at a desired point during isolated motion around a point of rotation, then calculating the distance between the desired point and point of rotation. When an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) device is placed at the distal point of a limb, the isolated motion is about that limb’s proximal joint. For example, to measure forearm length, an IMU is placed at the wrist, the point of rotation is at the elbow, and the isolated motion is forearm flexion and extension. These calculated lengths are then used to scale models to each unique astronaut’s size, thereby improving the applicability of the model. This method of scaling limb segments can be used for any limb that has an easily defined proximal joint for the limb to rotate around including hands, arms, legs, feet. Utilizing IMUs for data collection also provides the synergistic ability to record data without a dedicated space in a room with many cameras, therefore reducing the data collection footprint, or record data where optical motion capture is not possible, such as inside a spacesuit. METHODS AND RESULTS To test this method, upper body data collection was performed with 5 Xsens DOT IMUs on a single subject. IMUs consist of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer which collect linear acceleration, angular velocity, and magnetic fluctuations, respectively. Before any ground-based laboratory collection, the magnetic fluctuations are used to correct the heading of the IMU in space relative to the Earth’s magnetic field. The direct measurement of angular velocity is integrated to calculate angular acceleration. Then the linear acceleration ( a ) and angular acceleration (α) are solved using r = at/α to calculate the radius, which in this case is the distance between the IMU and the point of rotation (i.e., segment length). The IMU must be placed at the most distal point of the limb being measured (i.e., ankle if measuring lower leg length) and the test plan must consist of an isolated motion about that limb’s proximal joint (i.e., knee flexion and extension if measuring lower leg length). The distances (radii) calculated at every time interval were filtered (bandpass filter keeping 5th-90th percentile data) to eliminate outliers and spurious data that occur when the isolated motion was stopped or nearly stopped. The remaining distances were averaged, resulting in the calculated limb length. Scaling factors were then computed by dividing the calculated limb length by the unscaled model’s length. These scale factors are plugged into the Scale Tool in OpenSim [1,2] to apply the scaling to the OpenSim Full Body Rajagopal Model [3,4]. Manual measurements of limb lengths were taken before data collection started and used for comparing against the calculated lengths. The Anthropometric Survey of US Army Personnel (ANSUR II) [5] was also used as a third source of reference for limb length measurements. The following measurements were retrieved from the subject before data collection: 34.5 cm from L1 to C7 (thorax), 25.7 cm from C7 Joint Center (JC) to head vertex (neck and head), 36.3 cm from shoulder JC to elbow JC (humerus), 29.5 cm from elbow JC to wrist JC (forearm), and 16.2 cm from clavicle to acromion (clavicle). Of those five, forearm and humerus lengths were calculated using this proposed method to obtain preliminary results. The forearm length after filtering and averaging was calculated to be 37.6 cm. This is a 28% overestimation from the measured forearm length (29.5 cm). The humerus length after filtering and averaging was calculated to be 47.8 cm. This is a 31% difference from the measured subject length (36.3 cm). Sources of error include imperfect isolated motion (method currently expects that motion should be perfectly circular in a 2D plane, include no rotation of the IMU, and be relatively smooth; a more secure IMU attachment method will help), unrefined filter techniques (removed highest and lowest values with 20% high and low pass filters and no smoothing filters), arbitrary removal of stopped or near stopped data (kept data for only a short range before and after the angular velocity peaking), and a more representative method for removing gravitational acceleration is needed (current method is to zero all accelerations against a baseline taken just before the isolated motion which does not account for the gravitational acceleration changed due to IMU rotation during movement). Addressing these error sources will improve the accuracy of the limb length calculation. Next steps include creating a method for whole-body scaling estimation using individual limb scale factors. Continued pursuit of these techniques is expected to enable acquiring anthropometric information using only IMUs in real-time.

