A hand tool has been developed for crimping leads in flexible tails that are parts of some electronic circuits -- especially some sensor circuits. The tool is used to cut the tails to desired lengths and attach solder tabs to the leads. For tailoring small numbers of circuits for special applications, this hand tool is a less expensive alternative to a commercially available automated crimping tool. The crimping tool consists of an off-the-shelf hand crimping tool plus a specialized crimping...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), BINDING, FOLDING, TOOLS, CIRCUITS, Hulse, Aaron, Diftler,...
Based on previously reported procedures for permeabilizing vegetative bacterial cells, and numerous trial-and-error attempts with bacterial endospores, a protocol was developed for effectively permeabilizing bacterial spores, which facilitated the applicability of fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) microscopy. Bacterial endospores were first purified from overgrown, sporulated suspensions of B. pumilus SAFR-032. Purified spores at a concentration of approx equals 10 million spores/mL then...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), BACTERIA, SPORES, MICROSCOPY, FLUORESCENCE, CENTRIFUGING,...
The present invention relates to discovery and isolation of a biologically pure culture of a Bacillus odysseyi isolate with high adherence and sterilization resistant properties. B. odysseyi is a round spore forming Bacillus species that produces an exosporium. This novel species has been characterized on the basis of phenotypic traits, 16S rDNA sequence analysis and DNA-DNA hybridization. According to the results of these analyses, this strain belongs to the genus Bacillus and the type strain...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), BACILLUS, ISOLATION, CELL CULTURING, PATENTS, Venkateswaran,...
A tube-type shutoff valve is electrically positioned to its open or closed position by a concentric electromagnetic solenoid. The valve is dual latching in that the armature of the solenoid maintains the sliding tube of the valve in an open or closed position by means of permanent magnets which are effective when current is not supplied to the solenoid. The valve may also be actuated manually.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ARMATURES, PERMANENT MAGNETS, SOLENOID VALVES, CLOSURES,...
A report presents a phenotypic and genotypic characterization of a bacterial species that has been found to be of the genus Bacillus and has been tentatively named B. odysseensis because it was isolated from surfaces of the Mars Odyssey spacecraft as part of continuing research on techniques for sterilizing spacecraft to prevent contamination of remote planets by terrestrial species. B. odysseensis is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium that forms round spores. The...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), BACILLUS, SPORES, STERILIZATION, RESISTANCE, MARS SURFACE,...
A conductance measurement circuit to measure conductance of a solution under test with an output voltage proportional to conductance over a 5-decade range, i.e., 0.01 uS to 1000 uS or from 0.1 uS to 10,000 uS. An increase in conductance indicates growth, or multiplication, of the bacteria in the test solution. Two circuits are used each for an alternate half-cycle time periods of an alternate squarewave in order to cause alternate and opposite currents to be applied to the test solution. The...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), CIRCUITS, DYNAMIC RANGE, ELECTRIC POTENTIAL, RANGEFINDING,...
The most common approach for assessing the abundance of viable bacterial endospores is the culture-based plating method. However, culture-based approaches are heavily biased and oftentimes incompatible with upstream sample processing strategies, which make viable cells/spores uncultivable. This shortcoming highlights the need for rapid molecular diagnostic tools to assess more accurately the abundance of viable spacecraft-associated microbiota, perhaps most importantly bacterial endospores....
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), FLUORESCENCE, MICROBIOLOGY, SPORES, BACTERIA, BACTERIOLOGY,...
No abstract available
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION, ROBOT DYNAMICS, LEG (ANATOMY),...
In 2010, the Robonaut Project embarked on a multi-phase mission to perform technology demonstrations on-board the International Space Station (ISS), showcasing state of the art robotics technologies through the use of Robonaut 2 (R2). This phased approach implements a strategy that allows for the use of ISS as a test bed during early development to both demonstrate capability and test technology while still making advancements in the earth based laboratories for future testing and operations in...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, ROBOTS, END EFFECTORS,...
Data collected from an exploratory study concerned with the technical communications practices of aerospace engineers and scientists were analyzed to test the primary assumption that aerospace managers and nonmanagers have different technical communications practices. Five assumptions were established for the analysis. Aerospace managers and nonmanagers were found to have different technical communications practices for three of the five assumptions tested. Although aerospace managers and...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING, COMMUNICATION, MANAGEMENT,...
