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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 1,297 records · Page 72
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1977

A discrete adaptive guidance system for a roving vehicle

An adaptive guidance technique which provides a self-correcting path following capability in an environment sensitive semi-autonomous roving robot is described. A real-time maneuver planning function performs tradeoffs between speed, magnitude of expected deviations and accelerations to best satisfy the design goals of vehicle safety and reliability, subsystem autonomy, performance accuracy and operational efficiency. The appropriate combination of maneuver parameters is selected through an iterative process using knowledge of vehicle performance characteristics, environmental model updates and vehicle state

Miller, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Future interactive data systems

The information and control requirements of the investigator-users of future free-flying, platform-based, or Space Station-based scientific experiments are assessed, and the implications of these requirements for the design of the information systems are discussed. The principal requirements include near-real-time interaction with the payload, distributed or remote payload command and control, rapid access to quick-look data, flexibility of payload command sequences, on-demand uplink-downlink availability, system transparency, and modular design to facilitate replacement of system components. Current developments in systems architecture such as increased use of onboard microprocessors to select and preprocess data and transmit autonomous streams directly to the user, standardization of interfaces, and the NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System are characterized, and block diagrams of present and future systems are provided.

Bracken, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Implementation and design of a teleoperation system based on a VMEBUS/68020 pipelined architecture

A pipelined control design and architecture for a force-feedback teleoperation system that is being implemented at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and which will be integrated with the autonomous portion of the testbed to achieve share control is described. At the local site, the operator sees real-time force/torque displays and moves two 6-degree of freedom (dof) force-reflecting hand-controllers as his hands feel the contact force/torques generated at the remote site where the robots interact with the environment. He also uses a graphical user menu to monitor robot states and specify system options. The teleoperation software is written in the C language and runs on MC68020-based processor boards in the VME chassis, which utilizes a real-time operating system; the hardware is configured to realize a four-stage pipeline configuration. The environment is very flexible, such that the system can easily be configured as a stand-alone facility for performing independent research in human factors, force control, and time-delayed systems.

Lee, Thomas S.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Vibration isolation technology development to demonstration

The main thrust of these studies has resulted in an active inertial feedforward/feedback isolation system. This prototype magnetic suspension system has been demonstrated in a laboratory setting in six degrees-of-freedom and has been preliminarily characterized in its isolation performance with favorable results. This isolation system consists of a closed loop digital control system referencing a platform around six relative and six inertial sensors. These sensors control the isolated mass through nine attractive electromagnetic actuators with a system capability of +/- three-tenths of an inch travel in three dimensions. The development of a prototype system from design to fabrication leads directly into the demonstration phase of the project which will attempt a low gravity environmental demonstration of engineering hardware for the isolation of a scientific payload. The demonstration phase of the project will use an aircraft low gravity maneuver to establish a research testbed for the study of isolation hardware and control strategies in an off-loaded environment. In developing this demonstration capability the Lewis Learjet aircraft has been characterized through its parabolic flight maneuvers and a trunnioned experimental volume has been designed for the test of both active and passive isolation packages. This vibration isolation testbed is operational and has two data acquisition systems available for both autonomous and interactive operation, with a combined input capability of 32 channels.

Grodsinsky, Carlos↗
NASA NTRS2000

The Atmospheric Channels of GLAS: Near Real-Time Global Lidar Remote Sensing of Clouds and Aerosols from Space

The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) will be placed into orbit in 2001 aboard the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat). From its nearly polar orbit (94 degree inclination), GLAS will provide continuous global measurements of the vertical distribution of clouds and aerosols while simultaneously providing high accuracy topographic profiling of surface features. During the mission, which is slated to last 3 to 5 years, the data collected by GLAS will be in near-real time to produce level 1 and 2 data products at the NASA GLAS Science Computing Facility (SCF) at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The atmospheric products include cloud and aerosol layer heights, planetary boundary layer depth, polar stratospheric clouds and thin cloud and aerosol optical depth. These products will be made available to the science community within days of their creation. The processing algorithms must be robust, adaptive, efficient, and clever enough to run autonomously for the widely varying atmospheric conditions that will be encountered. This paper presents an overview of the GLAS atmospheric data products and briefly discusses the design of the processing algorithms.