E. K. Marecki↗
DOE OSTI2021

Deep learning approaches to semantic segmentation of fatigue cracking within cyclically loaded nickel superalloy

Improvements to synchrotron-based micro-computed tomography scanning capabilities have gifted researchers the ability to characterize 4D material thermomechanical responses more thoroughly than ever before. These advancements, however, have brought about new challenges in analyzing the resulting deluge of data. We report on a nickel-based superalloy specimen imaged 26 times in-situ during cyclic loading at Argonne National Laboratory Advanced Photon Source beamline 1ID, in order to monitor crack growth within the microstructure. Therefore, several deep learning approaches which utilize convolutional neural networks are implemented to segment crack features from reconstructed tomography scans. U-Net architecture implementations are found to be especially effective, achieving IoU = 0.995 +/- 0.004 and Matthews correlation coefficient scores of Φ = 0.826 +/- 0.085. These advancements broaden possibilities for scientists seeking to automate segmentation analyses of similar large datasets.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Reconstruction of fast neutron direction in segmented organic detectors using deep learning

A method for reconstructing the direction of a fast neutron source using a segmented organic scintillator-based detector and deep learning model is proposed and analyzed. Here, the model is based on recurrent neural network, which can be trained by a sequence of data obtained from an event recorded in the detector and suitably pre-processed. The performance of deep learning-based model is compared with the conventional double-scatter detection algorithm in reconstructing the direction of a fast neutron source. With the deep learning model, the uncertainty in source direction of 0.301 rad is achieved with 100 neutron detection events in a segmented cubic organic scintillator detector with a side length of 46 mm. To reconstruct the source direction with the same angular resolution as the double-scatter algorithm, the deep learning method requires 75% fewer events. Application of this method could augment the operation of segmented detectors operated in the neutron scatter camera configuration for applications such as special nuclear material detection.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS2003

Development of Displacement Gages Exposed to Solid Rocket Motor Internal Environments

The Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) has three non-vented segment-to-segment case field joints. These joints use an interference fit J-joint that is bonded at assembly with a Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) inboard of redundant O-ring seals. Full-scale motor and sub-scale test article experience has shown that the ability to preclude gas leakage past the J-joint is a function of PSA type, joint moisture from pre-assembly humidity exposure, and the magnitude of joint displacement during motor operation. To more accurately determine the axial displacements at the J-joints, two thermally durable displacement gages (one mechanical and one electrical) were designed and developed. The mechanical displacement gage concept was generated first as a non-electrical, self-contained gage to capture the maximum magnitude of the J-joint motion. When it became feasible, the electrical displacement gage concept was generated second as a real-time linear displacement gage. Both of these gages were refined in development testing that included hot internal solid rocket motor environments and simulated vibration environments. As a result of this gage development effort, joint motions have been measured in static fired RSRM J-joints where intentional venting was produced (Flight Support Motor #8, FSM-8) and nominal non-vented behavior occurred (FSM-9 and FSM-10). This data gives new insight into the nominal characteristics of the three case J-joint positions (forward, center and aft) and characteristics of some case J-joints that became vented during motor operation. The data supports previous structural model predictions. These gages will also be useful in evaluating J-joint motion differences in a five-segment Space Shuttle solid rocket motor.

Bolton, D. E.↗
DOE OSTI2022

In-situ thermomechanical measurements during burst testing of Zr claddings using digital image correlation and infrared thermography techniques

Burst testing has long been a relied-on method for assessing fuel cladding materials in light-water reactoraccident scenarios. However, burst testing historically provided minimal in-situ observations beyond a few thermocouple readings, pressure from transducers, and post-test deformation measurements. Acquisition of full cladding thermomechanical data throughout a burst test would be invaluable to fuel system qualification, material model development and fuel performance code validation, such as the BISON fuel performance code. Recently, methodologies for simultaneously applying 2-dimensional digital image correlation and infrared thermography techniques to quantify the relationship between temperature, internal cladding pressure, and deformation during burst testing were developed. This work details results from the application of these techniques to burst testing of Zircaloy-4 cladding segments subjected to loss-of-coolant accident transients in an air environment. Two types of tests were performed with: (a) cladding segments connected to a fixed pressure reservoir as well as (b) closed systems where internal pressure increased during transients. In-situ thermomechanical measurements including strain and thermal gradient data are presented, demonstrating the effectiveness of applying combined surface measurement techniques to burst testing