An important class of mobile manipulation problems are move-to-grasp problems where a mobile robot must navigate to and pick up an object. One of the distinguishing features of this class of tasks is its coarse-to-fine structure. Near the beginning of the task, the robot can only sense the target object coarsely or indirectly and make gross motion toward the object. However, after the robot has located and approached the object, the robot must finely control its grasping contacts using precise...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), CONTROLLERS, TACTILE SENSORS (ROBOTICS), ROBOT DYNAMICS,...
The Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) is a modular, multi-user scientific research facility that will fly in the U.S. laboratory module, Destiny, of the International Space Station (ISS). The FIR will be one of the racks that will constitute the Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF). The ISS will provide the FCF and therefore the FIR with the necessary resources, such as power and cooling, so that the FIR can carry out its primary mission of accommodating fluid physics science experiments. This paper...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), FLUID DYNAMICS, MICROGRAVITY, RESEARCH FACILITIES, DESTINY...
A compact robotic hand includes a palm housing, a wrist section, and a forearm section. The palm housing supports a plurality of fingers and one or more movable palm members that cooperate with the fingers to grasp and/or release an object. Each flexible finger comprises a plurality of hingedly connected segments, including a proximal segment pivotally connected to the palm housing. The proximal finger segment includes at least one groove defining first and second cam surfaces for engagement...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ROBOT ARMS, ROBOTICS, MANIPULATORS, ACTUATORS, SHAFTS...
A magnetostrictive brake has been designed as a more energy-efficient alternative to a magnetic fail-safe brake in a robot. (In the specific application, failsafe signifies that the brake is normally engaged; that is, power must be supplied to allow free rotation.) The magnetic failsafe brake must be supplied with about 8 W of electric power to initiate and maintain disengagement. In contrast, the magnetostrictive brake, which would have about the same dimensions and the same torque rating as...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), BRAKING, MAGNETOSTRICTION, FAIL-SAFE SYSTEMS, SHAFTS (MACHINE...
This innovation is a coupled fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and fluorescent staining technology for purifying (removing cells from sampling matrices), separating (based on size, density, morphology, and live versus dead), and concentrating cells (spores, prokaryotic, eukaryotic) from an environmental sample.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), BACTERIA, FLUORESCENCE, SPORES, CELLS (BIOLOGY), SEPARATORS,...
An overview is presented of (1) existing ground-based, low gravity research facilities, with examples of hardware capabilities, and (2) existing and planned space-based research facilities, with examples of current and past flight hardware. Low-gravity, ground-based facilities, such as drop towers and aircraft, provide the experimenter with quick turnaround time, easy access to equipment, gravity levels ranging from 10(exp -2) to 10(exp -6) G, and low-gravity durations ranging from 2 to 30 sec....
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), FLUID MECHANICS, HARDWARE, MICROGRAVITY, RESEARCH FACILITIES,...
Data collected from an exploratory study concerned with the technical communications practices of aerospace engineers and scientists were analyzed to test the primary assumption that profit and nonprofit managers in the aerospace community have different technical communications practices. Five assumptions were established for the analysis. Profit and nonprofit managers in the aerospace community were found to have different technical communications practices for one of the five assumptions...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), AERONAUTICS, AEROSPACE INDUSTRY, COMMUNICATION, SCIENTISTS,...
This proposal was for a joint X-ray/ultraviolet/ground-based study of the abnormal Be star lambda Eri, which has previously shown evidence of X-ray flaring from ROSAT observations in 1991. The X-ray component consisted of observations from both the ASCA and ROSAT satellites.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), B STARS, VARIABLE STARS, X RAYS, STELLAR FLARES,...
Rotary actuators and other mechanical devices incorporating shape memory alloys are provided herein. Shape memory alloys are a group of metals which when deformed at temperatures below their martensite temperatures, resume the shapes which they had prior to the deformation if they are heated to temperatures above their austensite temperatures. Actuators in which shape memory alloys are employed include bias spring types, in which springs deform the shape memory alloy (SMA), and differential...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ACTUATORS, MECHANICAL DEVICES, ROTATING SHAFTS, SHAPE MEMORY...
NASA began with the challenge of building a robot fo r doing assembly, maintenance, and diagnostic work in the Og environment of space. A robot with human form was then chosen as the best means of achieving that mission. The goal was not to build a machine to look like a human, but rather, to build a system that could do the same work. Robonaut could be inserted into the existing space environment, designed for a population of astronauts, and be able to perform many of the same tasks, with the...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ROBOTS, AEROSPACE ENVIRONMENTS, SPACE SHUTTLES, MAINTENANCE,...
