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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2023

Artificial Thought is Required for Sustained Autonomy

Current literature primarily addresses what is referred to as “Systems Thinking.” Dr. Marie Morganelli from Southern New Hampshire University states that “Systems thinking is a holistic way to investigate factors and interactions that could contribute to a possible outcome [1]. A mindset more than a prescribed practice, systems thinking provides an understanding of how individuals can work together in different types of teams and through that understanding, create the best possible processes to accomplish just about any-thing.” So, a “Thinking System” is a system that is capable of “systems thinking,” as it should be able to “ …create [utilize] the best possible processes, and possess the [intelligence] to accomplish just about anything.” To achieve this capability, hu-man-like thinking is required. A truly autonomous system must be one that is capable of human-like thinking. Sustained autonomy requires “Thinking Autonomy” (TA) that is enabled by a “Thinking System.”

Autonomous systems↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Autonomy Technologies for Systems of a Moon Base

The aim of the workshop is to “explore emerging autonomy technologies that could enable or enhance mission capabilities, reduce mission risk, and reduce mission cost.” Enhancing mission capabilities will depend on how capable and trustworthy the autonomy implemented is. As systems increase in complexity, and also with multiple interdependent/interacting systems, current autonomy capability and trustworthiness is very low. A paradigm and technology from NASA that addresses this shortcoming will be discussed, the NASA Platform for Autonomous Systems (NPAS). NPAS also happens to address reduction of mission risk and cost. NPAS will be discussed as a capability that is reaching readiness for space use, but also serves as a reference to develop technologies suitable for integrated autonomous operations of lunar systems; encompassing autonomous systems, situational awareness, and reasoning and acting.

Autonomous systems↗
NASA NTRS1978

Prospects of a mathematical theory of human behavior in complex man-machine systems tasks

A hierarchy of human activities is derived by analyzing automobile driving in general terms. A structural description leads to a block diagram and a time-sharing computer analogy. The range of applicability of existing mathematical models is considered with respect to the hierarchy of human activities in actual complex tasks. Other mathematical tools so far not often applied to man machine systems are also discussed. The mathematical descriptions at least briefly considered here include utility, estimation, control, queueing, and fuzzy set theory as well as artificial intelligence techniques. Some thoughts are given as to how these methods might be integrated and how further work might be pursued.

Johannsen, G.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Is thinking computable?

Strong artificial intelligence claims that conscious thought can arise in computers containing the right algorithms even though none of the programs or components of those computers understand which is going on. As proof, it asserts that brains are finite webs of neurons, each with a definite function governed by the laws of physics; this web has a set of equations that can be solved (or simulated) by a sufficiently powerful computer. Strong AI claims the Turing test as a criterion of success. A recent debate in Scientific American concludes that the Turing test is not sufficient, but leaves intact the underlying premise that thought is a computable process. The recent book by Roger Penrose, however, offers a sharp challenge, arguing that the laws of quantum physics may govern mental processes and that these laws may not be computable. In every area of mathematics and physics, Penrose finds evidence of nonalgorithmic human activity and concludes that mental processes are inherently more powerful than computational processes.

Denning, Peter J.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Towards Geospatial Knowledge Graph Infused Neuro-Symbolic AI for Remote Sensing Scene Understanding

Deep learning has proven its effectiveness in numerous tasks for remote sensing scene understanding. However there is an increasing interest to explore fusion of domain-specific background information to the deep neural network to further improve its performance. Remote sensing researchers are also working towards developing models that generalize and adapt to multiple applications. Generalization challenges coupled with the scarcity of large corpora of high-quality noise-free labelled data, have together fueled an interest for leveraging background information. Knowledge graphs serve as excellent choice to represent domain-specific information in a structured, standardized and extensible manner. Integrating symbolic knowledge representations in the form of Knowledge Graph Embedding (KGE) to perform neuro-symbolic reasoning is an emerging research direction promising significant impacts. This vision paper seeks to position ideas and provoke early thoughts toward advancing neuro-symbolic artificial intelligence in the context of geospatial challenges. Specifically, it conceptualizes and elaborates on an architecture for infusing geospatial knowledge from knowledge graph in a deep neural network pipeline. As guiding case studies - land-use land-cover classification, object detection and instance segmentation can benefit from infusing spatio-contextual information with remote sensing imagery. The discussion further reflects on and articulates the challenges and explainable AI opportunities anticipated when scaling and maintaining large-scale geospatial knowledge graphs.

