Tech Briefs... 02-10... Aeronautics and Space Administration... October 2002

55 Pages·2002·12 MB·English

by  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

wey TechBriefs
Electronic Components and Circuits
Electronic Systems
Physical Sciences
Materials
Computer Programs
Mechanics
Machinery
Fabrication Technology
Mathematics and Information Sciences
SORrSDOA@OOGHU
Life Sciences
02-10 October 2002
INTRODUCTION
Tech Briefs are short announcements of innovations originating from research and development activ-
ities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. They e nphasize information considered
likely to be transfaecrorssa ibndulsienal , regional, or disciplinary ines and are issued to encourage
Availability of NASA Tech Briefs and TSPs
Requests for individual Tech Briefs or for Technical Support Packages (TSPs) announced herein
shobe uadarlessded to
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Telephone No. [phone] or via World Wide Web at www2.nttc.edu/leads/
Please reference the control numbers appearing at the end of each Tech Brief. informaotn iNAoSnA' s
Commercial Technology Team, its documents, and services ts also available at the same facility or on
the World Wide Web at www.nctn.hq.nasa.gov.
Commercial Technology Offices and Patent Counsels are located at NASA. field centers to provide
technologaycc-ests tro ainndusstritale urser s. Inquines can be made by contacting NASA field cen-
ters and program offices listed below.
NASA Field Centers and Program Offices
Ames Research Center John F KennSpeaced Cyent er NASA Program Offices
Carona Blake Jim Alibert At NASA Headquarters there are seven major program offices that
[phone] or [phone] or Gevelop and oversee technology vrorects of potential interest to industry.
chtake@mail arc nasa gov Jim Allbaro- 1@ksc nasa gov Cari Ray Gien Muckiow
Small Business innovation Office of Space Sorences
~~. 7 aan aneanes er Smal Busness Tectnoogy [phone] or
[phone] or Sa. morelio@larc nasa.gov aioe 9 pal Ng.n ae8.G ov
penny baer-nechat@dirc nasa gov cray@mail hq nasa gov Roger Crouch
Glenn Research Center Office of Microgravity Sorence
GodSpdacea Flirght dCen ter = Larry Viterna Dr Robert Norwood Applications (Code U)
George Alcorn [phone] or Office of Commercal Technology [phone] or
[phone] or cto@grc nasa.gov (Code RW) rcrouch@hq_nasa. gov
galcorn@gsic nasa gov e ‘1s [phone] or
George C. Marsha’ Space rorwood@mail MQ. nasa.gov Granvilie Pauies
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Flight Center Office of Mission to Planet Earth
a(8r18) 354-2577 Rpoir resagoy (256) 54. 4-2615 or , | Office of Space Fight (Code MP) (202) 358-; 0706 or
JohnSpsaceo Cnent er
Charlene E. Gilbert
[phone] or
commercializatonna@sya sgco v
NASA Tech Bnets, October 2002
2 NASA Tech Bnets, Octoher 200?
& TechBriets a
National Aeronautics and
: Admini
5 Electronic Systems
11 Physical Sciences
23 Materials
27 Computer Programs
31 Mechanics
37 Machinery
43 Fabrication Technology
#©@|6 '' o6|| \6
49 Mathematics and Information Sciences
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration Nether the United States
Government nor any person acting on behalt of the United States Goverment assumes any lability resulting from the use of the information
contained im ths Gocument. or warrants that such use will be free frorn privately owned nghts
NASA Tech Bnefs. Octooer 2002

Electronic Systems
Hardware, Techniques, and Processes
intuitve Control System for a Dexterous Robot
FOPSK With an Outer Code for Greater Efficrency
Noncontact Scanning Surface Profilometers
-o o
© Ultrasonic System Tracks Body Movements in Three Dimensions

Intuitive Control System for a Dexterous Robot
The operator and robot acting together can respond ynaon 8B. Johnson Space Center
with nearly natural, numankke motions Houston, Texas
The Full immersion Telepresence Test
bed FITT) s an expenmental antfropomor-
prec obo! remote-csyostmem tfriato sls s o
namec Decause * Gives a human compl
operator some of te sensators of Te
remote envroas nthomughe thne otper a-
tor were mn thal envron= mplaecen oft t he
robot. in compwah noldes toelenrobo tc
control systems. the FITT provides robotic
sensory teecibac\ befier sulted to the oper-
ator S Senses and enables the operator and
robot acting iogether to respond. with
more neary natua Numarnke motions, to
Changes n ihe ramote envronment nm pa
boule coreiaing Te operaios move
ments (pmopofa fle yhea d. ams. aw
hands) wih moveme ts of Te robot ce
ates a more miutive method of taleoperal
ng robots anpuisMoireooverr sthe. u se
of an operator's Own Mmovermteo rcotntsro l
the robo! provides The operator wih usetu
kinesthetic feedback The FIT) and otter
SyStarns ike ¢ are expected fo reduce Tar,
iQ One and costs. task -compieton trnes.