Thermal ice protection systems use heat energy to prevent a dangerous buildup of ice on an aircraft. As aircraft become more efficient, less heat energy is available to operate a thermal ice protections system. This requires that thermal ice protection systems be designed to more exacting standards so as to more efficiently prevent a dangerous ice buildup without adversely affecting aircraft safety. While the effects of altitude have always beeing taked into account in the design of thermal ice...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), THERMAL PROTECTION, ICE PREVENTION, DEICING, AIRCRAFT SAFETY,...
A new method is able to circumvent the bias to which one commercial DNA extraction method falls prey with regard to the lysing of certain types of microbial cells, resulting in a truncated spectrum of microbial diversity. By prefacing the protocol with glass-bead-beating agitation (mechanically lysing a much more encompassing array of cell types and spores), the resulting microbial diversity detection is greatly enhanced. In preliminary studies, a commercially available automated DNA extraction...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID, EXTRACTION, GENETIC ENGINEERING,...
This proposal was for a joint X-ray/ultraviolet/ground-based study of the abnormal Be star lambda Eri, which has previously shown evidence of X-ray flaring from ROSAT observations in 1991. The X-ray component consisted of observations from both the ASCA and ROSAT satellites.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), B STARS, VARIABLE STARS, X RAYS, STELLAR FLARES,...
The concept of teleoperated robotic surgery is not new; however, most of the work to date has utilized specialized robots designed for specific set of surgeries. This activity explores the use of a humanoid robot to perform surgical procedures using the same hand held instruments that a human surgeon employs. For this effort, the tele-operated Robonaut (R2) was selected due to its dexterity, its ability to perform a wide range of tasks, and its adaptability to changing environments. To evaluate...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), TELEMEDICINE, TELEOPERATORS, TIME LAG, ACTUATORS, ROBOTICS,...
This slide presentation reviews the development and uses of the second robot designed to work in space. The presentation reviews the motivation for developing Robonaut, the cooperative commercial relationship with General Motors, the evolution design of Robonaut Robonaut 2 improvements over the first robonaut (R1), Robonaut 2's hand dexterity, finger impedance control, tactile system, finger haptics, arm control, strength, neck movement and head sensors, human interaction, and the controller....
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), IMPEDANCE, MANUAL CONTROL, ROBOTS, ROBOTICS, ROBOT CONTROL,...
The current presumption is that it is necessary to don goggles, gloves and a data suit to experience artificial reality. However, there is another technology that offers an alternative or complement to the encumbering techniques associated with NASA. In VIDEOPLACE, your image appears in a 2D graphic world created by a computer. The VIDEOPLACE computer can analyze a person's image in 1/30 second and can detect when an object is touched. Thus, it can generate a graphic or auditory response to an...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION, ENVIRONMENT SIMULATION,...
No abstract available
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, ROBOTS, EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY,...
Robonaut 2 (R2) has completed its fixed base activities on-board the ISS and is scheduled to receive its climbing legs in early 2014. In its continuing line of firsts, the R2 torso finished up its on-orbit activities on its stanchion with the manipulation of space blanket materials and performed multiple tasks under teleoperation control by IVA astronauts. The successful completion of these two IVA experiments is a key step in Robonaut's progression towards an EVA capability. Integration with...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), TASK PLANNING (ROBOTICS), ROBOTICS, ROBOT CONTROL,...
The ultimate goal of planetary protection research is to develop superior strategies for inactivating resistance bearing micro-organisms like Rummeli - bacillus stabekisii. By first identifying the particular physiologic pathway and/or structural component of the cell/spore that affords it such elevated tolerance, eradication regimes can then be designed to target these resistance-conferring moieties without jeopardizing the structural integrity of spacecraft hardware. Furthermore, hospitals...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), BACTERIA, MICROORGANISMS, LIFE SCIENCES, PLANETARY...
The combination of ethidium monoazide (EMA) and post-fragmentation, randomly primed DNA amplification technologies will enhance the analytical capability to discern viable from non-viable bacterial cells in spacecraft-related samples. Intercalating agents have been widely used since the inception of molecular biology to stain and visualize nucleic acids. Only recently, intercalating agents such as EMA have been exploited to selectively distinguish viable from dead bacterial cells. Intercalating...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID, CELLS (BIOLOGY), FRAGMENTATION,...
