NASA Tech Briefs June 2011

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Intro
Welcome to your Digital Edition of
NASA Tech Briefs, Imaging Technology,
and Motion Control Technology
Included in This June Edition:
NASA Tech Briefs Imaging Technology Motion Control Technology
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June 2011 www.techbriefs.com Vol. 35 No. 6
Innovation Fuels the
Future of Air Travel
NASA Inventions of the Year
Inside NASAs Langley Research Center
Motion Control Technology
Imaging Technology
Machine Vision Fundamentals: How to Make Robots "See" ..............................................60
The Role of Software in Acoustic Micro Imaging..................................................................63
Imaging System Buckles Up Camera and Parking Sensor ....................................................66
New Products ..........................................................................................................................67
On the Cover: A Smart Park Automotive Technologies camera from Zorg Industries provides cognitive
object detection from the rear of a vehicle.
June 2011
www.techbriefs.com/motion
June 2011
Steer-by-Wire Systems with Integrated
Torque Feedback Improve Steering
Performance and Reduce Cost ........................IIa
Electro-Hydraulic Motion Controller
for Earthquake Simulation..............................6a
New Products ..................................................9a
On the cover: Two new robots and three grippers have
been introduced by ABB Robotics (Auburn Hills, MI)
for full-layer and bag palletizing applications.
See page 10a.
Intro
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Intro
June 2011 www.techbriefs.com Vol. 35 No. 6
Innovation Fuels the
Inside NASAs Langley Research Center
Imaging Technology
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Intro
2010 National Instruments. All rights reserved. LabVIEW, National Instruments, ni.com, and NI TestStand are trademarks of National Instruments.
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Intro
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26 Technology Focus: Data Acquisition
26 Stereo Imaging Miniature Endoscope
28 Wind and Temperature Spectrometry of the Upper
Atmosphere in Low-Earth Orbit
30 Health Monitor for Multitasking, Safety-Critical,
Real-Time Software
31 Parallel Wavefront Analysis for a 4D Interferometer
32 Early Oscillation Detection Technique for Hybrid
DC/DC Converters
33 Electronics/Computers
33 Schottky Heterodyne Receivers With Full Waveguide Bandwidth
34 Coaxial Cables for Martian Extreme Temperature Environments
34 Carbon Nanofiber-Based, High-Frequency, High-Q,
Miniaturized Mechanical Resonators
36 Using Spare Logic Resources to Create Dynamic Test Points
37 Ultracapacitor-Based Uninterrupted Power Supply System
38 Software
38 Autonomous Coordination of Science Observations
Using Multiple Spacecraft
38 EOS MLS Level 1B Data Processing Software, Version 3
39 Cassini Tour Atlas Automated Generation
39 Software Development Standard Processes (SDSP)
40 Autonomous Phase Retrieval Calibration
42 Manufacturing & Prototyping
42 Graphite Composite Panel Polishing Fixture
42 Modifying Matrix Materials to Increase Wetting and Adhesion
44 Ridge Waveguide Structures in Magnesium-Doped
Lithium Niobate
45 Material Gradients in Oxygen System Components
Improve Safety
46 Green Design
46 Lightweight Magnetic Cooler With a Reversible Circulator
47 The Invasive Species Forecasting System
48 Mechanics/Machinery
48 Method for Cleanly and Precisely Breaking Off a Rock Core
Using a Radial Compression Force
48 Scoring Dawg Core Breakoff and Retention Mechanism
49 Praying Mantis Bending Core Breakoff and
Retention Mechanism
50 Rolling-Tooth Core Breakoff and Retention Mechanism
4 www.techbriefs.com NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011
1a 10a
Follows page 40 in selected editions only.
June 2011 Vol. 35 No. 6
10 UpFront
12 Whos Who at NASA
41 Technologies of the Month
76 NASAs Innovative Partnerships Office
77 Advertisers Index
14
54
78
F E A T U R E S
S O L U T I O N S
D E P A R T M E N T S
72 Product Focus: CAD/CAE Software
73 New Products
N E W F O R D E S I G N E N G I N E E R S
S P E C I A L S U P P L E M E N T
www.techbriefs.com/motion
June 2011
New Products ..................................................9a
See page 10a.
14 NASA Awards 2010 Government and
Commercial Inventions of the Year
18 Innovation Fuels the Future of Air Travel
24 Application Briefs
78 Inside NASA: Langley Research Center
80 NASA Need: Protecting Transport of
Biological Material
(Solutions continued on page 6)
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Intro
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Brass gear for analytical
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6 NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-706
51 Vibration Isolation and Stabilization System for Spacecraft
Exercise Treadmill Devices
52 Bio-Medical
52 Microgravity-Enhanced Stem Cell Selection
53 Diagnosis and Treatment of Neurological Disorders by
Millimeter-Wave Stimulation
54 Physical Sciences
54 Measuring Multiple-Axis Position of Multiple Points at
Data-Sampling Rates of 10-20 kHz
55 Passive Vaporizing Heat Sink
55 Remote Sensing and Quantization of Analog Sensors
56 Helium-Cooled Black Shroud for Subscale Cryogenic Testing
57 Phase Retrieval for Radio Telescope and Antenna Control
58 Information Sciences
58 Receive Mode Analysis and Design of Microstrip Reflectarrays
75 Chance-Constrained Guidance With Non-Convex Constraints
59 Imaging Technology
60 Machine Vision Fundamentals:
How to Make Robots See
63 The Role of Software in Acoustic Micro Imaging
66 Imaging System Buckles Up Camera
and Parking Sensor
67 New Products
Contents continued
NASAs Fundamental Aeronautics Program project
was launched in April 2010 to visualize the passenger
airplanes of the future. The Subsonic Ultra Green
Aircraft Research (SUGAR) team from The Boeing Co.
(Chicago, IL) submitted the SUGAR Volt, a twin-engine
aircraft with hybrid propulsion technology, a tube-
shaped body, and a truss-braced wing mounted to
the top. It also may include hinges to fold the wings
while parked close together at airport gates. Find out
more about SUGAR Volt and other new aviation
technologies in the feature beginning on page 18.
(Image courtesy of NASA/The Boeing Co.)
P R O D U C T O F T H E M O N T H
O N T H E C O V E R
10
National Instruments (Austin, TX)
NI PXIe-5186 digitizer was
co-developed with Tektronix.
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration. Neither Associated Business Publications Co., Ltd. nor the United States
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States Government assumes any
liability resulting from the use of the information contained in this document, or warrants that
such use will be free from privately owned rights. The U.S. Government does not endorse any
commercial product, process, or activity identified in this publication.
Permissions: Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or
personal use of specific clients, is granted by Associated Business Publications, provided that
the flat fee of $3.00 per copy be paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center (222 Rose
Wood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923). For those organizations that have been granted a photocopy
license by CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. The fee code for users of the
Transactional Reporting Service is: ISSN 0145-319X194 $3.00+ .00
New Products ..........................................................................................................................67
June 2011
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A
stronaut Fred Haise was a long way from home when he
became sick with an infection caused by an opportunistic
pathogen known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa while aboard the
Apollo 13 mission to the Moon in 1970. Now, more than four
decades later, this same bacterium is central to an important
discovery by scientists using human spaceflight research to
unlock the mysteries of how disease-causing agents work and
can be controlled.
Recent space research is giving scientists a better under-
standing of how infectious disease occurs in space, and could
someday improve astronaut health and provide novel treat-
ments for people on Earth.
Scientists studying Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which flew
aboard the shuttle en route to the International Space Station
(ISS), hope to unlock the mysteries of how disease-causing
agents work. They believe the research can lead to advanced
vaccines and therapies to better fight infections. The findings
are based on flight experiments with microbial pathogens on
NASA shuttle missions to the ISS.
Healthy people can have Pseudomonas aeruginosa live in
their bodies without getting sick, but it poses a serious threat to
people with compromised immune systems. This bacterium is
the leading cause of death for those suffering from cystic fibro-
sis and is a serious risk to burn victims. However, a high enough
dosage of Salmonella typhimurium always makes even healthy
individuals sick.
The initial MICROBE study in 2006, and the follow-on
Immune Space Tissue Loss experiment on Space Shuttle
Discoverys STS-131 mission, show that spaceflight creates a low
fluid shear environment, where liquids exert little force as they
flow over the surface of cells. The low fluid shear environment
of spaceflight affects the molecular genetic regulators that can
make microbes more infectious. These same regulators might
function in a similar way to regulate microbial virulence during
the course of infection in the human body.
For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/shuttle_station/
features/pseudomonas.html.
Next Month in NTB
T
he July issue of NASA Tech Briefs will include a feature
highlighting data communication, including advan-
tages of specific data platforms such as Ethernet for cer-
tain applications. Well also highlight new imaging prod-
ucts and cameras in our Product Focus.
N
ational Instruments, Austin, TX, has released the NI PXIe-5186 digitizer, co-developed with
Tektronix, Beaverton, OR. The unit achieves up to 5 GHz bandwidth and 12.5 GS/s sam-
ple rates. The NI PXIe-5185 delivers 3 GHz bandwidth and 12.5 GS/s sample rate. Both dig-
itizers incorporate Tektronix oscilloscope ASICs for high-speed signal acquisition with low noise
and high linearity, and are based on the IBM 7HP SiGe process. The 500 fs RMS integrated jitter
of the digitizers results in a 5.5 effective number of bits (ENOB) at 5 GHz. NI technology deliv-
ers high-data throughput for faster test execution and multimodule timing and synchronization
for building high-channel-count, integrated test systems. Designed for the 3U PXI Express plat-
form, the digitizers can stream at rates as fast as 700 MB/s, and synchronize channels on multiple modules to within 160 ps reso-
lution. The digitizers work with NI LabVIEW graphical design software for instrument control and automation, the NI
LabWindows/CVI ANSI C software development environment, and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET development tools for a range
of programming options.
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/34455-120
Spacebound Bacteria Inspire Earthbound Remedies
Astronaut Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, STS-115 mission specialist,
works with the Group Activation Packs (GAP) on the mid-deck of Space
Shuttle Atlantis. (NASA)
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Intro
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Intro
www.techbriefs.com NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-710
Whos Who at NASA
A
s NASAs Chief Sci en tist,
Dr. Waleed Abdalati
serves as the prin ci pal adviser
to the NASA Adminis trator
on agency science programs,
strategic planning, and the
evaluation of related investments.
NASA Tech Briefs: What are your re-
sponsibilities as Chief Scientist?
Dr. Waleed Abdalati: I provide advice
to the Administrator and NASA leader-
ship on science activities across the
agency. We have a very capable and pro-
ductive Science Mission Directorate, but
it also helps to have independent advice
from someone who can take a broad
agency perspective, look at science that
also falls outside that Directorate, and
offer advice without having the responsi-
bility of implementing the programs
and the pressures associated with that.
NTB: What are the challenges in deter-
mining a good scientific investment?
Dr. Abdalati: We rely on whats called
decadal surveys. This is an 18-month
process where the scientists, through the
National Research Council at the
National Academy of Sciences, survey
their own community and develop scien-
tific recommendations for priorities for
NASA in terms of science objectives and
missions, whether thats in Earth sci-
ence, planetary science, astrophysics,
life and microgravity science, or helio-
physics. Each community has its survey,
and that provides the broad guidance
on the kinds of missions we should be
investing in. And then at the research
and analysis level, we put out solicita-
tions, and people from all over the coun-
try are free to respond. We convene peer
review panels and select the most meri-
torious science; those that are best
reviewed and are most in line with the
objectives that were trying to fulfill.
NTB: What are you seeing as the
major priorities in NASAs science pro-
grams in 2011?
Dr. Abdalati: Certainly, any natural
hazard like the earthquake in Japan re-
minds us that understanding the Earth
environment, bringing to bear the tools
that are unique to NASA, is a major pri-
ority. At the same time, the journey of
discovering whats happening at the
edges of the universe also is important
and remains a priority.
We also have incredibly exciting Earth
science missions that look at ocean salin-
ity. Were working towards mapping soil
moisture, ice changes, broader climate
observations, and astrophysics missions.
The NuSTAR X-Ray observatory will
look deep into the universe, in whats
called hard-energy X-ray wavelengths.
Bring to that the fact that the US has
completed our component of the space
station. It will become a national science
laboratory with discoveries we probably
cant anticipate.
NTB: What teams will you be working
closely with to determine your strategic
agenda?
Dr. Abdalati: All of the Directorates
here at NASA. The most obvious is the
Science Mission Directorate, and that is
very strong and is moving forward effec-
tively and productively. But we cant do
the science of this agency without the
technology, and so I do intend to work
very closely with Bobby Braun, NASAs
Chief Technologist. Certainly, there is
science in the Exploration Mission
Directorate and the Op erations Mission
Directorate, and I have been working
with them as well. This is more in the
area of life and microgravity sciences,
human research, and education car-
rying the great things that NASA does to
a domain where it does not just serve
society through practical benefits, but
also in an inspirational way. So I have
begun to work with Leland Melvin, the
AA (Associate Ad minis trator) of the
Education Office, to help turn NASA
science into a vehicle for inspiring
young people to go into these kinds
of fields.
A full transcript and downloadable pod-
cast of this interview are available online at
www.techbriefs.com/podcast. For more infor-
mation, contact sarah.l.dewitt@nasa.gov.
Dr. Waleed Abdalati, NASA Chief Scientist,
NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC
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N
ASAs Ames Research Center in
Moffett Field, CA, has won NASAs
2010 Government Invention of the Year
Award and the Commercial Invention
of the Year Award. The Government
Invention of the Year was the Future
ATM (Air Traffic Management)
Concepts Evaluation Tool (FACET), a
software tool that creates simulations
for managing air traffic scenarios. The
center won the Commercial award for
developing a powder vibration system
used in portable X-ray diffraction
(XRD) instruments.
Nominations are evaluated by NASAs
Inventions and Contributions Board.
The board determines which qualify for
each category, ranks the nominees, and
makes recommendations to the NASA
Office of the General Counsel for review
and approval.
Powder Vibration Technology
Ames research scientist David Blake
and former NASA post-doctoral fellow
Philippe Sarrazin developed the powder
vibration technology, which was
licensed to inXitu of Campbell, CA.
This invention changes the way people
work in the field because it allows the
scientist to take the instrument to the
location of the analytical problem,
rather than the opposite, Blake said.
Because the technology is portable, it
has diverse applications in the field,
including for geology, detection of
counterfeit pharmaceuticals, or analyz-
ing art objects and antiquities.
Virtually all solid materials are crys-
talline. Powder X-ray Diffraction
(pXRD, or simply XRD) is the technique
of choice for unequivocal identification
of these materials. However, in order to
characterize crystalline materials by
pXRD, one needs to provide a myriad of
tiny crystallites in random orientations
to the X-ray beam. This is commonly
achieved by grinding the material to a
grain size <5 m, and making a thin
preparation of the powder that is then
exposed to the X-ray beam.
Using the powder vibration technolo-
gy, coarsely ground or even as-received
powders <150 m grain size can be used
without further preparation. pXRD
devices utilizing this invention can be
extremely small, and do not require X-
ray source, sample, and X-ray detector
movements; specialized divergence or
convergence of the diffracted beams; or
finely ground powders.
The powder vibration system enabled
the development of a miniaturized soil
and rock analysis instrument that Ames
has provided and has been accepted for
flight on the Mars Science Laboratory
(MSL), NASAs next mission to Mars.
MSL is scheduled to launch in November.
With this invention, spaceflight ins tru -
ments such as CheMin (the mineralogi-
cal instrument that is a principal payload
instrument on MSL) become possible.
On Earth, pXRDs such as Terra (the
inXitu instrument for which the vibrated
sample cell invention is critical) can be
checked as personal luggage on passen-
ger flights, and used as a tool anywhere
in the world by trained laypersons.
Many new commercial applications in
petroleum, mining, and the cement
industry are being tested or are already
in place using Terra. The US FDA and
other agencies are using Terra for the
detection of counterfeit pharmaceuti-
cals at field stations. Outside of NASA,
commercial versions of the instrument
are being used in government-spon-
sored applications in homeland security
and forensic materials analysis for the
military in war zones.
For more information, visit www.inxitu.
com/new/html/terra.html.
FACET Software
FACET is a flexible software-based sim-
ulation environment for exploration,
development, and evaluation of ad -
vanced Air Traffic Management (ATM)
concepts. Examples of concepts studied
using FACET are aircraft self-separation
for Free Flight, modeling and prediction
of air traffic controller workload, a deci-
sion support tool for direct routing, inte-
gration of space launch vehicle opera-
tions into the US National Airspace
System (NAS), and advanced traffic flow
management techniques using rerouting,
metering, and ground delay.
FACET models system-wide airspace
operations over the contiguous United
States. Airspace models are available
from databases; weather models are also
available. FACET models aircraft trajec-
tories using spherical-earth equations;
NASA Awards 2010
Government and Commercial
Inventions of the Year
Shown is a sample holder for one of inXitu's
portable powder X-ray Diffraction (pXRD) sys-
tems. A coarse crystalline powder to be ana-
lyzed is placed in one of the sample cells (round
windows at the base of the sample holder). The
sample holder is essentially a tuning fork driven
at resonant frequency by a piezodriver. As the
cell is shaken, the crystals in the powder exhibit
random movements in the X-ray beam of the
instrument, mimicking a myriad of tiny crystal-
lites in random orientation.
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Intro
High-Speed Testing. High-Speed Solutions.
Introducing the TMX High-Speed Data Acquisition System
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Intro
aircraft can be flown along either flight
plan routes or direct (great circle)
routes as they climb, cruise, and descend
according to their individual aircraft-
type performance models.
As the worlds population grows and
air travel demand increases, our airspace
will become more crowded, said
Banavar Sridhar, NASA senior scientist
for Air Transportation Systems. FACET
helps air traffic management research -
ers find ways to increase airspace capaci-
ty and establish more efficient routes
with the least impact on the environ-
ment, thereby saving fuel and minimiz-
ing emissions.
A significant enhancement to FACET is
the development of aircraft fuel-flow
models, emission models, contrail mod-
els, and the optimization of single-aircraft
trajectories to mitigate environmental
impact. This provides the capability to
conduct system-level trade-off studies to
support the green aviation effort.
Greenhouse gases, nitrous oxides, and
contrails resulting from aircraft opera-
tions affect the environment in different
and uncertain ways. Techno logical
advances in air traffic management
enabled by FACET can be applied to
other large-scale networks such as the
Internet (data communications), ground