Palm, Stephen P.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Park Smart

The Parking Garage Automation System (PGAS) is based on a technology developed by a NASA-sponsored project called Robot sensorSkin(TM). Merritt Systems, Inc., of Orlando, Florida, teamed up with NASA to improve robots working with critical flight hardware at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The system, containing smart sensor modules and flexible printed circuit board skin, help robots to steer clear of obstacles using a proximity sensing system. Advancements in the sensor designs are being applied to various commercial applications, including the PGAS. The system includes a smartSensor(TM) network installed around and within public parking garages to autonomously guide motorists to open facilities, and once within, to free parking spaces. The sensors use non-invasive reflective-ultrasonic technology for high accuracy, high reliability, and low maintenance. The system is remotely programmable: it can be tuned to site-specific requirements, has variable range capability, and allows remote configuration, monitoring, and diagnostics. The sensors are immune to interference from metallic construction materials, such as rebar and steel beams. Inside the garage, smart routing signs mounted overhead or on poles in front of each row of parking spots guide the motorist precisely to free spaces.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2003

Perspectives on Emerging/Novel Computing Paradigms and Future Aerospace Workforce Environments

The accelerating pace of the computing technology development shows no signs of abating. Computing power reaching 100 Tflop/s is likely to be reached by 2004 and Pflop/s (10(exp 15) Flop/s) by 2007. The fundamental physical limits of computation, including information storage limits, communication limits and computation rate limits will likely be reached by the middle of the present millennium. To overcome these limits, novel technologies and new computing paradigms will be developed. An attempt is made in this overview to put the diverse activities related to new computing-paradigms in perspective and to set the stage for the succeeding presentations. The presentation is divided into five parts. In the first part, a brief historical account is given of development of computer and networking technologies. The second part provides brief overviews of the three emerging computing paradigms grid, ubiquitous and autonomic computing. The third part lists future computing alternatives and the characteristics of future computing environment. The fourth part describes future aerospace workforce research, learning and design environments. The fifth part lists the objectives of the workshop and some of the sources of information on future computing paradigms.

Noor, Ahmed K.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Causes of chronic orthostatic hypotension

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of various causes of orthostatic hypotension. DESIGN: Survey. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: One hundred patients with moderate to severe orthostatic hypotension. RESULTS: Twenty-seven percent of the patients had primary autonomic failure, 35% had secondary autonomic failure, and 38% had hypotension without evidence of generalized autonomic degeneration. CONCLUSIONS: In a tertiary referral center, only a minority of patients with severe orthostatic hypotension will have Shy-Drager syndrome or Bradbury-Eggleston syndrome as their primary disease. Occasional patients who initially appear to have Bradbury-Eggleston syndrome ultimately prove to have Shy-Drager syndrome or paraneoplastic autonomic failure. Antidepressant drugs, even in low doses, remain a major overlooked cause of orthostatic hypotension.

NASA Discipline Regulatory Physiology↗
NASA NTRS1997

Error Estimation and h-Adaptivity for Optimal Finite Element Analysis

The objective of adaptive meshing and automatic error control in finite element analysis is to eliminate the need for the application engineer from re-meshing and re-running design simulations to verify numerical accuracy. The user should only need to enter the component geometry and a coarse finite element mesh. The software will then autonomously and adaptively refine this mesh where needed, reducing the error in the fields to a user prescribed value. The ideal end result of the simulation is a measurable quantity (e.g. scattered field, input impedance), calculated to a prescribed error, in less time and less machine memory than if the user applied typical uniform mesh refinement by hand. It would also allow for the simulation of larger objects since an optimal mesh is created.

Cwik, Tom↗
NASA NTRS2012

Intelligent Optical Systems Using Adaptive Optics

Until recently, the phrase adaptive optics generally conjured images of large deformable mirrors being integrated into telescopes to compensate for atmospheric turbulence. However, the development of smaller, cheaper devices has sparked interest for other aerospace and commercial applications. Variable focal length lenses, liquid crystal spatial light modulators, tunable filters, phase compensators, polarization compensation, and deformable mirrors are becoming increasingly useful for other imaging applications including guidance navigation and control (GNC), coronagraphs, foveated imaging, situational awareness, autonomous rendezvous and docking, non-mechanical zoom, phase diversity, and enhanced multi-spectral imaging. The active components presented here allow flexibility in the optical design, increasing performance. In addition, the intelligent optical systems presented offer advantages in size and weight and radiation tolerance.