anc operator workloads and errors
Because the FITT concept mates human
rtehgance wih he Gurabity of robots. t 6
potenhaly usefu for performcoimnplgex
aS 7 has) eovwormerts to earn.
Geareg up radoaavc) ttoriec vwaeste s
The man compoof nthee FIrTT t6 an
An Operator Using the FITT controls a remote robot by a combination of hand. arm. head.
operators Cw mourted on 4 rmotatrg and foot motons and vocal comwnands
base (see figure) By use of foot pedaiso n
te cw te opesio can command onerof ttootas hetld oDy nTe srob otr manded vocally ca vary © compienty
Gract dive motors on Doth the base of the marupulators. instrumented gloves mea ror @ Grnple repostofi ao rnobont gar n
Char and the remote robot The chawr also sure the operators fingerort angles to a more comple: maneuver ike grapptng
houses eguomern for controing a waeo and the pitch and yaw of the operator's ard turwaw c a
camerau v manpuiators. and end effec hand, thereby providing signais for dex The software that controls the systen s
tors on the remote robot The opersio terous teleopoef rrobaottic igoripnpe rs hosted on a UNDUVersaModEuurolcaer d
wears a heimet -mourved vdeo Gsplay uv and hands (VME) computer workstation and a parson
wt presets. to the operator 60" -fekd-ot- nasnuch as te operators hands aw @ computwieh a 465 mearoprocesssr
View Slereoscome: magfome thse vd eo eyes are “rrn0e ther loscalley sdyit te and 8 vane recog ion crovt board Data
camera uv on te robot Slersosoome: saved verson of the renole envrormet forn the pogton and oneriiaion sensors
magna creates 4 percapton of danth — they ae nol availabe flo eviatrw com mstunerted goves. aw toot pedatsw e
one of the most mportart “rnmergornfe’a - mands Therefore, a vooce-recogr¥iosru b Sarrgied at arate of anprowrete1t0 yH r
tures of the system The neimet aiso SySIEM Drowdes 4 Convervant way to Dien’ The Gate are sert out over a local-area ret
mcludes stereophonmc headphones for avtcoommamndsa wiht Greect dopar ator work, using Nw) level conrnurwcaliosno t
@uGho teedback and a mucrophone for control. To prevent the voice-recognition ware tat ertitaenssie c Gata Tro
opervocae tcoommarnd s A position. and subsystem from picukp eixtnrangeou s a C-lapnrogagn, umaakingc oew e ve
onertabon sensor on the top of the netnet mputs, the system is set up SO thal the Giver mtertaces tansp@et
iS The source of conwnarnds wt corre! the operator must press 2 foot pecial to ena Ths work was done by Lary C HL
onentoaf htheo “nde o carnureé rona t he tt Substoy reoscevet 4a eSporkenn c an of Johnson Space Center and Vyron
ramote robot Offer sencors attached to mand Ontce peedi « refeased fe A (Utter and Susan S Shelton of
the operators wosts provide tree -arnean command 6 processed awd Diayed back Lockheed Varin No turther documnen
sora posmon and ofch yaw and rol ao to the operator over 4 voce Sy Wirweuret o fatron Ss avadabie
na@is tor remote cormmro of postors aw confrmation. Motbons thal can be com MSC -22 733