transportation systems, and power distri-
bution grids.
FACET continues to support the
NASA Aeronautics Research Mission
Directorates (ARMD) Airspace System
Program. It was recently integrated with
NASAs implementation of the Traffic
Management Advisor (TMA), which
schedules aircraft for airport arrival.
Assuming an airline operating cost of
approximately $100 per minute, reduc-
ing the total delay even by a small per-
centage will result in significant savings
to the airlines and air travelers.
For more information, visit www.
aviationsystemsdivision.arc.nasa.gov/research/
modeling/facet.shtml.
We offer a broad selection of motion solutions for
your micropositioning and nanopositioning needs. We
have a full range of standard products, can easily
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Models of contrails, fuel flow, and emission have been integrated with FACET. The enhanced FACET
software provides a flexible simulation and optimization architecture to study the trade-offs involved
in reducing emissions.
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Intro
New ways to get from here to there. Silicone-coated
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Intro
A
ircraft of the future may not look
significantly different from todays
aircraft, but a peek under the hood
will reveal technologies that are vastly
different. Commercial aviation giants
such as Boeing and Airbus in addition
to NASA and academia are develop-
ing breakthrough airframe, propulsion,
materials, and cabin designs that will
help aircraft of the future fly quieter,
cleaner, and more fuel-efficiently, with
enhanced passenger comfort.
NASA Visualizes the
Next Passenger Aircraft
An 18-month NASA research effort
called the NASA Fundamental Aero -
nautics Program was launched in April
2010 (www.nasa.gov/topics/aeronautics/
features/future_airplanes.html) to visualize
the passenger airplanes of the future.
Four industry teams submitted designs
for airplanes that may enter service 20 to
25 years from now. Just beneath the skin
of these concepts lie breakthrough tech-
nologies, including ultramodern shape
memory alloys, ceramic or fiber com-
posites, carbon nanotube or fiber-optic
cabling, self-healing skin, hybrid elec-
tric engines, folding wings, double fuse-
lages, and virtual reality windows. The
teams were led by General Electric,
Mass achusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT), Northrop Grumman, and The
Boeing Company.
Standing next to the airplane, you
may not be able to tell the difference,
but the improvements will be revolution-
ary, said Richard Wahls, project scien-
tist for the Fundamental Aeronautics
Programs Subsonic Fixed Wing Project
at NASAs Langley Research Center in
Hampton, VA.
The GE Aviation team conceptual-
ized a 20-passenger aircraft (Figure 1)
that could reduce congestion at major
metropolitan hubs by using community
airports for point-to-point travel.
Features include an aircraft shape that
smoothes the flow of air over all sur-
faces, and electricity-generating fuel
cells to power advanced electrical sys-
tems. The aircrafts advanced turbo-
prop engines sport low-noise propellers
and further mitigate noise by providing
thrust sufficient for short takeoffs and
quick climbs.
With its 180-passenger D8 double
bubble configuration, the MIT team
strays farthest from the familiar, fusing
two aircraft bodies together lengthwise
and mounting three turbofan jet
engines on the tail. Important compo-
nents of the MIT concept are the use of
composite materials for lower weight
and turbofan engines with an ultra-high-
bypass ratio for more efficient thrust.
The Northrop Grumman team fore-
sees the greatest need for a smaller
120-passenger aircraft that is tailored
for shorter runways in order to help
expand capacity and reduce delays.
The teams Silent Efficient Low
Emissions Com mercial Transport
(SELECT) concept features ceramic
composites, nanotechnology, and
shape memory alloys in the airframe,
and ultra-high-bypass-ratio propulsion
system construction. The aircraft
would use smaller airports, with run-
ways as short as 5,000 feet, for a wider
geographic distribution of air traffic.
The Boeing Companys Subsonic
Ultra Green Aircraft Research
(SUGAR) team examined five concepts.
The teams preferred concept, the
SUGAR Volt (Figure 2), is a twin-engine
aircraft with hybrid propulsion technol-
ogy, a tube-shaped body, and a truss-
braced wing mounted to the top.
Compared to the typical wing used
today, the SUGAR Volt wing is longer
from tip to tip, shorter from leading
edge to trailing edge, and has less
sweep. It also may include hinges to fold
the wings while parked close together at
airport gates.
MIT Flies the Eco-Friendly Skies
MITs green airplane designs
which were submitted to NASAs above-
mentioned study of future aircraft
designs are estimated to use 70 per-
cent less fuel than current planes while
also reducing noise and emission of
nitrogen oxides (NOx).
The engineers conceived of the 180-
passenger D double bubble series
(Figure 3) by reconfiguring the tube-
and-wing structure. Instead of using a
single fuselage cylinder, they used two
partial cylinders placed side-by-side to
create a wider structure whose cross-
section resembles two soap bubbles
joined together. They also moved the
engines from the usual wing-mounted
locations to the rear of the fuselage.
Unlike the engines on most transport
aircraft that take in the high-speed,
undisturbed airflow, the D-series
engines take in slower-moving air that is
present in the wake of the fuselage.
Known as Boundary Layer In gestion
(BLI), this technique allows the
engines to use less fuel for the same
amount of thrust, although the design
has several practical drawbacks, such as
creating more engine stress.
The D Series travels about 10 percent
slower than a 737. To further reduce the
Figure 1. GE Aviation's 20-passenger concept aircraft. (NASA/GE Aviation)
Innovation Fuels the Future of Air Travel
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Intro
Data acquisition just got a lot easier.
More ways to control. More ways to connect.
The new Agilent 34972A Data Acquisition Switch Unit takes our best-selling
Agilent 34970A to the next level. For starters, you get convenient built-in LAN
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Intro
When precision
machining and
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Large machining and
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Complex shapes
Earning your trust for over 65 years.
www.insaco.com
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Engineering/design discussions welcomed
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drag and amount of fuel that the plane burns, the D series features
longer, skinnier wings and a smaller tail. (http://web.mit.edu/
newsoffice/2010/nplus3-0517.html)
Boeing Drives New Horizons of Form and Function
Since the beginning of the jet age nearly 40 years ago, Boeing has
succeeded in reducing the noise impact of airplanes. As Boeing con-
tinues development of the 787 Dreamliner, the planes noise improve-
ment comes from a new generation of engines that have a very high
bypass ratio, which allows more air to go through the engine. Boeing
engineers also wrap the engines with special linings and other acoustic
improvements. (www.newairplane.com/environment/)
Early data show the 787s noise footprint will be as much as 60%
smaller than todays comparable airplanes, thanks to a host of
design improvements, including advanced acoustic linings, new
engine inlets and nozzles, lightweight composite materials, and a
new, more aerodynamic wing.
Boeing has chosen to increase the use of composites in the design
of the 787. It is, in fact, 50 percent composite by weight. Carbon
Sandwich is a class of composites made by attaching two thin skins
to a lightweight, thick core, similar to a honeycomb. The core mate-
rial is usually a low-strength material, but its thickness provides the
sandwich composite with high bending stiffness. Carbon Laminate
is composed of layers of carbon fiber impregnated with a polymer.
These structures on the 787 are composed of strands of carbon
formed into a tape infused with resin. The layers are laminated to
create a desired thickness and shape, and are cured through heat
and pressure.
Engine enhancements include a more electric architecture.
Todays planes use pneumatic systems powered by high-pressure air
diverted from the engines. The system requires manifolds, valves,
Figure 2. Boeing's SUGAR Volt is a twin-engine aircraft with hybrid
propulsion technology, a tube-shaped body, and a truss-braced wing
mounted to the top. (NASA/The Boeing Co.)
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Intro
Whats included?
High-performance, certified OPC-compliant connectivity
via Ethernet, with unparalleled compatibility and
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Go online or call to get complete information,
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Design a low-cost data acquisition or monitoring
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The new streamlined KEPDirect OPC Server
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AutomationDirect communication-enabled devices
such as programmable controllers, remote I/O and
variable frequency drives (VFDs). This means that
any industrial HMI, SCADA, data historian, MES or
ERP software package that includes an OPC client
interface (most do) can connect directly to those
devices.
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Intro
and ducts to power other systems in the
aircraft. The design of the 787 elimi-
nates the pneumatic system. The electric
system extracts only the power needed
during each phase of flight.
Airbus Develops a Concept
for the Future
Airbus is looking more than 40 years
in the future to anticipate what the
future of aviation will look like. One key
part of the companys research and tech-
nology efforts is to investigate, test, vali-
date, and optimize the most advanced
technologies, design features, configura-
tions, and architectures.
The A380 is the first commercial air-
craft to incorporate as much as 25%
composites. The carbon-fiber-reinforced
plastic composite center wing box has
saved up to 1.5 tons. Airbus is also focus-
ing on low-noise nacelle designs,
acoustic treatments, and low engine
noise technologies, including the zero-
splice inlet technology for engine
nacelles to reduce fan noise. It also con-
tributes to the quiet flight of the A380,
which satisfies the noise requirements of
international airports.
Airbus has developed an aircraft
design that illustrates what air trans-
port could look like in 2050. The
Airbus Concept Plane (www.airbus.com/
innovation/future-by-airbus/concept-planes)
features ultra-long and slim wings, semi-
embedded engines, a U-shaped tail, and
a lightweight, intelligent body. The
result is lower fuel burn, lower emis-
sions, less noise, and greater comfort.
Biofuels Could Power
Future Aviation
NASA recently performed emissions
testing on alternative, renewable fuels
for a greener and less petroleum-
dependent future. Renewable means
that the fuel source isnt some form of
fossil fuel. The source could be algae, a
plant such as jatropha, or even ren-
dered animal fat. In late March and
early April, a team at NASAs Dryden
Flight Research Center in California
tested renewable biofuel made from
chicken and beef fat in one of the four
engines of a DC-8 airplane. (www.
nasa.gov/topics/aeronautics/features/
aafex_biofuels.html)
The experiments chief scientist,
Bruce Anderson of NASAs Langley
Research Center in Virginia, said that in
the engine that burned the biofuel,
black carbon emissions were 90 percent
less at idle and almost 60 percent less at
takeoff thrust. Anderson added that the
biofuel also produced much lower sul-
fate, organic aerosol, and hazardous
emissions than the standard jet fuel.
Boeing is leading a process to gain
approval for synthetic paraffinic
kerosene (Bio-SPK) jet fuel, a drop-in
biofuel that has an energy density equal
to or greater than conventional jet fuel.
The biofuel has to be able to function in
very high and very low temperatures.
Airbus is also investigating the use of
alternative energy sources such as biofu-
els, hydrogen, and solar power.
22 NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011
ProtoLaser S. Its the real deal.
Design your circuit, load virtually any type of substrate, send your file, and youll have
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www.lpkfusa.com/pls 1-800-345-LPKF
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Figure 3. MIT's D "double bubble" series design
concept is based on a modified "tube-and-wing"
structure that has a very wide fuselage to pro-
vide extra lift. (MIT/Aurora Flight Sciences)
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Intro
DISCOVER YOUR PERFECT FIT
Original DualVee, guide wheels provide smooth, accurate motion with speeds up to 5.5 m/s and acceleration up to 5 gs. Available in carbon,
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Intro
N ASA Analyzes Toyota Camry
Software With Static-Analysis Tool
CodeSonar, Coverity Prevent, and Uno software
GrammaTech
Ithaca, NY
607-273-7340
www.grammatech.com
The results of a ten-month study by 30 NASA engineers of
possible electronic causes of unintended acceleration in
Toyota vehicles was released recently by the U.S. Department
of Transportation (DOT). At the request of Congress, the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
began the study last March and asked NASA engineers with
expertise in electronic and software systems to look into con-
sumer claims that electronic systems may have played a role
in reports of unintended acceleration.
As part of the investigation, NASA experts examined more
than 280,000 lines of software. NASAs analysis included per-
forming static analysis on the software using three tools:
GrammaTech CodeSonar, Coverity Prevent, and Uno (a
research tool that originated at Bell Labs).
CodeSonar is a static source code analysis tool that uses a dif-
ferent technology for detailed inter-procedural source code
analysis. CodeSonar analysis typically takes longer to complete
than comparable tools, but can reveal more subtle types of
defects and suspect coding patterns, requiring deeper path
analysis (which can be more time-consuming).
NASA found no evidence that a malfunction in electronics
caused large unintended accelerations, said Michael Kirsch,
principal engineer and team lead of the study from the NASA
Engineering and Safety Center (NESC), based at NASAs
Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA.
The NESC team included NASA software experts in
California and NASA hardware and systems engineers in
Maryland who examined computer-controlled electronic sys-
tems, electromagnetic interference, and software to deter-
mine if these systems played a role in incidents of unintended
acceleration.
M EMS Mirror Will Aid
Space-Based Imaging
Microelectromechanical system
(MEMS)-based deformable mirror
Boston Micromachines Corp.
(BMC)
Cambridge, MA
617-868-4178
www.bostonmicromachines.com
Boston Micromachines was awarded
a Phase 1 NASA Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR) contract
to support space-based imaging
research. The company is developing a
reliable, fault-tolerant, microelectromechanical system
(MEMS)-based deformable mirror.
BMC has been working in MEMS drives for mirrors for
NASA for some time. In January 2010, the company was award-
ed two Phase 1 SBIR grants to make the drives as small as pos-
sible and run on as little power as possible, as well as develop
a process for making the high-actuator-count deformable mir-
rors that would use such tiny drives.
Space-based telescopes have become
indispensible in advancing the fron-
tiers of astrophysics. Over the past
decade, NASA has pioneered corona-
graphic instrument concepts and test-
beds to provide a foundation for
exploring feasibility of coronagraphic
approaches to high-contrast imaging
and spectroscopy. From this work,
NASA has identified a current technol-
ogy need for compact, ultra-precise,
multi-thousand-actuator deformable
mirror (DM) devices.
The MEMS-DM technology will fill a
critical gap in NASAs roadmap for
future coronagraphic observatories. To
achieve this, BMC will implement two
complementary modifications to the manufacturing process.
The team will develop a drive electronics approach that inher-
ently limits actuator electrical current density generated to
prevent permanent failure when a short-time-frame-single-
fault failure occurs, as well as modify the actuator design to
mitigate failure due to adhesion between contacting surfaces
of the actuator flexure and fixed base.
A p p l i c a t i o n B r i e f s
A p p l i c a t i o n B r i e f s
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Intro
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NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011 25 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-720
S ensors Capture New
Images of Mercury
CCD TH7888A imaging sensors
e2v
Chelmsford, Essex, UK
+44 (0) 1245 493 493
www.e2v.com
Earlier this year, NASAs MESSENGER
became the first spacecraft to orbit the
planet Mercury. The e2v Charge
Coupled Device (CCD) imaging sensors
equip the cameras onboard and cap-
tured unique new images of the planet.
Launched in August 2004, NASAs
MESSENGER designed, built, and
operated by the Johns Hopkins
University Applied Physics Laboratory in
Laurel, MD is conducting the first
orbital study of the planet Mercury.
MESSENGER is only the second space-
craft to visit Mercury (after the Mariner
10 mission made several passes of the
planet in 1974-75).
The CCD imaging sensors were used
in MESSENGERs Mercury Dual Imaging
System (MDIS), which comprises a multi-
spectral wide-angle camera and a mono-
chrome narrow-angle camera. The cam-
eras map the rugged landforms and spec-
tral variations on Mercurys surface in
monochrome, color, and stereo. The
instrument is equipped with a
1024x1024-pixel frame transfer sensor,
allowing up to 30 images per second,
with antiblooming functionality and a
possibility of 2x2 binning operation. The
sensors had previously collected more
than 1,200 images during each of
MESSENGERs three flybys of the planet.
For Free Info Visit
http://info.hotims.com/34455-118
This image of Mercury is the first ever obtained
from a spacecraft in orbit about the planet.
(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied
Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of
Washington)
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Intro
Technology Focus: Data Acquisition
Stereo imaging requires two different
perspectives of the same object and, tra-
ditionally, a pair of side-by-side cameras
would be used but are not feasible for
something as tiny as a less than 4-mm-
diameter endoscope that could be used
for minimally invasive surgeries or geo-
exploration through tiny fissures or
bores. The proposed solution here is to
employ a single lens, and a pair of conju-
gated, multiple-bandpass filters
(CMBFs) to separate stereo images.
When a CMBF is placed in front of each
of the stereo channels, only one wave-
length of the visible spectrum that falls
within the passbands of the CMBF is
transmitted through at a time when illu-
minated. Because the passbands are con-
jugated, only one of the two channels
will see a particular wavelength. These
time-multiplexed images are then mixed
and reconstructed to display as stereo
images.
The basic principle of stereo imag-
ing involves an object that is illumi-
nated at specific wavelengths, and a
range of illumination wavelengths is
time multiplexed. The light reflected
from the object selectively passes
through one of the two CMBFs inte-
grated with two pupils separated by a
baseline distance, and is focused onto
the imaging plane through an objec-
tive lens. The passband range of
CMBFs and the illumination wave-
lengths are synchronized such that
each of the CMBFs allows transmis-
sion of only the alternate illumina-
tion wavelength bands. And the trans-
mission bandwidths of CMBFs are
complementary to each other, so that
when one transmits, the other one
blocks.
This can be clearly understood if
the wavelength bands are divided
broadly into red, green, and blue,
then the illumination wavelengths
contain two bands in red (R1, R2),
two bands in green (G1, G2), and two
bands in blue (B1, B2). Therefore,
when the objective is illuminated by
R1, the reflected light enters through
only the left-CMBF as the R1 band
corresponds to the transmission win-
dow of the left CMBF at the left pupil.
This is blocked by the right CMBF.
The transmitted band is focused on
the focal plane array (FPA). Here,
the FPA does not include color filter
array (black and white); hence, the
image sensors only measure light
intensities. Similarly, when the object
is illuminated by R2, it is transmitted
only through the right-CMBF and is
Stereo Imaging Miniature Endoscope
This endoscope can be used in minimally invasive surgery, in geological resource exploration,
and in miniature analytical tools.
NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
Schematic showing the principle of the Stereo Imaging Endoscope using CMBFs. (a) The first illumination
band passes through the left CMBF to cast an image at the focal plane, but is blocked by the right CMBF.
(b) The second illumination band passes through the right CMBF to cast an image at the focal plane, but
is blocked by the left CMBF.
Filtered Illumination
CMBFs
(a)
Object
Split Pupils
Lens System
Focal Plane Array
(b)
Object
Split Pupils
Lens System
Focal Plane Array
CMBFs
Filtered Illumination
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Intro