Clark, Natalie↗
NASA NTRS2013

Autonomous Cryogenics Loading Operations Simulation Software: Knowledgebase Autonomous Test Engineer

Working on the ACLO (Autonomous Cryogenics Loading Operations) project I have had the opportunity to add functionality to the physics simulation software known as KATE (Knowledgebase Autonomous Test Engineer), create a new application allowing WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) creation of KATE schematic files and begin a preliminary design and implementation of a new subsystem that will provide vision services on the IHM (Integrated Health Management) bus. The functionality I added to KATE over the past few months includes a dynamic visual representation of the fluid height in a pipe based on number of gallons of fluid in the pipe and implementing the IHM bus connection within KATE. I also fixed a broken feature in the system called the Browser Display, implemented many bug fixes and made changes to the GUI (Graphical User Interface).

Wehner, Walter S., Jr.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Separation Assurance in Urban Air Mobility Systems Using Shared Scheduling Protocols

Ensuring safe separation between aircraft is a critical challenge in air traffic management, particularly in urban air mobility (UAM) environments where high traffic density and low altitudes require precise control. In these environments, conflicts often arise at the intersections of flight corridors, posing significant risks. We propose a tactical separation approach leveraging shared scheduling protocols, originally designed for Ethernet networks and operating systems, to coordinate access to these intersections. Using a decentralized Markov decision process framework, the proposed approach enables aircraft to autonomously adjust their speed and timing as they navigate these critical areas, maintaining safe separation without a central controller. We evaluate the effectiveness of this approach in simulated UAM scenarios, demonstrating its ability to reduce separation violations to zero while acknowledging trade-offs in flight times as traffic density increases. Additionally, we explore the impact of non-compliant aircraft, showing that while shared scheduling protocols can no longer guarantee safe separation, they still provide significant improvements over systems without scheduling protocols.

Separation Assurance↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Separation Assurance in Urban Air Mobility Systems Using Shared Scheduling Protocols

Ensuring safe separation between aircraft is a critical challenge in air traffic management, particularly in urban air mobility (UAM) environments where high traffic density and low altitudes require precise control. In these environments, conflicts often arise at the intersections of flight corridors, posing significant risks. We propose a tactical separation approach leveraging shared scheduling protocols, originally designed for Ethernet networks and operating systems, to coordinate access to these intersections. Using a decentralized Markov decision process framework, the proposed approach enables aircraft to autonomously adjust their speed and timing as they navigate these critical areas, maintaining safe separation without a central controller. We evaluate the effectiveness of this approach in simulated UAM scenarios, demonstrating its ability to reduce separation violations to zero while acknowledging trade-offs in flight times as traffic density increases. Additionally, we explore the impact of non-compliant aircraft, showing that while shared scheduling protocols can no longer guarantee safe separation, they still provide significant improvements over systems without scheduling protocols.

system safety↗
NASA NTRS2015

Intelligent Hardware-Enabled Sensor and Software Safety and Health Management for Autonomous UAS

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) can only be deployed if they can effectively complete their mission and respond to failures and uncertain environmental conditions while maintaining safety with respect to other aircraft as well as humans and property on the ground. We propose to design a real-time, onboard system health management (SHM) capability to continuously monitor essential system components such as sensors, software, and hardware systems for detection and diagnosis of failures and violations of safety or performance rules during the ight of a UAS. Our approach to SHM is three-pronged, providing: (1) real-time monitoring of sensor and software signals; (2) signal analysis, preprocessing, and advanced on-the- y temporal and Bayesian probabilistic fault diagnosis; (3) an unobtrusive, lightweight, read-only, low-power hardware realization using Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) in order to avoid overburdening limited computing resources or costly re-certi cation of ight software due to instrumentation. No currently available SHM capabilities (or combinations of currently existing SHM capabilities) come anywhere close to satisfying these three criteria yet NASA will require such intelligent, hardwareenabled sensor and software safety and health management for introducing autonomous UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS). We propose a novel approach of creating modular building blocks for combining responsive runtime monitoring of temporal logic system safety requirements with model-based diagnosis and Bayesian network-based probabilistic analysis. Our proposed research program includes both developing this novel approach and demonstrating its capabilities using the NASA Swift UAS as a demonstration platform.