FQPSK With an Outer Code for Greater Efficiency
Coding gains are expecteevedn ,fo r NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
reduced-complexity recervers Pasadena, Califorma
FOPSK
Matched Canine
He "
form
= re"
|
Ths FOPSK Coding/Moduisuon and Demoduston/Uecoding scheme has been Shown, congiastore: serutabons, t)i ke sigwhcist gab: over
FOPSK modulabon and Gernoc.ewis otuli coodnin g
A proposed method of FOPSK modue- nature of the cross-corre6i saucihi aosn t o gars in terms of sgna@-tor-antoo nseeed -
ton aw Genodéstion of 4 rao ae efectvey moompxrete 3 "els coding @0 to keep te O4-arror rate balow a speo-
would incoranyp ofo a rnuranibutr oef r aa- schmeiom FOePS* . fed vate) arngng fom 3.751077e B
vey Spe (Gor -consTart eng?) ote Acoodrg to le proposed mefod, a Ths work was done by Maun Simon
codes. By affording sgrvicart coding gare gor -corcvant long? cocfn eeec t. an andj Darush Dwsaler of Caliech for
even when usng 3 mauced-compinty Ofer code) woud be rWroduoed mio a Gata NASA's Jet Propulsion Laborstory
(and Tus shoFUPSpK re)cever ee Stream ve an miotacve prc to nocuasban Furth nformaton 6 cortaned nm a TSP
method would offe the cuncorntaprotte n of te came agra ©) a) FOPSK tawre- [see page 1)
ta to aferce Ghumny © powr au te: The combnof ass tcutoe croce, w th i) accowrih dPubaic nLawc 9e6-51 7.
Spectal wath of an FOPSK commune the contractor has elected to retan tte fo
th nveriton. inqumes concening nofits for
@s commerad use Sou be adcressad to
a@iows fo teralve Geoudg Al Te scever y tts
te feratve Geocoding woud be part of Te
GenAo)o p.roce ss. Mai Stop 202-233
The fgve Gepects ow of 2 curber of 4800 Oak Grove Drive
Qererc codny Gecauing schurnes, aarnt- PacadeCAn a91,10 9
ted by ths method. al moles the use of [phone]
@ recducedconmpe"colevye Compute Rete to NPD. 30135, votanrd neumb er
tora gruisbors fo ns sherre Wh) var of te NASA Tech Gres cme aw te
Ous Oule codes. fieriGeoek vsehes . page number
rvoanNonge ofsfe ,Twa s. 8 coss.o7- and numbers of Gecoding teratons
ralaton between the | and O channets The Gamotnhe spotetntaal lot obteain dcodi ng
NoncScanoningn Sutrfacea Prcofiltomet ers
Positiondet-ecstores nares uisedt tio mveaesur e John F KennSpeaced Cyente r,
relative surface heights. Flonda
A Gass 0 aOleg@ectors: soroorte A crofiof ohsm tympe enotutdiees ar tw o- the surfofa mcterees t. The hagof t he
Gmensonal xy) Nonzonial-transiation optical head 6 set at a norma vertical dis
Stage. on whch) he ofeect to be nepected tanc0 2e5 2 635 mT -/2 fe prototype!
6 Mounted wi) he a.rtace of nterest fac. above the surtace of interest When the ver
Uwe cowed 4 Gatorwy optical toa Gstanoe between the optca wad arnxi
heed The optea Need conta « oer the srtace equas Ths forwa Gstawe
Goode amed to prasct ) Leaofn g v the gpot of ight formed on the artace by
Gowwed at an angie (22.1/7" 2 fe pro- te aor been 6 at a non! certral hon
totype profiofor her peertpenedoruds) to fortal powton When the artace tes af a
NASA Tech Bnets Octoter 210?