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" . 1 o t n w o d y tty i l i b a l a c s n o t t u b
m e rre c n i e d u l c n i s l e d o m r e h t O
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e l e c : o t o g o ffo n i e r o m r o F

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a e ffe i l e l c y ccy
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a y rry t s u d n i
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o i t n e t o p t c e f r e p e h t s
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t s e t e v i t o m o t u a & e c a p s o rro e a
5 1 , 9 , 3 n i e l b a l i a v AAv . s e i r t s u d n i
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2 t m / m o
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Intro
Wind and Temperature Spectrometry
(WATS) is a new approach to measure
the full wind vector, temperature, and
relative densities of major neutral species
in the Earths thermosphere. The
method uses an energy-angle spectrome-
ter moving through the tenuous upper
atmosphere to measure directly the
angular and energy distributions of the
air stream that enters the spectrometer.
The angular distribution gives the direc-
tion of the total velocity of the air enter-
ing the spectrometer, and the energy dis-
tribution gives the magnitude of the total
velocity. The wind velocity vector is
uniquely determined since the measured
total velocity depends on the wind vector
and the orbiting velocity vector.
The orbiting spectrometer moves
supersonically, Mach 8 or greater,
through the air and must point within a
few degrees of its orbital velocity vector
(the ram direction). Pointing knowledge
is critical; for example, pointing errors
0.1 lead to errors of about 10 m/s in the
wind. The WATS method may also be
applied without modification to measure
the ion-drift vector, ion temperature, and
relative ion densities of major ionic
species in the ionosphere. In such an
application it may be called IDTS: Ion-
Drift Temperature Spectrometry.
A spectrometer-based coordinate sys-
tem with one axis instantaneously pointing
along the ram direction makes it possible
to transform the Maxwellian velocity distri-
bution of the air molecules to a
Maxwellian energy-angle distribution for
the molecular flux entering the spectrom-
eter. This implementation of WATS is
called the gas kinetic method (GKM)
because it is applied to the case of the
Maxwellian distribution.
The WATS method can be easily
applied to measure the ion-drift, ion
temperature, and ion densities simulta-
neously in the same satellite, thus pro-
viding an effective tool to study ion-neu-
blocked by the left-CMBF. This contin-
ues over other wavelength bands as well.
So, it can be seen that the image sen-
sors at the focal plane are measuring
light intensities of alternately transmit-
ted light from the two CMBFs. At the
end of one complete illumination cycle,
six images will have been collected.
Then the images from R1, G1, and B1
become the primary colors for the left
side of the stereo image, and R2, G2,
and B2 become that of the right side of
the stereo image. Two stereo images
have been time-multiplexed on the same
imaging chip. This intensity data is
stored as an array from which the 3D
stereoscopic color image is constructed
by applying processing and reconstruc-
tion algorithms.
This work was done by Youngsam Bae,
Harish Manohara, Victor E. White, and
Kirill V. Shcheglov of Caltech and Hrayr
Shahinian of Skull Base Institute for
NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For
more information, download the Technical
Support Package (free white paper) at
www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Physical
Sciences category.
In accordance with Public Law 96-517,
the contractor has elected to retain title to this
invention. Inquiries concerning rights for its
commercial use should be addressed to:
Innovative Technology Assets Management
JPL
Mail Stop 202-233
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, CA 91109-8099
E-mail: iaoffice@jpl.nasa.gov
Refer to NPO-47420, volume and number
of this NASA Tech Briefs issue, and the
page number.
Wind and Temperature Spectrometry of the Upper Atmosphere
in Low-Earth Orbit
Multi-point measurements can enhance the capabilities of the GPS network, as well as other
communication applications.
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
Data Acquisition
Cov ToC
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Intro
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Cov ToC
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Intro
NEW Multifunction DAQ
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tral coupling in the upper atmosphere.
The WATS method lends itself to minia-
turization, and it is possible to design
WATS instruments that consume very lit-
tle power in a small volume, compatible
with the new CubeSats. Therefore, it
may soon prove realistic to operate
many WATS instruments to carry out
simultaneous multi-point measurements
over a broad range of altitudes (120 to
600 km) and all altitudes and longi-
tudes.
The WATS method follows from the
recognition that in a supersonic plat-
form moving at 8,000 m/s, the measure-
ment of small wind velocities in the air
on the order of a few 100 m/s and less
requires precise knowledge of the angle
of incidence of the neutral atoms and
molecules. The same is true for the case
of ion-drift measurements. WATS also
provides a general approach that can
obtain non-equilibrium distributions as
may exist in the upper regions of the
thermosphere, above 500 km and into
the exosphere. Finally, WATS serves as a
mass spectrometer, with very low mass
resolution of roughly 1 part in 3, but eas-
ily separating atomic oxygen from
molecular nitrogen.
This work was done by Federico Herrero of
Goddard Space Flight Center. For more informa-
tion, download the Technical Support Package
(free white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp
under the Physical Sciences category. GSC-
15753-1
Health Monitor for
Multitasking,
Safety-Critical,
Real-Time Software
A single software module
addresses many health
management problems.
John F. Kennedy Space Center,
Florida
Health Manager can detect Bad
Health prior to a failure occurring by
periodically monitoring the application
software by looking for code corruption
errors, and sanity-checking each critical
data value prior to use. A processors
memory can fail and corrupt the soft-
ware, or the software can accidentally
write to the wrong address and overwrite
the executing software. This innovation
will continuously calculate a checksum
of the software load to detect corrupted
code. This will allow a system to detect a
failure before it happens.
This innovation monitors each soft-
ware task (thread) so that if any task
reports bad health, or does not report
to the Health Manager, the system is
declared bad. The Health Manager
reports overall system health to the out-
side world by outputting a square wave
signal. If the square wave stops, this indi-
cates that system health is bad or hung
and cannot report. Either way, bad
health can be detected, whether caused
by an error, corrupted data, or a hung
processor.
A separate Health Monitor Task is
started and run periodically in a loop
that starts and stops pending on a sema-
phore. Each monitored task registers
with the Health Manager, which main-
tains a count for the task. The register-
ing task must indicate if it will run more
Cov ToC
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Intro
NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011 www.techbriefs.com
Extremely robust Sensors
for position / angle /
inclination measurement
WS31 / WS42
POSIROT

Magnetic Angular Sensors

POSITILT
Inclinometers
POSICHRON
Magnetostrictive
Position Sensors
PRAS5V PTAM2 PTAM27

PCST25 / PCFP25

WB85
POSITAPE

Tape Position Sensors
ASM Sensors, Inc.
www.asmsensors.com
info@asmsensors.com
Tel. 1-888-ASM-USA-1



Inclinometers
T POSITILLT
Angular Sensors Magnetic
POSIROT

Angular Sensors

Position Sensors
Magnetostrictive
POSICHRON
Analog, digital, CAN-Bus x
1 axis or 2 axes (PT) x
ith .39 shaft or non-contact (PR) W x
Measurement range 0 ... 360 x
Protection class IP67 / IP69K x