Potnis, Abhishek↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Implementing Artificial Thinking Autonomy with Model-Based System Engineering

Complex autonomous systems capable of successfully operating independently under ‘known unknowns’ and harsh conditions require paradigm innovation in modern development strategies. In the field of autonomy, developing a system-of-systems which can ostensibly think for itself in the face of ‘unknown unknowns’ is still a field of ongoing research. Maturing the systems architecting and modeling methodologies for developing henceforth named Thinking Autonomous Systems, which are verified with digital mission simulation, can potentially usher in the next generation of artificial intelligence for space exploration. The concept presented in this paper incorporates multiple Model-Based Systems Engineering and simulation methodologies combined as a new paradigm to design a novel, biomimetic thinking autonomy strategy. Anachronistic concepts from classical Kantian philosophy will be leveraged to inspire architectural designs that could be used for complex distributed systems in deep space. To accomplish this, digital transformation of a document-based implementation plan for Thinking Autonomous Systems, generated by experienced NASA software engineers, is implemented for NASA’s Platform for Autonomous Systems by creating descriptive and executable software models in SysML to prototype real-time operating capabilities. This conceptual implementation has been developed by incorporating model-based digital simulations to theorize how a cyberphysical thinking system would achieve specific strategies without crew reliance, while simultaneously being resilient to all operating conditions and remaining functional when devoid of ground communication. Additionally, ensuring that an autonomous system framework is an ethical Artificial Intelligence requires careful consideration of system behavior and accountability, human factors for teaming with a thinking autonomous system, and comparison to other modern approaches used for implementing true autonomy. This paper presents the first steps in formalizing the metacognition required for instantiating a truly Thinking Autonomous System; the approach described symphonizes autonomy characteristics from classical philosophical into a unified software architecture describing human thought. In the future, the foundational models described in this paper can be further leveraged to help advance research into thinking autonomy requirements for future deep space missions as well as for current near-term applications, i.e., living aboard crewed spacecraft like a NASA Gateway cislunar habitat.

Artificial Thought↗
DOE OSTI2018

Surface Induced Dissociation Coupled with High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Unveils Heterogeneity of a 211 kDa Multicopper Oxidase Protein Complex

Manganese oxidation is an important biogeochemical process that is largely regulated by bacteria through enzymatic reactions. However, the detailed mechanism is poorly understood due to challenges in isolating and characterizing these unknown enzymes. A manganese oxidase, Mnx, from Bacillus sp. PL-12 has been successfully overexpressed in active form as a protein complex with a molecular mass of 211 kDa. We have recently used surface induced dissociation (SID) and ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) to release and detect folded subcomplexes for determining subunit connectivity and quaternary structure. The data from the native mass spectrometry experiments led to a plausible structural model of this multicopper oxidase, which has been difficult to study by conventional structural biology methods. It was also revealed that each Mnx subunit binds a variable number of copper ions. Becasue of the heterogeneity of the protein and limited mass resolution, ambiguities in assigning some of the observed peaks remained as a barrier to fully understanding the role of metals and potential unknown ligands in Mnx. In this study, we performed SID in a modified Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer. The high mass accuracy and resolution offered by FTICR unveiled unexpected artificial modifications on the protein that had been previously thought to be iron bound species based on lower resolution spectra. Additionally, isotopically resolved spectra of the released subcomplexes revealed the metal binding stoichiometry at different structural levels. This method holds great potential for in-depth characterization of metalloproteins and protein–ligand complexes. .

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Liquid Crystal Elastomers—A Path to Biocompatible and Biodegradable 3D-LCE Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration

The development of appropriate materials that can make breakthroughs in tissue engineering has long been pursued by the scientific community. Several types of material have been long tested and re-designed for this purpose. At the same time, liquid crystals (LCs) have captivated the scientific community since their discovery in 1888 and soon after were thought to be, in combination with polymers, artificial muscles. Within the past decade liquid crystal elastomers (LCE) have been attracting increasing interest for their use as smart advanced materials for biological applications. Here, we examine how LCEs can potentially be used as dynamic substrates for culturing cells, moving away from the classical two-dimensional cell-culture nature. We also briefly discuss the integration of a few technologies for the preparation of more sophisticated LCE-composite scaffolds for more dynamic biomaterials. The anisotropic properties of LCEs can be used not only to promote cell attachment and the proliferation of cells, but also to promote cell alignment under LCE-stimulated deformation. 3D LCEs are ideal materials for new insights to simulate and study the development of tissues and the complex interplay between cells.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Ionic liquids and derived materials for lithium and sodium batteries