A glove containing force sensors has been built as a prototype of tactile sensor arrays to be worn on human hands and anthropomorphic robot hands. The force sensors of this glove are mounted inside, in protective pockets; as a result of this and other design features, the present glove is more durable than earlier models.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), DURABILITY, GLOVES, TACTILE DISCRIMINATION, END EFFECTORS,...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), Garcia-Llama, Eduardo, Winski, Richard G., Shidner, Jeremy...
A grasp assist device includes a glove portion having phalange rings, contact sensors for measuring a grasping force applied by an operator wearing the glove portion, and a tendon drive system (TDS). The device has flexible tendons connected to the phalange rings for moving the rings in response to feedback signals from the sensors. The TDS is connected to each of the tendons, and applies an augmenting tensile force thereto via a microcontroller adapted for determining the augmenting tensile...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ACTUATORS, GLOVES, CODING, HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING,...
Frequently there is an inability to process and analyze samples of low biomass due to limiting amounts of relevant biomaterial in the sample. Furthermore, molecular biological protocols geared towards increasing the density of recovered cells and biomolecules of interest, by their very nature, also concentrate unwanted inhibitory humic acids and other particulates that have an adversarial effect on downstream analysis. A novel and robust fluorescence-activated cell-sorting (FACS)-based...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), PURIFICATION, CLEANING, BIOCHEMISTRY, FLUORESCENCE,...
Charging System Analyzer Program (Nascap-2K) is a comprehensive update, revision, and extension of several NASA and Air Force codes for predicting electrical charging of spacecraft. Nascap-2K integrates the capabilities and models included in four independent programs: NASCAP/LEO for low-Earth orbits, NASCAP/GEO for geosynchronous orbits, POLAR for auroral charging in polar orbits, and DynaPAC (Dynamic Plasma Analysis Code) for time-dependent plasma interactions. While each of the earlier codes...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), SPACECRAFT CHARGING, PREDICTIONS, COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION,...
SAIC is currently developing the Electric Propulsion Interactions Code 'EPIC', an interactive computer tool that allows the construction of a 3-D spacecraft model, and the assessment of interactions between its subsystems and the plume from an electric thruster. EPIC unites different computer tools to address the complexity associated with the interaction processes. This paper describes the overall architecture and capability of EPIC including the physics and algorithms that comprise its...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), SPACECRAFT MODELS, THREE DIMENSIONAL MODELS, SYSTEMS...
A study was undertaken that explored several aspects of technical communications in aeronautics. The study, which utilized survey research in the form of a self-administered questionnaire, was sent to 2,000 randomly selected members of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Six hundred and six usable questionnaires (30.3 percent) were received by the established cut off date. Part 2 of this study lists appendices to part 1, including survey instrument, aggregate totals, cross...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING, COMPUTERS, DATA ACQUISITION,...
The Mars Phoenix lander was launched August 4, 2007 and remained in cruise for ten months before landing in the northern plains of Mars in May 2008. The one-month Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) operations phase prior to entry consisted of daily analyses, meetings, and decisions necessary to determine if trajectory correction maneuvers and environmental parameter updates to the spacecraft were required. An overview of the Phoenix EDL trajectory simulation and analysis that was performed...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), DESCENT, LANDING, MARS SURFACE, PHOENIX MARS LANDER,...
The 2007 Mars Phoenix Lander was launched in August of 2007 on a ten month cruise to reach the northern plains of Mars in May 2008. Its mission continues NASA s pursuit to find evidence of water on Mars. Phoenix carries upon it a slew of science instruments to study soil and ice samples from the northern region of the planet, an area previously undiscovered by robotic landers. In order for these science instruments to be useful, it was necessary for Phoenix to perform a safe entry, descent, and...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), LANDING SIMULATION, MARS LANDING, MARS SURFACE, SOIL...
NASA s Phoenix Mars Lander began its journey to Mars from Cape Canaveral, Florida in August 2007, but its journey to the launch pad began many years earlier in 1997 as NASA s Mars Surveyor Program 2001 Lander. In the intervening years, the entry, descent and landing (EDL) system architecture went through a series of changes, resulting in the system flown to the surface of Mars on May 25th, 2008. Some changes, such as entry velocity and landing site elevation, were the result of differences in...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), DESCENT, PHOENIX MARS LANDER, MISSION PLANNING, MARS SURVEYOR...