Magnetostrictive
ith .39 shaft or non-contact (PR)
Measurement range 0 ... 360
Protection class IP67 / IP69K

Analog, incremental x
Measurement range 0 ... 226 in. x
APE POSITTA

Measurement range 0 ... 226 in.

ape Position Sensors TTa
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This software provides a program-
ming interface for automating data col-
lection with a PhaseCam interferome-
ter from 4D Technology, and distribut-
ing the image-processing algorithm
across a cluster of general-purpose
computers.
Multiple instances of 4Sight (4D
Technologys proprietary software) run
on a networked cluster of computers.
Each connects to a single server (the
controller) and waits for instructions.
The controller directs the interferome-
ter to several images, then assigns each
image to a different computer for pro-
cessing. When the image processing is
finished, the server directs one of the
computers to collate and combine the
processed images, saving the resulting
measurement in a file on a disk.
The available software captures
approximately 100 images and analyzes
them immediately. This software sepa-
rates the capture and analysis processes,
so that analysis can be done at a differ-
ent time and faster by running the algo-
rithm in parallel across several proces-
sors.
The PhaseCam family of interferome-
ters can measure an optical system in
milliseconds, but it takes many seconds
to process the data so that it is usable. In
characterizing an adaptive optics system,
like the next generation of astronomical
observatories, thousands of measure-
ments are required, and the processing
time quickly becomes excessive.
A programming interface distributes
data processing for a PhaseCam interfer-
ometer across a Windows computing
cluster. A scriptable controller program
coordinates data acquisition from the
interferometer, storage on networked
hard disks, and parallel processing. Idle
time of the interferometer is minimized.
This architecture is implemented in
Python and JavaScript, and may be
altered to fit a customers needs.
This work was done by Shanti R. Rao of
Caltech for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For
more information, contact iaoffice@jpl.nasa.gov.
This software is available for commercial
licensing. Please contact Daniel Broderick of
the California Institute of Technology at
danielb@caltech.edu. Refer to NPO -47384.
Parallel Wavefront Analysis for a 4D
Interferometer
or less often than the Health Manager. If
the task runs more often than the
Health Manager, the monitored task
calls a health function that increments
the count and verifies it did not go over
max-count. When the periodic Health
Manager runs, it verifies that the count
did not go over the max-count and
zeroes it. If the task runs less often than
the Health Manager, the periodic
Health Manager will increment the
count. The monitored task zeroes the
count, and both the Health Manager
and monitored task verify that the count
did not go over the max-count.
The Health Manager reports its sys-
tem health status to the outside world by
toggling an output pin creating a square
wave signal. If the system hangs com-
pletely prior to reporting its health sta-
tus, the square wave is no longer gener-
ated. This absence of the square wave,
whether intentional or because the
Health Manager is hung, indicates bad
health, analogous to a deadman switch.
This is done by creating a Health
Manager Reporting Task, which loops
and pends on a semaphore. A timer
Interrupt Service Routine gives the sem-
aphore that allows the Health Manager
to run. When the Health Manager
Reporting Task receives the semaphore,
it reads the system health status. If the
status is good, an output pin is toggled.
If the status is bad health, it latches the
systems bad health variable so it can
never switch back to good health and
stops the square wave.
This work was done by Roger Zoerner of
Kennedy Space Center. For more information,
download the Technical Support Package
under the Information Sciences category.
KSC-12809
New Tech Talk
How to Properly
Select a Laser Power
or Energy Sensor
Dick Rieley, Ophir-Spiricon
View this free 10-minute
presentation at:
www.techbriefs.com/webcasts
Cov ToC
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Intro
Oscillation or instability is a situation
that must be avoided for reliable hybrid
DC/DC converters. A real-time electronics
measurement technique was developed to
detect catastrophic oscillations at early
stages for hybrid DC/DC converters. It is
capable of identifying low-level oscillation
and determining the degree of the oscilla-
tion at a unique frequency for every indi-
vidual model of the converters without dis-
turbing their normal operations. This
technique is specially developed for space-
used hybrid DC/DC converters, but it is
also suitable for most of commercial and
military switching-mode power supplies.
This is a weak-electronic-signal detec-
tion technique to detect hybrid DC/DC
converter oscillation presented as a specif-
ic noise signal at power input pins. It is
based on principles of feedback control
loop oscillation and RF signal modula-
tions, and is realized by using signal power
spectral analysis. On the power spectrum,
a channel power amplitude at characteris-
tic frequency (CP
cf
) and a channel power
amplitude at switching frequency (CP
sw
)
are chosen as oscillation level indicators. If
the converter is stable, the CP
cf
is a very
small pulse and the CP
sw
is a larger, clear,
single pulse. At early stage of oscillation,
the CP
cf
increases to a certain level and the
CP
sw
shows a small pair of sideband pulses
around it. If the converter oscillates, the
CP
cf
reaches to a higher level and the CP
sw
shows more high-level sideband pulses. A
comprehensive stability index (CSI) is
adopted as a quantitative measure to accu-
rately assign a degree of stability to a spe-
cific DC/DC converter. The CSI is a ratio
of normal and abnormal power spectral
density, and can be calculated using speci-
fied and measured CP
cf
and CP
sw
data.
The novel and unique feature of this
technique is the use of power channel
amplitudes at characteristic frequency and
switching frequency to evaluate stability and
identify oscillations at an early stage without
interfering with a DC/DC converters nor-
mal operation. This technique eliminates
the probing problem of a gain/phase mar-
gin method by connecting the power input
to a spectral analyzer. Therefore, it is able to
evaluate stability for all kinds of hybrid
DC/DC converters with or without remote
sense pins, and is suitable for real-time and
in-circuit testing. This frequency-domain
technique is more sensitive to detect oscilla-
tion at early stage than the time-domain
method using an oscilloscope.
This work was done by Bright L. Wang of
under the Electronics/Computers category.
GSC-15777-1
2011 Measurement Computing Corporation, 10 Commerce Way, Norton, MA 02766 info@mccdaq.com
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Early Oscillation Detection Technique for Hybrid DC/DC
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Potential users include commercial and military power supply manufacturers, and high-
reliability electronic product companies.
Cov ToC
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Intro
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-727 NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011 33
Electronics/
Computers
Schottky Heterodyne
Receivers With Full Waveguide
Bandwidth
New receivers are designed for high-resolution
spectroscopic studies.
Compact THz receivers with broad bandwidth and low noise
have been developed for the frequency range from 100 GHz to
1 THz. These receivers meet the requirements for high-resolu-
tion spectroscopic studies of planetary atmospheres (including
the Earths) from spacecraft, as well as airborne and balloon
platforms. The ongoing research is significant not only for the
development of Schottky mixers, but also for the creation of a
receiver system, including the LO chain.
Figure 1. Measured Performance of a WR-1.9 (400600 GHz) subharmonic
mixer (shown in inset).
Figure 2. Measured Dynamic Range of a VDI WR-1.5 (500750 GHz) VNA
frequency extender module.
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
400 450 500 550 600
M
i
x
e
r

N
o
i
s
e

T
e
m
p
.

(
K
,
D
S
B
)
Frequency (GHz)
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
500 550 600 650 700 750
D
y
n
a
m
i
c