The ever-growing demand for advanced energy storage devices in portable electronics, electric vehicles and large scale power grids has triggered intensive research efforts over the past decade on lithium and sodium batteries. The key to improve their electrochemical performance and enhance the service safety lies in the development of advanced electrode, electrolyte, and auxiliary materials. Ionic liquids (ILs) are liquids consisting entirely of ions near room temperature, and are characterized by many unique properties such as ultralow volatility, high ionic conductivity, good thermal stability, low flammability, a wide electrochemical window, and tunable polarity and basicity/acidity. These properties create the possibilities of designing batteries with excellent safety, high energy/power density and long-term stability, and also provide better ways to synthesize known materials. IL-derived materials, such as poly(ionic liquids), ionogels and IL-tethered nanoparticles, retain most of the characteristics of ILs while being endowed with other favourable features, and thus they have received a great deal of attention as well. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the various applications of ILs and derived materials in lithium and sodium batteries including Li/Na-ion, dual-ion, Li/Na–S and Li/Na–air (O 2 ) batteries, with a particular emphasis on recent advances in the literature. Their unique characteristics enable them to serve as advanced resources, medium, or ingredient for almost all the components of batteries, including electrodes, liquid electrolytes, solid electrolytes, artificial solid–electrolyte interphases, and current collectors. Finally, some thoughts on the emerging challenges and opportunities are also presented in this review for further development.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1986

Systematic errors in determining the propagation direction of interplanetary Alfvenic fluctuations

Analyses of Alfvenic fluctuations in the solar wind contain a systematic effect in which outward propagation is favored. The effect is generally small at and beyond 1 AU in a Mach 10 flow but can become important where the Mach number is lower, e.g., inside 1 AU. If the propagation speeds of the inward and outward propagating Alfvenic fluctuations are properly included, this systematic effect can be removed. A technique for doing this is illustrated using both artificial and spacecraft data. The results suggest that time intervals originally thought to be outward propagating sometimes contain wave number bands in the cross helicity spectrum of inward propagating Alfvenic fluctuations.

Goldstein, M. L.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Artificial microfossils - Experimental studies of permineralization of blue-green algae in silica.

A technique has been developed to artificially fossilize microscopic algae in crystalline silica under conditions of moderately elevated temperature and pressure. The technique is designed to simulate geochemical processes thought to have resulted in the preservation of organic microfossils in Precambrian bedded cherts. In degree of preservation and mineralogic setting, the artificially permineralized microorganisms are comparable to naturally occurring fossil algae.

Oehler, J. H.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Artificial two-dimensional polar metal at room temperature

© 2018 The Author(s). Polar metals, commonly defined by the coexistence of polar crystal structure and metallicity, are thought to be scarce because the long-range electrostatic fields favoring the polar structure are expected to be fully screened by the conduction electrons of a metal. Moreover, reducing from three to two dimensions, it remains an open question whether a polar metal can exist. Here we report on the realization of a room temperature two-dimensional polar metal of the B-site type in tri-color (tri-layer) superlattices BaTiO3/SrTiO3/LaTiO3. A combination of atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy with electron energy-loss spectroscopy, optical second harmonic generation, electrical transport, and first-principles calculations have revealed the microscopic mechanisms of periodic electric polarization, charge distribution, and orbital symmetry. Our results provide a route to creating all-oxide artificial non-centrosymmetric quasi-Two-dimensional metals with exotic quantum states including coexisting ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, and superconducting phases.

Cao, Yanwei↗
NASA NTRS2000

AI's Philosophical Underpinnings: A Thinking Person's Walk through the Twists and Turns of Artificial Intelligence's Meandering Path

Few human endeavors can be viewed both as extremely successful and unsuccessful at the same time. This is typically the case when goals have not been well defined or have been shifting in time. This has certainly been true of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The nature of intelligence has been the object of much thought and speculation throughout the history of philosophy. It is in the nature of philosophy that real headway is sometimes made only when appropriate tools become available. Similarly the computer, coupled with the ability to program (at least in principle) any function, appeared to be the tool that could tackle the notion of intelligence. To suit the tool, the problem of the nature of intelligence was soon sidestepped in favor of this notion: If a probing conversation with a computer could not be distinguished from a conversation with a human, then AI had been achieved. This notion became known as the Turing test, after the mathematician Alan Turing who proposed it in 1950. Conceptually rich and interesting, these early efforts gave rise to a large portion of the field's framework. Key to AI, rather than the 'number crunching' typical of computers until then, was viewed as the ability to manipulate symbols and make logical inferences. To facilitate these tasks, AI languages such as LISP and Prolog were invented and used widely in the field. One idea that emerged and enabled some success with real world problems was the notion that 'most intelligence' really resided in knowledge. A phrase attributed to Feigenbaum, one of the pioneers, was 'knowledge is the power.' With this premise, the problem is shifted from 'how do we solve problems' to 'how do we represent knowledge.' A good knowledge representation scheme could allow one to draw conclusions from given premises. Such schemes took forms such as rules,frames and scripts. It allowed the building of what became known as expert systems or knowledge based systems (KBS).