Bell, Sam↗
NASA NTRS2011

Planetary Suit Hip Bearing Model for Predicting Design vs. Performance

Designing a planetary suit is very complex and often requires difficult trade-offs between performance, cost, mass, and system complexity. In order to verifying that new suit designs meet requirements, full prototypes must eventually be built and tested with human subjects. Using computer models early in the design phase of new hardware development can be advantageous, allowing virtual prototyping to take place. Having easily modifiable models of the suit hard sections may reduce the time it takes to make changes to the hardware designs and then to understand their impact on suit and human performance. A virtual design environment gives designers the ability to think outside the box and exhaust design possibilities before building and testing physical prototypes with human subjects. Reductions in prototyping and testing may eventually reduce development costs. This study is an attempt to develop computer models of the hard components of the suit with known physical characteristics, supplemented with human subject performance data. Objectives: The primary objective was to develop an articulating solid model of the Mark III hip bearings to be used for evaluating suit design performance of the hip joint. Methods: Solid models of a planetary prototype (Mark III) suit s hip bearings and brief section were reverse-engineered from the prototype. The performance of the models was then compared by evaluating the mobility performance differences between the nominal hardware configuration and hardware modifications. This was accomplished by gathering data from specific suited tasks. Subjects performed maximum flexion and abduction tasks while in a nominal suit bearing configuration and in three off-nominal configurations. Performance data for the hip were recorded using state-of-the-art motion capture technology. Results: The results demonstrate that solid models of planetary suit hard segments for use as a performance design tool is feasible. From a general trend perspective, the suited performance trends were comparable between the model and the suited subjects. With the three off-nominal bearing configurations compared to the nominal bearing configurations, human subjects showed decreases in hip flexion of 64%, 6%, and 13% and in hip abduction of 59%, 2%, and 20%. Likewise the solid model showed decreases in hip flexion of 58%, 1%, and 25% and in hip abduction of 56%, 0%, and 30%, under the same condition changes from the nominal configuration. Differences seen between the model predictions and the human subject performance data could be attributed to the model lacking dynamic elements and performing kinematic analysis only, the level of fit of the subjects with the suit, the levels of the subject s suit experience.

Cowley, Matthew S.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Onboard Processor for Compressing HSI Data

With EO-1 Hyperion and MightySat in orbit NASA and the DoD are showing their continued commitment to hyperspectral imaging (HSI). As HSI sensor technology continues to mature, the ever-increasing amounts of sensor data generated will result in a need for more cost effective communication and data handling systems. Lockheed Martin, with considerable experience in spacecraft design and developing special purpose onboard processors, has teamed with Applied Signal & Image Technology (ASIT), who has an extensive heritage in HSI, to develop a real-time and intelligent onboard processing (OBP) system to reduce HSI sensor downlink requirements. Our goal is to reduce the downlink requirement by a factor greater than 100, while retaining the necessary spectral fidelity of the sensor data needed to satisfy the many science, military, and intelligence goals of these systems. Our initial spectral compression experiments leverage commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) spectral exploitation algorithms for segmentation, material identification and spectral compression that ASIT has developed. ASIT will also support the modification and integration of this COTS software into the OBP. Other commercially available COTS software for spatial compression will also be employed as part of the overall compression processing sequence. Over the next year elements of a high-performance reconfigurable OBP will be developed to implement proven preprocessing steps that distill the HSI data stream in both spectral and spatial dimensions. The system will intelligently reduce the volume of data that must be stored, transmitted to the ground, and processed while minimizing the loss of information.

Cook, Sid↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluating the Impacts of Autonomous Electric Vehicles Adoption on Vehicle Miles Traveled and CO2 Emissions

Autonomous electric vehicles (AEVs) can potentially revolutionize the transportation landscape, offering a safer, contact-free, easily accessible, and more eco-friendly mode of travel. Prior to the market uptake of AEVs, it is critical to understand the consumer segments that are most likely to adopt these vehicles. Beyond market adoption, it is also important to quantify the impact of AEVs on broader transportation systems and the environment, such as impacts on the annual vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this pilot study, using survey data, a statistical model correlating AEV adoption intention and socioeconomic and built environment attributes was estimated, and a sensitivity analysis was conducted to understand the importance of factors impacting AEV adoption. We found that the market segments range from early adopters who are wealthy, technologically savvy, and relatively young to non-adopters who are more cautious to new technologies. This is followed by a synthetic population microsimulation of market penetration for the San Francisco Bay Area. With five household vehicle replacement scenarios, we assessed the annual VMT and tailpipe carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions change associated with vehicle replacement. It is found that adopting AEVs can potentially reduce more than 5 megatons of CO2 yearly, which is approximately 30% of the total CO2 emitted by internal combustion engine (ICE) cars in the region.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tomographic X-ray particle tracking velocimetry