R
a
n
g
e
,

d
B
Frequency, GHz
Cov ToC
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Intro
www.techbriefs.com NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011
Space
Qualied POL
Regulators
Part
Number
Output
Voltage
(V)
Output
Current
(A)
Output
Power
(W)
Typ
Eff.
(%)
SBB501S 1.0 14.0 14 72
SBB501R2S 1.2 14.0 16.8 73
SBB501R5S 1.5 14.0 21 76
SBB501R8S 1.8 14.0 25 79
SBB502R5S 2.5 12.0 30 86
SBB503R3S 3.3 9.1 30 89
For more information call 1.800.981.8699
or visit www.irf.com
FEATURES:
Total dose >100K Rads (Si)
SEE hardness rated, SEL/SEB/SET with
LET >82 MeV-cm
2
/mg
Operates from 4.5V to 5.5V DC supply
Fixed output voltage: 1, 1.2, 1.5, 1.8, 2.5 and
3.3V adjustable to 10%
Output power up to 30W or 14A maximum
-55 to +85C operating case temperature
without power de-rating
Extremely low input ripple current, no
external lter capacitors required
For Digital Payloads
THE POWER MANAGEMENT LEADER
Electronics/Computers
The new receivers meet the goals of
high sensitivity, compact size, low total
power requirement, and operation
across complete waveguide bands. The
exceptional performance makes these
receivers ideal for the broader range of
scientific and commercial applications.
These include the extension of sophisti-
cated test and measurement equipment
to 1 THz and the development of low-
cost imaging systems for security appli-
cations and industrial process monitor-
ing. As a particular example, a WR-
1.9SHM (400600 GHz) has been
developed (see Figure 1), with state-of-
the-art noise temperature ranging from
1,0001,800 K (DSB) over the full wave-
guide band. Also, a Vector Network
Analyzer extender has been developed
(see Figure 2) for the WR1.5 waveguide
band (500750 GHz) with 100-dB
dynamic range.
This work was done by Jeffrey Hesler and
Thomas Crowe of Virginia Diodes, Inc. for
under the Electronics/Computers category.
GSC-15798-1
Work was conducted to validate the use
of the rover external flexible coaxial
cabling for space under the extreme envi-
ronments to be encountered during the
Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission.
The antennas must survive all ground
operations plus the nominal 670-Martian-
day mission that includes summer and
winter seasons of the Mars environment.
Successful development of processes
established coaxial cable hardware fatigue
limits, which were well beyond the expect-
ed in-flight exposures. In keeping with tra-
ditional qualification philosophy, this was
accomplished by subjecting flight-repre-
sentative coaxial cables to temperature
cycling of the same depth as expected in-
flight, but for three times the expected
number of in-flight thermal cycles.
Insertion loss and return loss tests
were performed on the coaxial cables
during the thermal chamber breaks. A
vector network analyzer was calibrated
and operated over the operational fre-
quency range 7.145 to 8.450 GHz. Even
though some of the exposed cables func-
tion only at UHF frequencies (approxi-
mately 400 MHz), the testing was more
sensitive, and extending the test range
down to 400 MHz would have cost fre-
quency resolution.
The Gore flexible coaxial cables,
which were the subject of these tests,
proved to be robust and displayed no
sign of degradation due to the 3X expo-
sure to the punishing Mars surface oper-
ations cycles.
This work was done by Rajeshuni
Ramesham, Wayne L. Harvey, Sam Valas,
and Michael C. Tsai of Caltech for NASAs Jet
Propulsion Laboratory. For more information,
contact iaoffice@jpl.nasa.gov. NPO-47452
Coaxial Cables for Martian Extreme
Temperature Environments
High Q resonators are a critical com-
ponent of stable, low-noise communica-
tion systems, radar, and precise timing
applications such as atomic clocks. In
electronic resonators based on Si inte-
grated circuits, resistive losses increase as
a result of the continued reduction in
device dimensions, which decreases their
Carbon Nanofiber-Based, High-Frequency,
High-Q, Miniaturized Mechanical
Resonators
These miniature resonators can be used in portable
electronics, communications systems, and other wireless
systems.
Cov ToC
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Intro
Q values. On the other hand, due to the
mechanical construct of bulk acoustic
wave (BAW) and surface acoustic wave
(SAW) resonators, such loss mechanisms
are absent, enabling higher Q-values for
both BAW and SAW resonators com-
pared to their electronic counterparts.
The other advantages of mechanical res-
onators are their inherently higher radi-
ation tolerance, a factor that makes them
attractive for NASAs extreme environ-
ment planetary missions, for example to
the Jovian environments where the radi-
ation doses are at hostile levels. Despite
these advantages, both BAW and SAW
resonators suffer from low resonant fre-
quencies and they are also physically
large, which precludes their integration
into miniaturized electronic systems.
Because there is a need to move the
resonant frequency of oscillators to the
order of gigahertz, new technologies
and materials are being investigated that
will make performance at those frequen-
cies attainable. By moving to nanoscale
structures, in this case vertically orient-
ed, cantilevered carbon nanotubes
(CNTs), that have larger aspect ratios
(length/thickness) and extremely high
elastic moduli, it is possible to overcome
the two disadvantages of both bulk
acoustic wave (BAW) and surface
acoustic wave (SAW) resonators.
Nano-electro-mechanical systems
(NEMS) that utilize high aspect ratio
nanomaterials exhibiting high elastic
moduli (e.g., carbon-based nanomateri-
als) benefit from high Qs, operate at
high frequency, and have small force
constants that translate to high respon-
sivity that results in improved sensitivity,
lower power consumption, and im -
proved tunablity. NEMS resonators have
recently been demonstrated using top-
down, lithographically fabricated ap -
proaches to form cantilever or bridge-
type structures. Top-down approaches,
however, rely on complicated and
expensive e-beam lithography, and often
require a release mechanism. Reso -
nance effects in structures synthesized
using bottom-up approaches have also
recently been reported based on carbon
nanotubes, but such approaches have
relied on a planar two-dimensional (2D)
geometry. In this innovation, vertically
aligned tubes synthesized using a bot-
tom-up approach have been considered,
where the vertical orientation of the
tubes has the potential to increase inte-
gration density even further.
The simulation of a vertically orient-
ed, cantilevered carbon nanotube was
performed using COMSOL Multi -
physics, a finite element simulation
package. All simulations were per-
formed in a 2D geometry that provided
consistent results and minimized com-
putational complexity. The simulations
assumed a vertically oriented, can-
tilevered nanotube of uniform density
(1.5 g/cm
3
). An elastic modulus was
assumed to be 600 GPa, relative permit-
tivity of the nanotube was assumed to be
5.0, and Poissons ratio was assumed to
be 0.2. It should be noted that the rela-
tive permittivity and Poissons ratio for
the nanotubes of interest are not known
accurately. However, as in previous simu-
lations, the relative permittivity and
Poissons ratios were treated as weak
variables in the simulation, and no sig-
nificant changes were recognized when
these variables were varied.
Of interest in the simulations of a
CNT resonator were the structural strain
and deflection of the nanotube, and the
electrostatic interactions between the
nanotube and nanomanipulator probe.
Structural boundary conditions were
arranged such that the exposed lengths
and tip of the nanotube were allowed to
NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011 35
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Cov ToC
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Intro
move freely while all other surfaces were
held fixed (including the nanotube
base). These conditions simulated a
fixed, cantilevered beam in a domain
adjacent to a nanomanipulator probe of
infinite elastic modulus. Electrostatic
boundary conditions were chosen such
that the nanotube was grounded, an AC
voltage with DC bias was applied to the
surface of the nanoprobe adjacent to
the nanotube, and all other boundaries
in the system were selected such that no
electrical charge exists on, or outside of,
those surfaces. The solution domain was
simulated as a vacuum. Preliminary
experiments have suggested that electro-
mechanical coupling can occur between
a scanning electron microscope (SEM)
beam and a vertically oriented, can-
tilever carbon nanofiber (CNF) causing
the CNF to mechanically resonate with
displacements two or three times larger
than the tube diameters.
This work was done by Anupama B. Kaul
and Larry W. Epp of Caltech and Leif Bagge
of the University of Texas for NASAs Jet
contact iaoffice@jpl.nasa.gov.
JPL
Mail Stop 202-233
Refer to NPO-47238 , volume and number
page number.
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A technique has been devised to
enable creation of a dynamic set of test
points in an embedded digital electron-
ic system. As a result, electronics con-
tained in an application specific circuit
[e.g., gate array, field programmable
gate array (FPGA)] can be internally
probed, even when contained in a
closed housing during all phases of test.
In the present technique, the test
points are not fixed and limited to a
small number; the number of test points
can vastly exceed the number of buffers
or pins, resulting in a compact footprint.
Test points are selected by means of
spare logic resources within the ASIC(s)
and/or FPGA(s). A register is pro-
grammed with a command, which is used
to select the signals that are sent off-chip
and out of the housing for monitoring by
test engineers and external test equip-
ment.
The register can be commanded by
any suitable means: for example, it
could be commanded through a com-
mand port that would normally be used
in the operation of the system. In the
original application of the technique,
commanding of the register is per-
formed via a MIL-STD-1553B communi-
cation subsystem.
This work was done by Richard Katz and
Igor Kleyner of Goddard Space Flight Center.
For more information, download the Technical
www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Elec -
tronics/Computers category. GSC-15490-1
Using Spare Logic
Resources To
Create Dynamic
Test Points
Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, Maryland
Cov ToC
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Intro
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NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011
The ultracapacitor-based uninterrupted power supply (UPS)
system enhances system reliability; reduces life-of-system, main-
tenance, and downtime costs; and greatly reduces environmen-
tal impact when compared to conventional UPS energy storage
systems. This design provides power when required and
absorbs power when required to smooth the system load and
also has excellent low-temperature performance. The UPS
used during hardware tests at Glenn is an efficient, compact,
maintenance-free, rack-mount, pure sine-wave inverter unit.
The UPS provides a continuous output power up to 1,700 W
with a surge rating of 1,870 W for up to one minute at a nom-
inal output voltage of 115 VAC. The ultracapacitor energy stor-
age system tested in conjunction with the UPS is rated at 5.8 F.
This is a bank of ten symmetric ultracapacitor modules.
Each module is actively balanced using a linear voltage bal-
ancing technique in which the cell-to-cell leakage is dependent
upon the imbalance of the individual cells. The ultracapacitors
are charged by a DC power supply, which can provide up to 300
VDC at 4 A. A constant-voltage, constant-current power supply
was selected for this application. The long life of ultracapaci-
tors greatly enhances system reliability, which is significant in
critical applications such as medical power systems and space
power systems. The energy storage system can usually last
longer than the application, given its 20-year life span. This
means that the ultracapacitors will probably never need to be
replaced and disposed of, whereas batteries require frequent
replacement and disposal. The charge-discharge efficiency of
rechargeable batteries is approximately 50 percent, and after
some hundreds of charges and discharges, they must be
replaced. The charge-discharge efficiency of ultracapacitors
exceeds 90 percent, and can accept more than a million
charges and discharges. Thus, there is a significant energy sav-
ings through the efficiency improvement, and there is far less
downtime for applications and labor involved in replacing an
ultracapacitor versus batteries. Also, the lengthy lifespan of this
design would greatly reduce the disposal problems posed by
lead acid, nickel cadmium, lithium, and nickel metal hydride
batteries.
This innovation is recyclable by nature, which further
reduces system costs. The disposal of ultracapacitors is simple,
as they are constructed of non-hazardous components. They
are also safer than batteries in that they can be easily dis-
charged, and left indefinitely in a safe, discharged state where
batteries cannot.
This work was done by Dennis J. Eichenberg for Glenn Research
Center. For more information, download the Technical Support
Package (free white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the
Electronics/Computers category.
Inquiries concerning rights for the commercial use of this invention
should be addressed to NASA Glenn Research Center, Innovative
Partnerships Office, Attn: Steven Fedor, Mail Stop 48, 21000
Brookpark Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44135. Refer to LEW-18649-1.
Ultracapacitor-Based
Uninterrupted Power
Supply System
This technology provides essential backup power,
increases safety, and reduces environmental
impact.
John H. Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Cov ToC
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Intro
Software
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Autonomous Coordination of Science
Observations Using Multiple Spacecraft
This software provides capabilities for autonomous cross-
cueing and coordinated observations between multiple orbital
and landed assets. Previous work has been done in re-tasking a
single Earth orbiter or a Mars rover in response to that craft
detecting a science event. This work enables multiple space-
craft to communicate (over a network designed for deep-space
communications) and autonomously coordinate the character-
ization of such a science event.
This work investigates a new paradigm of space science cam-
paigns where opportunistic science observations are
autonomously coordinated among multiple spacecraft. In this
paradigm, opportunistic science detections can be cued by mul-
tiple assets where a second asset is requested to take additional
observations characterizing the identified surface feature or
event. To support this new paradigm, an autonomous science sys-
tem for multiple spacecraft assets was integrated with the
Interplanetary Network DTN (Delay Tolerant Network) to pro-
vide communication between spacecraft assets.
This technology enables new mission concepts that are not fea-
sible with current technology. The ability to rapidly coordinate
activities across spacecraft without requiring ground in the loop
enables rapid reaction to dynamic events across platforms, such
as a survey instrument followed by a targeted high-resolution
instrument, as well as regular simultaneous observations.
This work was done by Tara A. Estlin, Steve A. Chien, Rebecca
Castano, Daniel M. Gaines, Joshua R. Doubleday, Joshua B. Schoolcraft,
Amalaye Oyake, Ashton G. Vaughs, and Jordan L. Torgerson of Caltech
and Charles de Granville for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For more
information, contact iaoffice@jpl.nasa.gov.
This software is available for commercial licensing. Please contact
Daniel Broderick of the California Institute of Technology at
danielb@caltech.edu. Refer to NPO-47398.
EOS MLS Level 1B Data Processing Software,
Version 3
This software is an improvement on Version 2, which was
described in EOS MLS Level 1B Data Processing, Version 2.2,
NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 33, No. 5 (May 2009), p. 34. It accepts the
EOS MLS Level 0 science/engineering data, and the EOS Aura
spacecraft ephemeris/attitude data, and produces calibrated
instrument radiances and associated engineering and diagnos-
tic data. This version makes the code more robust, improves
calibration, provides more diagnostics outputs, defines the
Galactic core more finely, and fixes the equator crossing.
The Level 1 processing software manages several different tasks.
It qualifies each data quantity using instrument configuration and
checksum data, as well as data transmission quality flags. Statistical
tests are applied for data quality and reasonableness. The instru-
ment engineering data (e.g., voltages, currents, temperatures, and
encoder angles) is calibrated by the software, and the filter chan-
nel space reference measurements are interpolated onto the times
of each limb measurement with the interpolates being differenced
from the measurements. Filter channel calibration target measure-
Cov ToC
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Intro
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Miniature sensors,
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CONFOCAL
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Compact sensor, with
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NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011 www.techbriefs.com Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-732
ments are interpolated onto the times of
each limb measurement, and are used to
compute radiometric gain. The total signal
power is determined and analyzed by each
digital autocorrelator spectrometer
(DACS) during each data integration. The
software converts each DACS data integra-
tion from an autocorrelation measure-
ment in the time domain into a spectral
measurement in the frequency domain,
and estimates separately the spectrally,
smoothly varying and spectrally averaged
components of the limb port signal arising
from antenna emission and scattering
effects. Limb radiances are also calibrated.
The radiance at the limb port of the
radiometer module is computed, includ-
ing non-atmospheric radiance contribu-
tions from antenna emission and scatter-
ing. It is the task of the retrieval/forward
model software (Level 2) to compute the
atmospheric component of the limb radi-
ation reaching this interface. It is necessi-
tated by the greatly increased bandwidth
of EOS MLS radiometers, and the double-
sideband nature of most measurements.
Estimates of the random component of
uncertainty (noise) on each limb radiance
are also determined. Spacecraft inertial
pointing and star tracker data are com-
bined with spacecraft and GHz antenna
structural/thermal data and scan mecha-
nism encoder data to estimate the bore-
sight angles for each radiometer. The soft-
ware collects and generates ancillary data
(e.g., tangent point location, local solar
time, local solar zenith angle, flags for
bright objects in the field of view) that are
needed in Level 2 processing. A log file is
produced that summarizes instrument
performance and outputs.
This work was done by Vincent S. Perun,
Robert F. Jarnot, Paul A. Wagner, Richard E.
Cofield IV, and Honghanh T. Nguyen of
Caltech and Christina Vuu of Raytheon for
NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For more
Cassini Tour Atlas