Colombano, Silvano↗
NASA NTRS1998

Applying Space Technology to Enhance Control of an Artificial Arm for Children and Adults With Amputations

The first single function myoelectric prosthetic hand was introduced in the 1960's. This hand was controlled by the electric fields generated by muscle contractions in the residual limb of the amputee user. Electrodes and amplifiers, embedded in the prosthetic socket, measured these electric fields across the skin, which increase in amplitude as the individual contracts their muscle. When the myoelectric signal reached a certain threshold amplitude, the control unit activated a motor which opened or closed a hand-like prosthetic terminal device with a pincher grip. Late in the 1990's, little has changed. Most current myoelectric prostheses still operate in this same, single-function way. To better understand the limitations of the current single-function myoelectric hand and the needs of those who use them, The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR), sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NUH), surveyed approximately 2,500 individuals with upper limb loss [1]. When asked to identify specific features of their current myoelectric prostheses that needed improvement, the survey respondents overwhelmingly identified the lack of wrist and finger movement, as well as poor control capability. However, simply building a mechanism with individual finger and wrist motion is not enough. In the 1960's and 1970's, engineers built a number of more dexterous prosthetic hands. Unfortunately, these were rejected during clinical trials due to a difficult and distracting control interface. The goal of this project, "Applying Space Technology to Enhance Control of an Artificial Arm for Children and Adults with Amputations," was to lay the foundation for a multi-function, intuitive myoelectric control system which requires no conscious thought to move the hand. We built an extensive myoelectric signal database for six motions from ten amputee volunteers, We also tested a control system based on new artificial intelligence techniques on the data from two of these subjects. This data is available to anyone doing myoelectric control research. Its availability is an important contribution to the prosthetics research community, as many researchers do not have access to amputee subjects. Since we collected myoelectric data from subjects' sound arms as well as their residual arms, this database will also prove useful to virtual reality and robotics researchers who want to explore myoelectric-based interfaces between any user and a machine. Currently, one small company (Intelligenta, Inc.) and one university (University of New Brunswick, Canada) are using this myoelectric database under other funding to develop multifunction control systems for prostheses. A prosthetics manufacturer (Liberty Technology, Inc.) is making plans to incorporate the results of their work into an artificial hand capable of several different movements to provide functionality only dreamed of by current myoelectric users. Methods Six adults and four children, all with unilateral, below-elbow amputations served as subjects. Five of the adults (3 male, 2 female, average age 34 years) had amputations due to traumatic injury, while one adult (female, age 32 years) and the four children (3 male, 1 female, average age 13 years) had congenital (i.e. from birth) limb deficiencies.

Atkins, Diane J.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Noble Gases and Nitrogen in Samples of Asteroid Ryugu Record Its Volatile Sources and Recent Surface Evolution

The Hayabusa2 spacecraft retrieved surface and subsurface samples from the carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu, which was expected to be enriched in volatile species. The samples were collected from two locations, one undisturbed surface and the other including material excavated by an artificial impact. Unlike meteorites, these samples have experienced minimal alteration by Earth’s atmosphere. Ryugu is thought to have formed from material ejected (by an impact) from a parent body, which had experienced aqueous alteration (reactions with liquid water) ~4.56 billion years (Gyr) ago. Ryugu’s orbit later migrated from the main asteroid belt to become a near-Earth asteroid.

volatile↗
DOE OSTI2020

Shear Behavior of Artificial Clay Seams within Bedded Salt Structures

Bedded salt contains thin layers of clay, also known as clay seams, in-between far thicker layers of salt. These inhomogeneities are thought to have first-order effects on the closure of nearby drifts and potential roof collapses. Despite their importance, characterizations of the peak shear strength and residual shear strength of clay seams in salt are extremely rare in the published literature. A previous paper reported results from laboratory direct shear experiments on clay seam samples from the Permian Basin in New Mexico. These clay seams behaved similar to intact salt, which was attributed to the abundance of salt crystals intersecting the clay seams. None of those specimens contained a distinct ¼" - ½" (6 -12 mm) thick clay seam, as has been observed in drifts at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Due to the difficulty in obtaining WIPP samples with these types of clay seams, artificial seams of bentonite and brine sandwiched between sections of salt were created and shear tested. Eight 4" diameter samples were created with either a ¼" or ½" a thick seam and then consolidated at 3000 psi prior to shear testing. The direct shear tests on these samples were performed at nominal normal stresses representative of expected WIPP in-situ conditions (500 to 1500 psi). The resulting shear stress vs. shear displacement curves exhibited a peak followed by a gradual decay of shear strength. The shear stress never transitioned to a true residual shear stress plateau, so the final shear strength at the end of each test (0.75" of shear displacement) was analyzed instead. Both the peak shear strength and the final shear strength conformed to Mohr- Coulomb behavior with friction angles and cohesion strengths consistent with a saturated, highly consolidated, clay. These new artificial clay seam results and the previous clay-interspersed-with-salt results likely bound the expected shear behavior of WIPP clay seams.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