We investigate the feasibility of in-laboratory tomographic X-ray particle tracking velocimetry (TXPTV) and consider creeping flows with nearly density matched flow tracers. Specifically, in these proof-of-concept experiments we examined a Poiseuille flow, flow through porous media and a multiphase flow with a Taylor bubble. For a full 360° computed tomography (CT) scan we show that the specially selected 60 micron tracer particles could be imaged in less than 3 seconds with a signal-to-noise ratio between the tracers and the fluid of 2.5, sufficient to achieve proper volumetric segmentation at each time step. In the pipe flow, continuous Lagrangian particle trajectories were obtained, after which all the standard techniques used for PTV or PIV (taken at visible wave lengths) could also be employed for TXPTV data. And, with TXPTV we can examine flows inaccessible with visible wave lengths due to opaque media or numerous refractive interfaces. In the case of opaque porous media we were able to observe material accumulation and pore clogging, and for flow with Taylor bubble we can trace the particles and hence obtain velocities in the liquid film between the wall and bubble, with thickness of liquid film itself also simultaneously obtained from the volumetric reconstruction after segmentation. While improvements in scan speed are anticipated due to continuing improvements in CT system components, we show that for the flows examined even the presently available CT systems could yield quantitative flow data with the primary limitation being the quality of available flow tracers.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Combined Data and Deep Learning Model Uncertainties: An Application to the Measurement of Solid Fuel Regression Rate

In complex physical process characterization, such as the measurement of the regression rate for solid hybrid rocket fuels, where both the observation data and the model used have uncertainties originating from multiple sources, combining these in a systematic way for quantities of interest (QoI) remains a challenge. In this paper, we present a forward propagation uncertainty quantification (UQ) process to produce a probabilistic distribution for the observed regression rate r. We characterized two input data uncertainty sources from the experiment (the distortion from the camera U c and the non-zero-angle fuel placement U Y ), the prediction and model form uncertainty from the deep neural network (U m ), as well as the variability from the manually segmented images used for training it (U s ). Here, we conducted seven case studies on combinations of these uncertainty sources with the model form uncertainty. The main contribution of this paper is the investigation and inclusion of the experimental image data uncertainties involved, and how to include them in a workflow when the QoI is the result of multiple sequential processes.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Atomic structures determined from digitally defined nanocrystalline regions

Nanocrystallography has transformed our ability to interrogate the atomic structures of proteins, peptides, organic molecules and materials. By probing atomic level details in ordered sub-10 nm regions of nanocrystals, scanning nanobeam electron diffraction extends the reach of nanocrystallography and in principle obviates the need for diffraction from large portions of one or more crystals. Scanning nanobeam electron diffraction is now applied to determine atomic structures from digitally defined regions of beam-sensitive peptide nanocrystals. Using a direct electron detector, thousands of sparse diffraction patterns over multiple orientations of a given crystal are recorded. Each pattern is assigned to a specific location on a single nanocrystal with axial, lateral and angular coordinates. This approach yields a collection of patterns that represent a tilt series across an angular wedge of reciprocal space: a scanning nanobeam diffraction tomogram. Using this diffraction tomogram, intensities can be digitally extracted from any desired region of a scan in real or diffraction space, exclusive of all other scanned points. Intensities from multiple regions of a crystal or from multiple crystals can be merged to increase data completeness and mitigate missing wedges. It is demonstrated that merged intensities from digitally defined regions of two crystals of a segment from the OsPYL/RCAR5 protein produce fragment-based ab initio solutions that can be refined to atomic resolution, analogous to structures determined by selected-area electron diffraction. In allowing atomic structures to now be determined from digitally outlined regions of a nanocrystal, scanning nanobeam diffraction tomography breaks new ground in nanocrystallography.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Continuous Emulation and Multiscale Visualization of Traffic Flow Using Stationary Roadside Sensor Data