Automated Generation
During the Cassini spacecrafts cruise
phase and nominal mission, the Cassini
Science Planning Team developed and
maintained an online database of geomet-
ric and timing information called the
Cassini Tour Atlas. The Tour Atlas consist-
ed of several hundreds of megabytes of
EVENTS mission planning software out-
puts, tables, plots, and images used by mis-
sion scientists for observation planning.
Each time the nominal mission trajectory
was altered or tweaked, a new Tour Atlas
had to be regenerated manually.
In the early phases of Cassinis
Equinox Mission planning, an a priori
estimate suggested that mission tour
designers would develop approximately
30 candidate tours within a short period
of time. So that Cassini scientists could
properly analyze the science opportuni-
ties in each candidate tour quickly and
thoroughly so that the optimal series of
orbits for science return could be select-
ed, a separate Tour Atlas was required
for each trajectory.
The task of manually generating the
number of trajectory analyses in the
allotted time would have been impossi-
ble, so the entire task was automated
using code written in five different pro-
gramming languages. This software
automates the generation of the Cassini
Tour Atlas database. It performs with
one UNIX command what previously
took a day or two of human labor.
This work was done by Kevin R. Grazier, Chris
Roumeliotis, and Robert D. Lange of Caltech for
NASAs Jet Propulsion Lab oratory. For more infor-
mation, contact iaoffice@jpl.nasa.gov.
Software Development
Standard Processes (SDSP)
A JPL-created set of standard processes
is to be used throughout the lifecycle of
software development. These SDSPs cover
a range of activities, from management
and engineering activities, to assurance
and support activities. These processes
must be applied to software tasks per a pre-
scribed set of procedures. JPLs Software
Quality Improvement Project is currently
working at the behest of the JPL Software
Process Owner to ensure that all applica-
ble software tasks follow these procedures.
The SDSPs are captured as a set of 22
standards in JPLs software process
domain. They were developed in-house
at JPL by a number of Subject Matter
Experts (SMEs) residing primarily with-
in the Engineering and Science
Directorate, but also from the Business
Operations Directorate and Safety and
Mission Success Directorate. These prac-
tices include not only currently per-
formed best practices, but also JPL-
desired future practices in key thrust
areas like software architecting and soft-
ware reuse analysis. Additionally, these
Cov ToC
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Intro
SDSPs conform to many standards and
requirements to which JPL projects are
beholden.
This work was done by Milton L. Lavin,
James J. Wang, Ronald Morillo, John T. Mayer,
Barzia Jamshidian Tehrani, Kenneth J.
Shimizu, Belinda M. Wilkinson, Jairus M.
Hihn, Rosana B. Borgen, Kenneth N. Meyer,
Kathleen A. Crean, George C. Rinker, Thomas P.
Smith, Karen T. Lum, Robert A. Hanna, Daniel
E. Erickson, Edward B. Gamble Jr., Scott C.
Morgan, Michael G. Kelsay, Brian J. Newport,
Scott A. Lewicki, Jeane G. Stipanuk, Tonja M.
Cooper, and Leila Meshkat of Caltech for NASAs
Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For more informa-
under the Software category.
Autonomous Phase
Retrieval Calibration
The Palomar Adaptive Optics System
actively corrects for changing aberra-
tions in light due to atmospheric turbu-
lence. However, the underlying inter-
nal static error is unknown and uncor-
rected by this process. The dedicated
wavefront sensor device necessarily lies
along a different path than the science
camera, and, therefore, doesnt meas-
ure the true errors along the path lead-
ing to the final detected imagery. This
is a standard problem in adaptive
optics (AO) called non-common path
error.
The previous method of calibrating
this error consisted of manually apply-
ing different polynomial shapes (via
actuator voltages) at different magni-
tudes onto the deformable mirror and
noting if the final image quality had
improved or deteriorated, before mov-
ing onto the next polynomial mode.
This is a limited, time-consuming, and
subjective process, and structural and
environmental changes over time neces-
sitate a new calibration over a period of
months.
The Autonomous Phase Retrieval
Calibration (APRC) software suite per-
forms automated sensing and correc-
tion iterations to calibrate the Palomar
AO system to levels that were previously
unreachable. APRC controls several
movable components inside the AO sys-
tem to collect the required data, auto-
matically processes data using an adap-
tive phase retrieval algorithm, and auto-
matically calculates new sets of actuator
voltage commands for the deformable
mirror. APRC manages and preserves
all essential data during this process.
The APRC software calculates the
true wavefront error of the full optical
system, then uses the existing AO system
deformable mirror (DM) to correct the
detected error. This provides a signifi-
cant leap in performance by precisely
correcting what were once un-calibrat-
able errors. Furthermore, the correc-
tive pattern found by this process serves
as the underlying nominal shape of the
DM, upon which the adaptive correc-
tions for atmospheric turbulence are
based.
This work was done by Siddarayappa A.
Bikkannavar, Catherine M. OHara, and
Mitchell Troy of Caltech for NASAs Jet
under the Software category.
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NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011 www.techbriefs.com 41
Technologies of the Month
For more information on these and other new, licensable inventions,
visit www.techbriefs.com/techsearch
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forth; or using equivalent fiber mass, performance in many
applications could be significantly enhanced.
Get the complete report on this technology at:
www.techbriefs.com/tow/201106a.html
Phone: 781-972-0600
Adaptive Membranes for Comfortable
Protective Wear
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This dual-membrane technology provides apparel with a
high degree of comfort, passing air and water vapor easily.
The garment (or survival enclosure) can instantly be made
impervious with the flip of a switch on the belt-mounted
power pack. The garment can be toggled between high com-
fort and high protection modes quickly and repeatedly,
depending on the environmental conditions. A voltage is
required to maintain one of the states. These garments are
ideal for situations where the environment is usually normal
but can rapidly change to hazardous, such as first responders,
HAZMAT teams, hospital personnel, militia, or chemical
plant workers.
The fabric consists of two membranes sometimes separat-
ed by a free space. Each membrane has an array of holes, and
the holes from one membrane are not aligned with the holes
of the other membrane. In the protective state, the mem-
branes are tightly squeezed together so that gases cannot trav-
el from the holes in one membrane to the other.
Get the complete report on this technology at:
www.techbriefs.com/tow/201106b.html
Phone: 781-972-0600
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Intro
More Manufacturing & Prototyping Tech Briefs
Online at www.techbriefs.com/prototyping
Read these reports:
Method of Strengthening Composite/Metal Joints
Optimizing Bump Bonding Improves Flip Chip Devices
Pre-Finishing SiC for Optical Applications
+ hundreds more, fully searchable!
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Manufacturing & Prototyping
The use of high-strength, lightweight
composites for the fixture is the novel fea-
ture of this innovation. The main advan-
tage is the light weight and high stiffness-
to-mass ratio relative to aluminum.
Meter-class optics require support dur-
ing the grinding/polishing process with
large tools. The use of aluminum as a
polishing fixture is standard, with pitch
providing a compliant layer to allow sup-
port without deformation. Unfortu -
nately, with meter-scale optics, a meter-
scale fixture weighs over 120 lb (55 kg)
and may distort the optics being fabricat-
ed by loading the mirror and/or tool
used in fabrication. The use of compos-
ite structures that are lightweight yet stiff
allows standard techniques to be used
while providing for a decrease in fixture
weight by almost 70 percent.
Mounts classically used to support
large mirrors during fabrication are espe-
cially heavy and difficult to handle. The
mount must be especially stiff to avoid
deformation during the optical fabrica-
tion process, where a very large and heavy
lap often can distort the mount and optic
being fabricated. If the optic is placed on
top of the lapping tool, the weight of the
optic and the fixture can distort the lap.
Fixtures to support the mirror during fab-
rication are often very large plates of alu-
minum, often 2 in. (5 cm) or more in
thickness and weight upwards of 150 lb
(68 kg). With the addition of a backing
material such as pitch and the mirror
itself, the assembly can often weigh over
250 lb (113 kg) for a meter-class optic.
This innovation is the use of a light-
weight graphite panel with an aluminum
honeycomb core for use as the polishing
fixture. These materials have been used
in the aerospace industry as structural
members due to their light weight and
high stiffness. The grinding polishing fix-
ture consists of the graphite composite
panel, fittings, and fixtures to allow inter-
face to the polishing machine, and intro-
duction of pitch buttons to support the
optic under fabrication. In its operation,
the grinding polishing fixture acts as a
reaction structure to the polishing tool.
It must be stiff enough to avoid impart-
ing a distorted shape to the optic under
fabrication and light enough to avoid
self-deflection. The fixture must also
withstand significant tangential loads
from the polishing machine during oper-
ations.
This work was done by John Hagopian,
Carl Strojny, and Jason Budinoff of Goddard
Space Flight Center. For more information,
under the Manufacturing & Prototyping cat-
egory. GSC-15911-1
Graphite Composite Panel Polishing Fixture
Composite fixture eliminates problems that may be caused by those made from aluminum.
In an alternative approach to increas-
ing the degrees of wetting and adhesion
between the fiber and matrix compo-
nents of organic-fiber/polymer matrix
composite materials, the matrix resins
are modified. Heretofore, it has been
common practice to modify the fibers
rather than the matrices: The fibers are
modified by chemical and/or physical
surface treatments prior to combining
the fibers with matrix resins an
approach that entails considerable
Modifying Matrix Materials to Increase Wetting and Adhesion
Improvements are achieved at lower cost and without degradation of fibers.
Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama
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Intro
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Intro
expense and usually results in degrada-
tion (typically, weakening) of fibers.
The alternative approach of modify-
ing the matrix resins does not entail
degradation of fibers, and affords
opportunities for improving the
mechanical properties of the fiber com-
posites. The alternative approach is
more cost-effective, not only because it
eliminates expensive fiber-surface treat-
ments but also because it does not entail
changes in procedures for manufactur-
ing conventional composite-material
structures.
The alternative approach is best
described by citing an example of its
application to a composite of ultra-high-
molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMW-
PE) fibers in an epoxy matrix. The
epoxy matrix was modified to a chemi-
cally reactive, polarized epoxy nano-
matrix to increase the degrees of wetting
and adhesion between the fibers and the
matrix. The modification was effected by
incorporating a small proportion (0.3
weight percent) of reactive graphitic
nanofibers produced from functional-
ized nanofibers into the epoxy matrix
resin prior to combining the resin with
the UHMWPE fibers. The resulting
increase in fiber/matrix adhesion mani-
fested itself in several test results,
notably including an increase of 25 per-
cent in the maximum fiber pullout force
and an increase of 6065 percent in
fiber pullout energy. In addition, it was
conjectured that the functionalized
nanofibers became involved in the cross
linking reaction of the epoxy resin, with
resultant enhancement of the mechani-
cal properties and lower viscosity of the
matrix.
This work was done by Katie Zhong of
North Dakota State University for Marshall
Space Flight Center. For further information,
contact Sammy Nabors, MSFC
Commercialization Assistance Lead, at
sammy.a.nabors@nasa.gov. Refer to MFS-
32665-1
Manufacturing & Prototyping
This work proposes to establish the
feasibility of fabricating isolated ridge
waveguides in 5% MgO:LN. Ridge wave-
guides in MgO:LN will significantly
improve power handling and conversion
efficiency, increase photonic compo-
nent integration, and be well suited to
space-based applications. The key inno-
vation in this effort is to combine recent-
ly available large, high-photorefractive-
damage-threshold, z-cut 5% MgO:LN
with novel ridge fabrication techniques
to achieve high-optical power, low-cost,
high-volume manufacturing of frequen-
cy conversion structures. The proposed
ridge waveguide structure should main-
tain the characteristics of the periodical-
ly poled bulk substrate, allowing for the
efficient frequency conversion typical of
waveguides and the high optical damage
threshold and long lifetimes typical of
the 5% doped bulk substrate. The low
cost and large area of 5% MgO:LN
wafers, and the improved performance
of the proposed ridge waveguide struc-
ture, will enhance existing measurement
capabilities as well as reduce the
resources required to achieve high-per-
formance specifications.
Ridge Waveguide
Structures in
Magnesium-Doped
Lithium Niobate
Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, Maryland
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Intro
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The purpose of the ridge waveguides in MgO:LN is to pro-
vide platform technology that will improve optical power han-
dling and conversion efficiency compared to existing wave-
guide technology. The proposed ridge waveguide is produced
using standard microfabrication techniques. The approach is
enabled by recent advances in inductively coupled plasma
etchers and chemical mechanical planarization techniques. In
conjunction with wafer bonding, this fabrication methodology
can be used to create arbitrarily shaped waveguides allowing
complex optical circuits to be engineered in nonlinear optical
materials such as magnesium doped lithium niobate.
Researchers here have identified NLO (nonlinear optical)
ridge waveguide structures as having suitable value to be the
leading frequency conversion structures. Its value is based on
having the low-cost fabrication necessary to satisfy the challeng-
ing pricing requirements as well as achieve the power handling
and other specifications in a suitably compact package.
This work was done by Phillip Himmer of Montana State
University and Philip Battle, William Suckow, and Greg Switzer of
AdvR Inc. for Goddard Space Flight Center. For more information,
download the Technical Support Package (free white paper) at
www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Manufacturing & Prototyping
category. GSC-16031-1
Oxygen system components fabricated by Laser Engineered
Net Shaping (LENS) could result in improved safety and
performance. LENS is a near-net shape manufacturing
process fusing powdered materials injected into a laser beam.
Parts can be fabricated with a variety of elemental metals,
alloys, and nonmetallic materials without the use of a mold.
The LENS process allows the injected materials to be varied
throughout a single workpiece. Hence, surfaces exposed to
oxygen could be constructed of an oxygen-compatible materi-
al while the remainder of the part could be one chosen for
strength or reduced weight. Unlike conventional coating
applications, a compositional gradient would exist between the
two materials, so no abrupt material boundary exists. Without
an interface between dissimilar materials, there is less tenden-
cy for chipping or cracking associated with thermal-expansion
mismatches.
This work was done by Bradley S. Forsyth of Honeywell Technology
Solutions, Inc., for Johnson Space Center. For further information, con-
tact the JSC Innovation Partnerships Office at (281) 483-3809. MSC-
23166-1
Material Gradients in Oxygen
System Components Improve
Safety
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
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Intro
Green Design
Sponsored by
Your Source for Green Innovations Online
www.greendesignbriefs.com
News, tech briefs, white papers, videos updated daily
Read these articles:
Power Factor Correction ICs
Testing Smart Energy-Management Systems
Researchers Counteract Biofuel Toxicity
Cool and Green: Vehicle Thermal Management
Photoelectrocatalytic Self-Cleaning Anticontamination Coatings
A design of a highly efficient and light-
weight space magnetic cooler has been
developed that can continuously provide
remote/distributed cooling at tempera-
tures in the range of 2 K with a heat sink at
about 15 K. The innovative design uses a
cryogenic circulator that enables the cool-
er to operate at a high cycle frequency to
achieve a large cooling capacity. The abili-
ty to provide remote/distributed cooling
not only allows flexible integration with a
payload and spacecraft, but also reduces
the mass of the magnetic shields needed.
The active magnetic regenerative
refrigerator (AMRR) system is shown in
the figure. This design mainly consists of
two identical magnetic regenerators sur-
rounded by their superconducting mag-
nets and a reversible circulator. Each
regenerator also has a heat exchanger at
its warm end to reject the magnetization
heat to the heat sink, and the two regen-
erators share a cold-end heat exchanger
to absorb heat from a cooling target.
The circulator controls the flow direc-
tion, which cycles in concert with the
magnetic fields, to facilitate heat trans-
fer. Helium enters the hot end of the
demagnetized column, is cooled by the
refrigerant, and passes into the cold-end
heat exchanger to absorb heat. The heli-
um then enters the cold end of the mag-
netized column, absorbing heat from
the refrigerant, and enters the hot-end
heat exchanger to reject the magnetiza-
Lightweight Magnetic Cooler With a Reversible Circulator
This lightweight design features relatively high efficiency.
System Schematic of a Magnetic Cooler with a reversible circulator. (Note: HX is heat exchanger)
30K
Reversible
Circulator
Hot
HX
Hot
HX
15K
Magnet
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Intro
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tion heat. The efficient heat transfer in
the AMRR allows the system to operate
at a relatively short cycle period to
achieve a large cooling power.
The key mechanical components in
the magnetic cooler are the reversible cir-
culator and the magnetic regenerators.
The circulator uses non-contacting, self-
acting gas bearings and clearance seals to
achieve long life and vibration-free oper-
ation. There are no valves or mechanical
wear in this circulator, so the reliability is
predicted to be very high. The magnetic
regenerator employs a structured bed
configuration. The core consists of a