NASA's latest anthropomorphic robot, Robonaut, has reached a milestone in its capability. This highly dexterous robot, designed to assist astronauts in space, is now performing complex tasks at the Johnson Space Center that could previously only be carried out by humans. With 43 degrees of freedom, Robonaut is the first humanoid built for space and incorporates technology advances in dexterous hands, modular manipulators, lightweight materials, and telepresence control systems. Robonaut is...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ROBOTICS, ROBOTS, TELEOPERATORS, COMPUTER VISION, MAN MACHINE...
This viewgraph presentation gives a general overview of the Phoenix spacecraft evolution, entry, descent, landing and system architecture.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), GENERAL OVERVIEWS, SPACECRAFT LANDING, SPACECRAFT DESIGN,...
2015 mid-year review charts of the Human Exploration Telerobotics 2 project that describe the Astrobee free-flying robot and the Robonaut 2 humanoid robot. A planned replacement for Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellite (SPHERES), which is currently in use in the International Space Station (ISS).
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ROBOTS, ROBOTICS, ROBOT SENSORS, TASK PLANNING (ROBOTICS),...
Multi-line observations of the optical spectrum of lambda Eri demonstrates that rapidly varying, low-velocity emissions occur in several He I lines even when H alpha shows no emission. A peculiar aspect of the He I emissions is that the ratio 5876/6678 is = 1. A theory of helium line formation generally admits two common emission mechanisms. The first is recombination/cascades, which is well known to give a ratio of greater than or equal to 3. The second is a non-LTE effect that occurs in hot...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ABSORPTION SPECTRA, B STARS, EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION,...
A miniature load sensor has been developed as a prototype of tactile sensors that could fit within fingertips of anthropomorphic robot hands. The sensor includes a force-and-torque transducer in the form of a spring instrumented with at least six semiconductor strain gauges. The strain-gauge wires are secured to one side of an interface circuit board mounted at the base of the spring. This board protects the strain-gauge wires from damage that could otherwise occur as a result of finger...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), TACTILE SENSORS (ROBOTICS), SEMICONDUCTORS (MATERIALS),...
Robonaut 2 (R2) has been undergoing experimental trials on board the International Space Station (ISS) for more than a year. This upper-body anthropomorphic robotic system shown in Figure 1 has been making steady progress after completing its initial checkout. R2 demonstrated free space motion, physically interacted with its human crew mates, manipulated interfaces on its task board and has even used its first tool. This steady growth in capability will lead R2 to its next watershed milestone....
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), MICROGRAVITY, ROBOTICS, ROBOT CONTROL, ROBOT DYNAMICS,...
Thermal ice protection systems use heat energy to prevent a dangerous buildup of ice on an aircraft. As aircraft become more efficient, less heat energy is available to operate a thermal ice protections system. This requires that thermal ice protection systems be designed to more exacting standards so as to more efficiently prevent a dangerous ice buildup without adversely affecting aircraft safety. While the effects of altitude have always beeing taked into account in the design of thermal ice...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ICE PREVENTION, THERMAL PROTECTION, FLIGHT ALTITUDE, AIRCRAFT...
Compact transducer arrays that measure spatial distributions of force or pressure have been demonstrated as prototypes of tactile sensors to be mounted on fingers and palms of dexterous robot hands. The pressure- or force-distribution feedback provided by these sensors is essential for the further development and implementation of robot-control capabilities for humanlike grasping and manipulation.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), END EFFECTORS, FORCE DISTRIBUTION, MANIPULATORS, PRESSURE...
Science Applications International Corporation is currently developing the Electric Propulsion Interactions Code, EPIC, as part of a project sponsored by the Space Environments and Effects Program at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Now in its second year of development, EPIC is an interactive computer toolset that allows the construction of a 3-D spacecraft model, and the assessment of a variety of interactions between its subsystems and the plume from an electric thruster. This paper...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ELECTRIC PROPULSION, PROPULSION SYSTEM CONFIGURATIONS,...
This viewgraph presentation reviews the entry, descent, and landing of the 2007 Mars Phoenix lander. Aerodynamics characteristics along with Monte Carlo analyses are also presented for launch and landing site opportunities.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), DESCENT, LANDING SIMULATION, MARS LANDING, MARS (PLANET),...