With the advent of the next-generation traffic monitoring systems, there has been a significant increase in the spatial-temporal resolution of vehicle mobility data in many cities. Effective analysis and visualization of such data can provide transportation planners with data-driven insights, which can facilitate the understanding of multiscale traffic dynamics. In this paper, we present a web-based traffic emulator for emulating and visualizing near-real-time and historical traffic flows on highways using data from road-side sensors. To construct a continuous traffic flow, the emulator adopts an analytical pipeline that can (a) integrate traffic data collected from discrete road-side radar detection sensors, (b) interpolate traffic conditions (vehicle speed and volume) on unmeasured road segments based on traffic flow theory, and (c) generate lane-specific vehicle trajectories and movements using a mathematically optimized representation of the road network. Our app also provides an integrated visual workflow that allows users to explore the interconnected traffic dynamics using an appropriate traffic flow visualization selected based on the level of detail. We devise two innovative geo-visualization techniques that utilize an animated strips-network representation and a lane usage matrix to visualize lane performances. To ensure a smooth emulation of large-scale traffic flow in an easy-to-access web environment, we implement the emulator using client-side GPU-accelerated techniques. Lastly, we close with a case study that visualizes traffic dynamics of two scenarios - an afternoon peak hour and a traffic accident - in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Our app visualizes the responses of traffic dynamics during different traffic conditions, and to the presence of the traffic accident at different spatial scales.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Co-Registered In-Situ and Ex-Situ Tensile Properties Dataset from a Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Process (Peregrine v2023-11)

This release contains a co-registered in-situ and ex-situ Peregrine dataset from five Concept Laser M2 Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) stainless steel 316L builds containing 6,299 SS-J3 individually tracked tensile coupons. These data were collected at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The dataset includes layer-wise visible-light in-situ imaging data, the laser scan paths and parameters, in-situ temporal sensor data, room-temperature static tensile test results, and the target part geometries. Additionally, anomaly detections produced by a modified Dynamic Segmentation Convolutional Neural Network (DSCNN) are provided.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Dataset documenting rock core evaluation from Brady’s Hot Springs well BCH-03

Nineteen short sections of core were taken from the BCH-03 borehole at Brady’s Hot Springs, Churchill County, Nevada, between 2,945 ft and the total depth of 4,885 ft. This well is in a geothermal field. Data collected includes thin section photomicrographs, Medical CT tiff stacks, microCT tiff stacks, XRD, porosity (from thin sections, He porosimeter, microCT segmentation) and P/S wave velocities.

Brady geothermal field↗
DOE OSTI2021

Ultra-Structural Imaging Provides 3D Organization of 46 Chromosomes of a Human Lymphocyte Prophase Nucleus

Three dimensional (3D) ultra-structural imaging is an important tool for unraveling the organizational structure of individual chromosomes at various stages of the cell cycle. Performing hitherto uninvestigated ultra-structural analysis of the human genome at prophase, we used serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM) to understand chromosomal architectural organization within 3D nuclear space. Acquired images allowed us to segment, reconstruct, and extract quantitative 3D structural information about the prophase nucleus and the preserved, intact individual chromosomes within it. Our data demonstrate that each chromosome can be identified with its homolog and classified into respective cytogenetic groups. Thereby, we present the first 3D karyotype built from the compact axial structure seen on the core of all prophase chromosomes. The chromosomes display parallel-aligned sister chromatids with familiar chromosome morphologies with no crossovers. Furthermore, the spatial positions of all 46 chromosomes revealed a pattern showing a gene density-based correlation and a neighborhood map of individual chromosomes based on their relative spatial positioning. A comprehensive picture of 3D chromosomal organization at the nanometer level in a single human lymphocyte cell is presented.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS1984

Economic comparison of FDMA and TDMA options for communications by Ka-band multiple beam satellites

An assessment is made of the feasibility of providing low data rate service to small earth stations by satellite at Ka-band. Technological as well as economic factors are considered. The results of NASA-sponsored contractual studies are compared and results of internal NASA studies are presented. Several FDMA and TDMA scenarios are critically examined with the objective of establishing the relative utility of such systems to end users. It is shown that FDMA has no advantage over TDMA in a multibeam scenario for 56 Kbs of data by voice, video, or the equivalent. For the same assumptions, significant weight and power advantages are realized in the space segment using TDMA.

Stevens, G. H.↗