stack of thin GGG disks alternating with
thin polymer insulating films. The struc-
tured bed reduces flow resistance in the
regenerator and therefore the pumping
work by the cryogenic circulator.
This magnetic cooler will enable cryo-
genic detectors for sensing infrared, x-
ray, gamma-ray, and submillimeter radia-
tion in future science satellites, as well as
the detector systems in the Constellation-
X (Con-X) and the Single Aperture Far-
Infrared observatory (SAFIR). Scientific
applications for this innovation include
cooling for x-ray microcalorimeter spec-
trometers used for microanalysis, cryo-
genic particle detectors, and supercon-
ducting tunnel junction detectors for
biomolecule mass spectrometry. The
cooler can be scaled to provide very large
cooling capacities at very low tempera-
tures, ideal for liquid helium and liquid
hydrogen productions.
This work was done by Weibo Chen and
John McCormick of Creare, Inc. for Goddard
Space Flight Center. For more information,
under the Green Design category. GSC-
15410-1
The Invasive Species Forecasting
System (ISFS) provides computational
support for the generic work processes
found in many regional-scale ecosystem
modeling applications. Decision support
tools built using ISFS allow a user to load
point occurrence field sample data for a
plant species of interest and quickly gen-
erate habitat suitability maps for geo-
graphic regions of management concern,
such as a national park, monument, for-
est, or refuge. This type of decision prod-
uct helps resource managers plan inva-
sive species protection, monitoring, and
control strategies for the lands they man-
age. Until now, scientists and resource
managers have lacked the data-assembly
and computing capabilities to produce
these maps quickly and cost efficiently.
ISFS focuses on regional-scale habitat
suitability modeling for invasive terrestrial
plants. ISFSs component architecture
emphasizes simplicity and adaptability. Its
core services can be easily adapted to pro-
duce model-based decision support tools
tailored to particular parks, monuments,
forests, refuges, and related management
units. ISFS can be used to build standalone
run-time tools that require no connection
to the Internet, as well as fully Internet-
based decision support applications.
ISFS provides the core data structures,
operating system interfaces, network
interfaces, and inter-component con-
straints comprising the canonical work-
flow for habitat suitability modeling.
The predictors, analysis methods, and
geographic extents involved in any par-
ticular model run are elements of the
user space and arbitrarily configurable
by the user. ISFS provides small, light-
weight, readily hardened core compo-
nents of general utility. These compo-
nents can be adapted to unanticipated
uses, are tailorable, and require at most
a loosely coupled, non-proprietary con-
nection to the Web. Users can invoke
capabilities from a command line; pro-
grammers can integrate ISFSs core com-
ponents into more complex systems and
services. Taken together, these features
enable a degree of decentralization and
distributed ownership that have helped
other types of scientific information
services succeed in recent years.
This work was done by John Schnase of
Goddard Space Flight Center, Neal Most and
Roger Gill of INNOVIM, and Peter Ma of
Sigma Space Corporation. For further infor-
mation, contact the Goddard Innovative
Partnerships Office at (301) 286-5810. GSC-
15714-1/617-1.
The Invasive Species Forecasting System
Applications built using the Invasive Species Forecasting
System help natural resource managers model habitat
suitability for non-native, invasive plants.
Cov ToC
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Intro
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-733 48 NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011
Mechanics/Machinery
This novel core break-off and retention
mechanism consists of a scoring dawg
controlled by a set of two tubes (a drill
tube and an inner tube). The drill tube
and the inner tube have longitudinal
concentric holes. The solution can be
implemented in an eccentric tube con-
figuration as well where the tubes have
eccentric longitudinal holes. The inner
tube presents at the bottom two control
surfaces for controlling the orientation
of the scoring dawg. The drill tube pre -
sents a sunk-in profile on the inside of
the wall for housing the scoring dawg.
The inner tube rotation relative to the
drill tube actively controls the orienta-
tion of the scoring dawg and hence its
Scoring Dawg Core
Breakoff and
Retention
Mechanism
NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, California
The Mars Sample Return mission has
the goal to drill, break off, and retain
rock core samples. After some results
gained from rock core mechanics test-
ing, the realization that scoring teeth
would cleanly break off the core after
only a few millimeters of penetration,
and noting that rocks are weak in ten-
sion, the idea was developed to use sym-
metric wedging teeth in compression to
weaken and then break the core at the
contact plane. This concept was devel-
oped as a response to the break-off and
retention requirements.
The wedges wrap around the esti-
mated average diameter of the core to
get as many contact locations as possi-
ble, and are then pushed inward, radi-
ally, through the core towards one
another. This starts a crack and begins
to apply opposing forces inside the
core to propagate the crack across the
plane of contact.
The advantage is in the simplicity.
Only two teeth are needed to break five
varieties of Mars-like rock cores with lim-
ited penetration and reasonable forces.
Its major advantage is that it does not
require any length of rock to be
attached to the parent in order to break
the core at the desired location. Test
data shows that some rocks break off on
their own into segments or break off
into discs. This idea would grab and
retain a disc, push some discs upward
and others out, or grab a segment, break
it at the contact plane, and retain the
portion inside of the device. It also does
this with few moving parts in a simple,
space-efficient design.
This discovery could be implemented
into a coring drill bit to precisely break
off and retain any size rock core.
This work was done by Megan Richardson
and Justin Lin of Caltech for NASAs Jet
under the Mechanics/Machinery category.
NPO-47444
Method for Cleanly and Precisely Breaking Off a Rock Core
Using a Radial Compressive Force
This technique can be used by civil engineers in rock, ground, and concrete coring and sampling.
Cov ToC
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Intro
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penetration and retrieval from the core.
The scoring dawg presents a shaft, two
axially spaced arms, and a tooth. The two
arms slide on the control surfaces of the
inner tube. The tooth, when rotated, can
penetrate or be extracted from the core.
During drilling, the two tubes move
together maintaining the scoring dawg
completely outside the core. After the
desired drilling depth has been reached
the inner tube is rotated relative to the
drill tube such that the tooth of the scor-
ing dawg moves toward the central axis.
By rotating the drill tube, the scoring
dawg can score the core and so reduce its
cross sectional area. The scoring dawg
can also act as a stress concentrator for
breaking the core in torsion or tension.
After breaking the core, the scoring dawg
can act as a core retention mechanism.
For scoring, it requires the core to be
attached to the rock. If the core is bro-
ken, the dawg can be used as a retention
mechanism. The scoring dawg requires
a hard-tip insert like tungsten carbide
for scoring hard rocks. The relative rota-
tion of the two tubes can be controlled
manually or by an additional actuator. In
the implemented design solution the bit
rotation for scoring was in the same
direction as the drilling. The device was
tested for limestone cores and basalt
cores. The torque required for breaking
the 10-mm diameter limestone cores was
5 to 5.8 lb-in. (0.56 to 0.66 N-m).
This work was done by Mircea Badescu,
Stewart Sherrit, Yoseph Bar-Cohen, Xiaoqi Bao,
and Paul G. Backes of Caltech for NASAs Jet
NPO-47355
Sampling cores requires the con-
trolled breakoff of the core at a known
location with respect to the drill end. An
additional problem is designing a mech-
anism that can be implemented at a
small scale, yet is robust and versatile
enough to be used for a variety of core
samples.
The new design consists of a set of tubes
(a drill tube, an outer tube, and an inner
tube) and means of sliding the inner and
outer tubes axially relative to each other.
Additionally, a sample tube can be housed
inside the inner tube for storing the sam-
ple. The inner tube fits inside the outer
tube, which fits inside the drill tube. The
inner and outer tubes can move axially rel-
ative to each other. The inner tube pre -
sents two lamellae with two opposing grab-
bing teeth and one pushing tooth. The
pushing tooth is offset axially from the
grabbing teeth. The teeth can move radial-
ly and their motion is controlled by the
outer tube. The outer tube presents two
Praying Mantis Bending Core Breakoff and
Retention Mechanism
This mechanism has application in sampling cores for
analytical tests of geological materials.
The Praying Mantis Core Breakoff Mechanismdesign assembly (left), and (right) the outer (green) and
inner tubes (blue).
Nut
Pin
Rock
Core
Drill Tube
Outer Tube
Inner Tube
Support
Push Grab
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Intro
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120,000 Ibf
Morehouse Dead
Weight Machine
2,250,000 Ibf
Morehouse UniversaI
CaIibrating Machine
Morehouse force caIibrations are performed using
standards with the highest IeveI of measurement certainty:
Dead Weights with accuracy of 0.002% of applied force used for
calibrations through 120,000 lbf
United States National Institute of Standards & Technology
(NIST) calibrated standards
Calibrations performed in our laboratory to 2,250,000 lbf in
compression and 1,200,000 lbf in tension and equivalent kgf
and Newtons
Calibrations performed in accordance with the American
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E74, ISO 376, and
other specifications
Calibration for Proving Rings, Load Cells, Crane Scales,
Force Gauges and other force measuring instruments
ISO 17025 Accredited
American Association of Laboratory
Accreditation CaIibration Cert 1398.01
Torque CaIibrations accurate to 0.002% of appIied torque to 2,000 N-m aIso avaiIabIe
lamellae with radial extrusions to control
the inner tube lamellae motion. In break-
ing the core, the mechanism creates two
support points (the grabbing teeth and the
bit tip) and one push point. The core is
broken in bending. The grabbing teeth
can also act as a core retention mechanism.
The praying mantis that is disclosed
herein is an active core breaking/reten-
tion mechanism that requires only one
additional actuator other than the
drilling actuator. It can break cores that
are attached to the borehole bottom as
well as broken cores, and it also acts as
a core retention device. The cores are
broken at the bottom of the sample
tube with a clean cut. The invention
uses a core bending principle and does
not induce additional axial load on the
drill/robotic arm.
This invention is potentially applica-
ble to sample return and in situ missions
to planets such as Mars and Venus,
moons such as Titan and Europa, and
comets. It is also applicable to terrestrial
applications like forensic sampling and
geological sampling in the field.
Stewart Sherrit, Yoseph Bar-Cohen, Xiaoqi
Bao, and Randel A. Lindemann of Caltech
for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For
more information, download the Technical
www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Mechanics/
Machinery category. NPO-47356
Sampling cores requires the con-
trolled breakoff of the core at a known
location with respect to the drill end. An
additional problem is designing a mech-
anism that can be implemented at a
small scale that is robust and versatile
enough to be used for a variety of core
samples. This design consists of a set of
tubes (a drill tube and an inner tube)
and a rolling element (rolling tooth). An
additional tube can be used as a sample
tube. The drill tube and the inner tube
have longitudinal holes with the axes off-
set from the axis of each tube. The two
eccentricities are equal. The inner tube
fits inside the drill tube, and the sample
tube fits inside the inner tube.
While drilling, the two tubes are posi-
tioned relative to each other such that
the sample tube is aligned with the drill
tube axis and core. The drill tube
includes teeth and flutes for cuttings
removal. The inner tube includes, at the
base, the rolling element implemented
as a wheel on a shaft in an eccentric slot.
An additional slot in the inner tube and
a pin in the drill tube limit the relative
motion of the two tubes. While drilling,
the drill assembly rotates relative to the
core and forces the rolling tooth to stay
Rolling-Tooth Core Breakoff and Retention Mechanism
The mechanism has applications in analytical tests of geological materials.
Mechanics/Machinery
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Intro
hidden in the slot along the inner tube
wall. When the drilling depth has been
reached, the drill bit assembly is rotated
in the opposite direction, and the rolling
tooth is engaged and penetrates into the
core. Depending on the strength of the
created core, the rolling tooth can score,
lock the inner tube relative to the core,
start the eccentric motion of the inner
tube, and break the core. The tooth and
the relative position of the two tubes can
act as a core catcher or core-retention
mechanism as well. The design was made
to fit the core and hole parameters pro-
duced by an existing bit; the parts were
fabricated and a series of demonstration
tests were performed.
This invention is potentially applica-
ble to sample return and in situ missions
to planets such as Mars and Venus, to
moons such as Titan and Europa, and to
comets. It is also applicable to terrestrial
applications like forensic sampling and
geological sampling in the field.
Donald B. Bickler, Stewart Sherrit, Yoseph
Bar-Cohen, Xiaoqi Bao, and Nicolas H.
Hudson of Caltech for NASAs Jet Propulsion
Laboratory. For more information, down-
load the Technical Support Package (free
white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp
NPO-47354
NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011 www.techbriefs.com Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-739
The Rolling-Tooth Design of the core breakoff and retention mechanism (left), and the assembled
parts (right).
A novel, passive system has been devel-
oped for isolating an exercise treadmill
device from a spacecraft in a zero-G envi-
ronment. The Treadmill 2 Vibration
Isolation and Stabilization System (T2-VIS)
mechanically isolates the exercise treadmill
from the spacecraft/space station, thereby
eliminating the detrimental effect that
high impact loads generated during walk-
ing/running would have on the spacecraft
structure and sensitive microgravity science
experiments. This design uses a second-
stage spring, in series with the first stage, to
achieve an order of magnitude higher
exercise-frequency isolation than conven-
tional systems have done, while maintain-
ing desirable low-frequency stability per-
formance. This novel isolator design, in
conjunction with appropriately configured
treadmill platform inertia properties, has
been shown (by on-orbit zero-G testing
onboard the International Space Station)
to deliver exceedingly high levels of isola-
tion/stability performance.
This work was done by Ian Fialho, Craig
Tyer, Bryan Murphy, Paul Cotter, and
Sreekumar Thampi of The Boeing Company for
Johnson Space Center. For further information
contact the JSC Innovation Partnerships
Office at (281) 483-3809. MSC-24847-1
Vibration Isolation and Stabilization System
for Spacecraft Exercise Treadmill Devices
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Intro
Bio-Medical
Microgravity-Enhanced Stem Cell Selection
This method provides rapid selection and proliferation of stem cells using a hydrofocusing
bioreactor.
Stem cells, both embryonic and
adult, promise to revolutionize the
practice of medicine in the future. In
order to realize this potential, a num-
ber of hurdles must be overcome. Most
importantly, the signaling mechanisms
necessary to control the differentia-
tion of stem cells into tissues of inter-
est remain to be elucidated, and much
of the present research on stem cells is
focused on this goal. Nevertheless, it
will also be essential to achieve large-
scale expansion and, in many cases,
assemble cells in 3D as transplantable
tissues. To this end, microgravity ana-
log bioreactors can play a significant
role.
Microgravity bioreactors were origi-
nally conceived as a tool to study the cel-
lular responses to microgravity.
However, the technology can address
some of the shortcomings of conven-
tional cell culture systems; namely, the
deficiency of mass transport in static cul-
ture and high mechanical shear forces
in stirred systems. Unexpectedly, the
conditions created in the vessel were
ideal for 3D cell culture. Recently, inves-
tigators have demonstrated the capabili-
ty of the microgravity bioreactors to
expand hematopoietic stem cells com-
pared to static culture, and facilitate the
differentiation of umbilical cord stem
cells into 3D liver aggregates.
Stem cells are capable of differentiat-
ing into functional cells. However, there
are no reliable methods to induce the
stem cells to form specific cells or to gain
enough cells for transplantation, which
limits their application in clinical thera-
py. The aim of this study is to select the
best experimental setup to reach high
proliferation levels by culturing these
cells in a microgravity-based bioreactor.
In typical cell culture, the cells sediment
to the bottom surface of their container
and propagate as a one-cell-layer sheet.
Prevention of such sedimentation
affords the freedom for self-assembly
and the propagation of 3D tissue arrays.
Suspension of cells is easily achievable
using stirred technologies. Unfortun ately,
in conventional bioreactors, stirring
invokes deleterious forces that disrupt cell
aggregation and results in cell death. First-
generation rotating bioreactors provided
rotation on the horizontal axis, which
resulted in the suspension of cells without
stirring, thus providing a suitable environ-
ment to propagate cells without sedimen-
tation to a surface. The rotating-wall biore-
actors did not provide a way to remove air
bubbles that were causing shear and dis-
rupting 3D cultures. Johnson Space
Center successfully engineered the hydro-
focusing bioreactor (HFB) that resolved
the problem of removing the air bubbles
from the fluid medium of NASAs rotating-
wall space bioreactors.
The HFB uses the principle of hydro-
dynamic focusing that simultaneously
produces a low-shear fluid culture envi-
ronment and a variable hydrofocusing
force that can control the movement,
location, and removal of suspended
cells, tissues, and air bubbles from the
bioreactor. The HFB is a rotating, dome-
shaped cell culture vessel with a central-
ly located sampling port and an internal
viscous spinner. The vessel and spinner
can rotate at different speeds either in
the same or opposite directions.
Rotation of the vessel and viscous inter-
action at the spinner generate a hydrofo-
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Intro