Gfieret hag. Te spot of gt s tormed 2 anT)e ee OmwTee aecetodenss aw sugges Tet srace Gvators onal be
@ Gierert horvorta postion Ts ndcate Te toca Gevaton of he hart routinely resolved to with 10“ nm Gun
of Te surtoaf mcteeres t Ths work wes Gone Dy Jefey A Hooke
f00us The ight refiected form tte user dun Under computer contol the tansiaton and Sephean V4 Seomons torms~ of | NET
alec spot fo 3 OOFEponSdets oyn a Stage © actuated to scan Te optica head 'y KennSpeaced Cyent er
One-One aoe 20S) Sarsive Getecias acoMes asstoo e So aah pceneto f NASA fn@s gated Lae Tecnang,
PSO) wn 6 a Owtodetewciht oee r hovwortta poston wy. Te optical neac inc, an excuse boanse tor is tactnaiogy
trodes at apposte ends of aime "he ceve rege: holotsc naucatme eof Te inqures concthee cmommieranal guse of
ton of Te postion of Te soot of it aor coca Gevaton of the surface fom the norm the “Noncsocannnintg Saurfcacte P ro
MU Fe Tor 3 owe cota poston ra vaca Gstawe The compute Duds flomsheoultd hee arddrsess”ed to
Gapencts on Te Gaahon of Te asnvrwied up 2 tree -G menmsap oof Tne sdurf ace John Newman, Present
Spot on the surtace of mferes! Tor). Teron tun fhe ene Gee Of verica-devabGoant a Laser Technologyi.n c
@ vetca asia ce Dalow Te ootca "ead to a roewOrf Noerworrtat psosti on 1055 W GermantowPnk e
The spot of igft focused orro the PSD gves The prototype profionmasn beeart tees t. NomstoPwA n19,40 3
nse 10 Ofwotoore ts =/ Te Ww) aactodes oO 226 Of Severe Obes. nurs 2 Tel No. 610) 631-5%43
Te migtve values Of Teese (otoorets Sey "ew Gre aw Seoners Of Giusety KSC-11759
Gapend on Me postion of Te got of ag refectve matenais. The resofu ffe tses ts
Ultrasonic System Tracks Body Movements in Three Dimensions
This system affords centimeter accuracy and overcomes Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center,
major Gisadvaonf tpnoar gsyestesms . Houston, Texas
A system based on Wit asonic sensors Savy (0 Measure Cor plete Dody motons by 40 kHz ~The outputs of he mmoeverasv
has Deen Gevalooed a5 a maans of rade use of systerns thal are acceptablteo sert to the MMU. wich performs corre-
moving oteects wi certirmete acovracy human Subects. that rtertere ~wenaly wt lahon procaenalsogosus iton wtg p er-
The 9)Ste?n 6 mended espenaly to Track. tw siects ™oOtors au ta est ew formed on mcrosgwuate /)v hee hr y
1 petnert ots of Te body of a human ronmerta mtert"ehe rpraesent csysete rn sucoesstu Global Postioning System The
Subject eng=| acontgro! eof ad ram ute Saisie ese eQurerorts Oufputs of The correiaion processor are "he
atrooor ore bot of mmersed naw. ™e (resert syste mics several sta move Tae Gdstawes Te Troe
tua ewrommerrt The syste coud a be Soney Soe Urasore: Tansdoms pos. Grenson coordoif nhoa Totree vser s
used to Tack a mote robot bored Dov Te eon win wer te ae computed fom fee é@tawes ow
Theae rnoreeaey y) Gerafeo tmo m human Gutyect moves. Ore of more Pars. The row) posbons of Te meoevers No
sopnmeethtods cofa cwatcteewradg fe minting Ultrasone Taned.#eo psos’tosna d oCyt ronwaion 6 neetdo eeratde Te
motoofr fsura n Sifwects& Te are on fe parts of Te funan aiects boo recevers and the MMU to Gstingus”
mentoro epodse s Por motor rack) tat ae to be tacked Putting fe rane among the sgrat moeved fon Gre”
tes on fe fue aioe owwees Te vanebeciausfe eiat etranrervfser use
tailorefdo such) hgh GDecaized aréce wayt Tel Te atext mst cry Te a ueRe Oe CO oTooO’ fo Te
tons 45 Pack Movernofe Nre Nteasad o eaarwetTe l proceTse sWeasss. phase ondes of af he offer Tanwrvfters
of Te eyesoF ) Whole boo) taor9 sys sg rorn6 Saatoriwy obecanuse @ Ths work wes Gone by Robert E Bore
tens Now on Te market ulizve vary such processing G6 performed the of Ganeys Research & Oeveloormenitn,c .
epeeve 00c-4 sensors of magwtc ser moaves aud ) 8 Saborary motor wre tor Johnson Space Center furtar nity
ars Tet we ssoeptte tf ons 1 Te araruee VtM S maton © cortaned 7 a TSP lsee page 1)
presof eneanrbyc meetal ic otyects To Each Taneerrvtvs ai phtasee crode d MSC -23028
actweve reakstc wiua realty ¢ wi be neces wavetom a’ the maudie: frequency of
NASA Tach Brete Octomoer 200DD