Robotics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Seeing is Believing: Autonomous Microscopy and the Data Revolution in Materials Science

This presentation explores the transformative potential of autonomous electron microscopy and artificial intelligence (AI) in accelerating materials science discovery, particularly for energy applications and materials operating in extreme environments. We discuss pioneering self-driving laboratories at NREL designed to intelligently probe material synthesis and degradation across multiple scales, aiming to rapidly bridge the gap between atomic-level understanding and the development of high-performance, reliable materials. Utilizing advanced machine learning techniques, such as few-shot learning and multimodal analysis integrating imaging and spectroscopy, we demonstrate methods to extract actionable descriptors for material behavior, quantify complex microstructural evolution, and statistically link synthesis parameters to defect populations. This AI-driven approach promises to accelerate the creation of predictive materials tailored for specific missions, enabling faster development cycles and enhanced material assurance.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Spatio-temporal patterning of extensile active stresses in microtubule-based active fluids

Abstract Microtubule-based active fluids exhibit turbulent-like autonomous flows, which are driven by the molecular motor powered motion of filamentous constituents. Controlling active stresses in space and time is an essential prerequisite for controlling the intrinsically chaotic dynamics of extensile active fluids. We design single-headed kinesin molecular motors that exhibit optically enhanced clustering and thus enable precise and repeatable spatial and temporal control of extensile active stresses. Such motors enable rapid, reversible switching between flowing and quiescent states. In turn, spatio-temporal patterning of the active stress controls the evolution of the ubiquitous bend instability of extensile active fluids and determines its critical length dependence. Combining optically controlled clusters with conventional kinesin motors enables one-time switching from contractile to extensile active stresses. These results open a path towards real-time control of the autonomous flows generated by active fluids.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2002

A Biologically Inspired Cooperative Multi-Robot Control Architecture

A prototype cooperative multi-robot control architecture suitable for the eventual construction of large space structures has been developed. In nature, there are numerous examples of complex architectures constructed by relatively simple insects, such as termites and wasps, which cooperatively assemble their nests. The prototype control architecture emulates this biological model. Actions of each of the autonomous robotic construction agents are only indirectly coordinated, thus mimicking the distributed construction processes of various social insects. The robotic construction agents perform their primary duties stigmergically i.e., without direct inter-agent communication and without a preprogrammed global blueprint of the final design. Communication and coordination between individual agents occurs indirectly through the sensed modifications that each agent makes to the structure. The global stigmergic building algorithm prototyped during the initial research assumes that the robotic builders only perceive the current state of the structure under construction. Simulation studies have established that an idealized form of the proposed architecture was indeed capable of producing representative large space structures with autonomous robots. This paper will explore the construction simulations in order to illustrate the multi-robot control architecture.

Howsman, Tom↗
NASA NTRS2004

A Stigmergic Cooperative Multi-Robot Control Architecture

In nature, there are numerous examples of complex architectures constructed by relatively simple insects, such as termites and wasps, which cooperatively assemble their nests. A prototype cooperative multi-robot control architecture which may be suitable for the eventual construction of large space structures has been developed which emulates this biological model. Actions of each of the autonomous robotic construction agents are only indirectly coordinated, thus mimicking the distributed construction processes of various social insects. The robotic construction agents perform their primary duties stigmergically, i.e., without direct inter-agent communication and without a preprogrammed global blueprint of the final design. Communication and coordination between individual agents occurs indirectly through the sensed modifications that each agent makes to the structure. The global stigmergic building algorithm prototyped during the initial research assumes that the robotic builders only perceive the current state of the structure under construction. Simulation studies have established that an idealized form of the proposed architecture was indeed capable of producing representative large space structures with autonomous robots. This paper will explore the construction simulations in order to illustrate the multi-robot control architecture.

Howsman, Thomas G.↗