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Time (s)
T
e
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p
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tu
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(C
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0 10 20 30 40 50 60
2
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0
/ Expectedservoresponse
Analysis complete
Offset gain36.79 s
Slope gain4.47 s
Servoperformance
Calculating optimum servo constants
Increasingly, millimeter waves are being
employed for telecomm, radar, and imag-
ing applications. To date in the U.S, howev-
er, very few investigations on the impact of
this radiation on biological systems at the
cellular level have been undertaken. In the
beginning, to examine the impact of mil-
limeter waves on cellular processes,
researchers discovered that cell membrane
depolarization may be triggered by low lev-
els of integrated power at these high fre-
quencies. Such a situation could be used to
advantage in the direct stimulation of neu-
ronal cells for applications in neuropros-
thetics and diagnosing or treating neuro-
logical disorders.
An experimental system was set up to
directly monitor cell response on exposure
to continuous-wave, fixed-frequency, mil-
limeter-wave radiation at low and modest
power levels (0.1 to 100 safe exposure stan-
dards) between 50 and 100 GHz. Two
immortalized cell lines derived from lung
and neuronal tissue were transfected with
green fluorescent protein (GFP) that locates
on the inside of the cell membrane lipid bi-
layer. Oxonol dye was added to the cell medi-
um. When membrane depolarization
occurs, the oxonal bound to the outer wall of
the lipid bi-layer can penetrate close to the
inner wall where the GFP resides. Under flu-
orescent excitation (488 nm), the normally
green GFP (520 nm) optical signal quench-
es and gives rise to a red output when the
oxonol comes close enough to the GFP to
excite a fluorescence resonance energy
transfer (FRET) with an output at 620 nm.
The presence of a strong FRET signa-
ture upon exposures of 30 seconds to 2
minutes at 510 mW/cm
2
RF power at 50
GHz, followed by a return to the normal
520-nm GFP signal after a few minutes
indicating repolarization of the mem-
brane, indicates that low levels of RF ener-
gy may be able to trigger non-destructive
membrane depolarization without direct
cell contact. Such a mechanism could be
used to stimulate neuronal cells in the cor-
tex without the need for invasive elec-
trodes as millimeter waves penetrate skin
and bone on the order of 15 mm in
depth. Although 50 GHz could not readily
penetrate from the outer skull to the cen-
ter of the cortex, implants on the outer
skull or even on the scalp could reach the
outer layer of the cerebral cortex where
substantial benefit could be realized from
such non-contact type excitation.
The stimulation system described here
for cerebral cortex, brainstem, spinal cord,
or peripheral nerves includes an
implantable housing, a control unit car-
ried by the implantable housing, a mil-
limeter-wave delivery device (including at
least one emission site), and at least one
millimeter-wave source operatively cou-
pled to the control unit, and coupled to at
least one millimeter-wave emission site.
Optional components for monitoring of
neuronal function can be included, such
as an electroencephalographic system, an
electromyographic system, a system for
optical or infrared imaging of intrinsic
neuronal signals, and/or magnetic reso-
nance imaging/spectroscopy systems.
This work was done by Peter H. Siegel of
Caltech and Victor Pikov of HMRI for
NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For more
JPL
Mail Stop 202-233
Refer to NPO-47198, volume and number
page number.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Neurological
Disorders by Millimeter-Wave
Stimulation
These techniques enable new treatments for neurological
disorders and dysfunction.
cusing force. Adjusting the differential
rotation rate between vessel and spinner
controls the magnitude of the force.
This work was done by Pier Paolo Claudio
and Jagan Valluri of Goddard Space Flight
Center. For more information, download the
Technical Support Package (free white
paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the
Bio-Medical category. GSC-15807-1
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Intro
Physical Sciences
Multi-point, multi-axis measure-
ment of position can be valuable in a
variety of applications that require
high-speed data acquisition and a
high degree of measurement accura-
cy. Examples include ballistics testing
(weapons, ammunition, and protec-
tive gear) and automotive crash test-
ing, for which this new technology
was originally developed. The elec-
tro-optical measurement system uses
high-power LEDs and high-speed
sensors to generate unprecedented
volumes of highly accurate data on
2D and 3D position.
Current crash test dummies use
either a single potentiometer to
measure chest deflection at the cen-
ter of the sternum, or one potentiome-
ter per rib to measure deflection at the
center of each rib. To improve occupant
safety, automotive restraint engineers
and researchers require more informa-
tion on the motion of dummy ribs under
various crash scenarios.
The measurement system uses LEDs
at each measurement point on the
ribs and optical angle sensors
attached to the dummy spine.
Using fundamental triangulation
techniques, the 3D position of each
LED can be measured to better
than 1-mm accuracy.
The system leverages advances in
LED and optical sensor technology,
along with a fast DSP processor, to
achieve an overall sample rate of 10-
20 kHz per LED. Each LED is turned
on for only 3 to 4 microseconds, one
LED at a time, and the sensor out-
puts are recorded using fast analog-
to-digital converters. In order to
make accurate measurements, the
LED brightness is optimized for
each sample to ensure a near full-
scale reading on each sensor.
While one LED is on, the proces-
sor calculates the drive current for
the next LED in the sequence. Due
to the inverse square law (where the
sensor output is inversely propor-
tional to the square of the LED-to-
sensor distance), the LED brightness-
control algorithm uses non-linear tech-
niques.
The systems LEDs, sensors, and con-
troller/data acquisition system (DAS)
have been packaged into several differ-
ent types of current and advanced
frontal and side impact dummies.
Measurement range can be adapted to
the application.
Researchers using the system can get a
better understanding of the interaction
between the dummy and the airbags,
seatbelts, and car interior. For example,
in one series of side impact tests, the
dummy ribs were being pushed signifi-
cantly forward during the crash, as indi-
cated by data that previously had not
been measurable. After evaluating the
data, researchers found that a stiffener
bar in the seat structure was causing the
problem. Safety engineers have also
found that with data, they can differenti-
ate between the loading on the dummy
caused by the seatbelt versus that caused
by the airbag. This previously had not
been possible.
This work was done by Boxboro Systems
LLC. For more information, visit
http://info.hotims.com/34455-121.
Measuring Multiple-Axis Position of Multiple Points at
Data-Sampling Rates of 10-20 kHz
Multi-axis measurement of position is important in testing of weapons and in
automotive crash testing.
Boxboro Systems LLC, Boxborough, Massachusetts
Measurement System for the crash test dummy.
Sensors and controller/DAS are built into one enclo-
sure.
LEDs mounted on ribs (above), and the measurement systems
dummy thorax (right).
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Intro
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parls car oe s|oW ard expers|ve
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Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-742 NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011 55
This method enables sensing and quantization of analog
strain gauges. By manufacturing a piezoelectric sensor stack in
parallel (physical) with a piezoelectric actuator stack, the
capacitance of the sensor stack varies in exact proportion to
the exertion applied by the actuator stack. This, in turn, varies
the output frequency of the local sensor oscillator. The output,
F
out
, is fed to a phase detector, which is driven by a stable refer-
ence, F
ref
.
The output of the phase detector is a square waveform, D
out
,
whose duty cycle, t
W
, varies in exact proportion according to
whether F
out
is higher or lower than F
ref
. In this design, should
F
out
be precisely equal to F
ref
, then the waveform has an exact
50/50 duty cycle.
The waveform, D
out
, is of generally very low frequency suit-
able for safe transmission over long distances without corrup-
tion. The active portion of the waveform, t
W
, gates a remotely
located counter, which is driven by a stable oscillator (source)
of such frequency as to give sufficient digitization of t
W
to the
resolution required by the application.
The advantage to this scheme is that it negates the most-
common, present method of sending either very low level sig-
Remote Sensing and
Quantization of Analog
Sensors
This technique has applications in automotive
ride and steering sensors, and in industrial
vibration and process monitors.
A passive vaporizing heat sink has been developed as a rela-
tively lightweight, compact alternative to related prior heat
sinks based, variously, on evaporation of sprayed liquids or on
sublimation of solids. This heat sink is designed for short-term
dissipation of a large amount of heat and was originally intend-
ed for use in regulating the temperature of spacecraft equip-
ment during launch or re-entry. It could also be useful in a ter-
restrial setting in which there is a requirement for a light-
weight, compact means of short-term cooling. This heat sink
includes a hermetic package closed with a pressure-relief valve
and containing an expendable and rechargeable coolant liq-
uid (e.g., water) and a conductive carbon-fiber wick. The vapor
of the liquid escapes when the temperature exceeds the boil-
ing point corresponding to the vapor pressure determined by
the setting of the pressure-relief valve. The great advantage of
this heat sink over a melting-paraffin or similar phase-change
heat sink of equal capacity is that by virtue of the 10 greater
latent heat of vaporization, a coolant-liquid volume equal to
1/10 of the paraffin volume can suffice.
This work was done by Timothy R. Knowles, Victor A. Ashford,
Michael G. Carpenter, and Thomas M. Bier of Energy Science
Laboratories, Inc., for Johnson Space Center. For further information,
contact the Johnson Commercial Technology Office at (281) 483-3809.
MSC-23414-1
Passive Vaporizing Heat Sink
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Intro
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Physical Sciences
nals (viz. direct output from the sensors) across great distances
(anything over one-half meter) or the need to transmit widely
varying higher frequencies over significant distances thereby
eliminating interference [both in terms of beat frequency gen-
eration and in-situ EMI (electromagnetic interference)]
caused by ineffective shielding. It also results in a significant
reduction in shielding mass.
This work was done by Karl F. Strauss of Caltech for NASAs Jet
Propulsion Laboratory.
In accordance with Public Law 96-517, the contractor has elected to
retain title to this invention. Inquiries concerning rights for its commer-
cial use should be addressed to:
JPL
Mail Stop 202-233
Refer to NPO-46665, volume and number of this NASA Tech
Briefs issue, and the page number.
This shroud provides a deep-space simulating environment
for testing scaled-down models of passively cooling systems for
spaceflight optics and instruments. It is used inside a liquid-
nitrogen-cooled vacuum chamber, and it is cooled by liquid
helium to 5 K. It has an inside geometry of approximately 1.6 m
diameter by 0.45 m tall. The inside surfaces of its top and side-
walls have a thermal absorptivity greater than 0.96. The bottom
wall has a large central opening that is easily customized to
allow a specific test item to extend through it. This enables test-
ing of scale models of realistic passive cooling configurations
that feature a very large temperature drop between the deep-
space-facing cooled side and the Sun/Earth-facing warm side.
This shroud has an innovative thermal closeout of the bot-
tom wall, so that a test sample can have a hot (room tempera-
ture) side outside of the shroud, and a cold side inside the
shroud. The combination of this closeout and the very black
walls keeps radiated heat from the samples warm end from
entering the shroud, reflecting off the walls and heating the
samples cold end.
The shroud includes 12 vertical rectangular sheet-copper
side panels that are oriented in a circular pattern. Using tabs
bent off from their edges, these side panels are bolted to each
other and to a steel support ring on which they rest. The
removable shroud top is a large copper sheet that rests on, and
is bolted to, the support ring when the shroud is closed. The
support ring stands on four fiberglass tube legs, which isolate
it thermally from the vacuum chamber bottom. The insides of
the cooper top and side panels are completely covered with 25-
mm-thick aluminum honeycomb panels. This honeycomb is
painted black before it is epoxied to the copper surfaces. A spi-
ral-shaped copper tube, clamped at many different locations to
Helium-Cooled Black Shroud
for Subscale Cryogenic Testing
A sheet metal and honeycomb design allows a
space-like thermal environment to be
maintained around a test item.
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Intro
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SPACE IS UNLIMITED
there is no room
for failures.
but
ORBI TAL FI LM CAPACI TORS
Phase-retrieval is a general term used in optics to describe
the estimation of optical imperfections or aberrations. The
purpose of this innovation is to develop the application of
phase retrieval to radio telescope and antenna control in the
millimeter wave band.
Earlier techniques do not approximate the incoherent sub-
traction process as a coherent propagation. This approxima-
tion reduces the noise in the data and allows a straightforward
application of conventional phase retrieval techniques for
radio telescope and antenna control.
The application of iterative-transform phase retrieval to
radio telescope and antenna control is made by approximating
the incoherent subtraction process as a coherent propagation.
Thus, for systems utilizing both positive and negative polarity
feeds, this approximation allows both surface and alignment
errors to be assessed without the use of additional hardware or
laser metrology. Knowledge of the antenna surface profile
allows errors to be corrected at a given surface temperature
and observing angle. In addition to imperfections of the anten-
na surface figure, the misalignment of multiple antennas oper-
ating in unison can reduce or degrade the signal-to-noise ratio
of the received or broadcast signals. This technique also has
application to the alignment of antenna array configurations.
This work was done by Bruce Dean of Goddard Space Flight Center. For
more information, download the Technical Support Package (free white
paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Physical Sciences category.
GSC-15977-1
Phase Retrieval for Radio
Telescope and Antenna
Control
the outside of the top copper plate, serves as part of the liquid
helium cooling loop.
Another copper tube, plumbed in a series to the top plates
tube, is clamped to the sidewall tabs where they are bolted to
the support ring. Flowing liquid helium through these tubes
cools the entire shroud to 5 K. The entire shroud is wrapped
loosely in a layer of double-aluminized Kapton. The support
rings inner diameter is the largest possible hole through
which the test item can extend into the shroud.
Twelve custom-sized trapezoidal copper sheets extend
inward from the support ring to within a few millimeters of the
test item. Attached to the inner edge of each of these sheets is
a custom-shaped strip of Kapton, which is aluminum-coated on
the warm-facing (outer) side, and has thin Dacron netting
attached to its cold-facing side. This Kapton rests against the
test item, but the Dacron keeps it from making significant ther-
mal contact. The result is a non-contact, radiatively reflective
thermal closeout with essentially no gap through which radia-
tion can pass. In this way, the part of the test item outside the
shroud can be heated to relatively high temperatures without
any radiative heat leaking to the inside.
This work was done by James Tuttle, Michael Jackson, Michael
DiPirro, and John Francis for Goddard Space Flight Center. For more
information, download the Technical Support Package (free white
paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Physical Sciences cate-
gory. GSC-15968-1
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Intro
Traditionally microstrip or printed reflectarrays are
designed using the transmit mode technique. In this
method, the size of each printed element is chosen so as to
provide the required value of the reflection phase such that a
collimated beam results along a given direction. The reflection
phase of each printed element is approximated using an infi-
nite array model. The infinite array model is an excellent engi-
neering approximation for a large microstrip array since the
size or orientation of elements exhibits a slow spatial variation.
In this model, the reflection phase from a given printed ele-
ment is approximated by that of an infinite array of elements
of the same size and orientation when illuminated by a local
plane wave. Thus the reflection phase is a function of the size
(or orientation) of the element, the elevation and azimuth
angles of incidence of a local plane wave, and polarization.
Typically, one computes the reflection phase of the infinite
array as a function of several parameters such as size/orienta-
tion, elevation and azimuth angles of incidence, and in some
cases for vertical and horizontal polarization. The design
requires the selection of the size/orientation of the printed
element to realize the required phase by interpolating or curve
fitting all the computed data. This is a substantially complicat-
ed problem, especially in applications requiring a computa-
tionally intensive commercial code to determine the reflection
phase. In dual polarization applications requiring rectangular
patches, one needs to determine the reflection phase as a func-
tion of five parameters (dimensions of the rectangular patch,
elevation and azimuth angles of incidence, and polarization).
This is an extremely complex problem.
The new method employs the reciprocity principle and reac-
tion concept, two well-known concepts in electromagnetics to
derive the receive mode analysis and design techniques. In the
receive mode design technique, the reflection phase is com-
puted for a plane wave incident on the reflectarray from the
direction of the beam peak. In antenna applications with a sin-
gle collimated beam, this method is extremely simple since all
printed elements see the same angles of incidence. Thus the
number of parameters is reduced by two when compared to
the transmit mode design. The reflection phase computation
as a function of five parameters in the rectangular patch array
discussed previously is reduced to a computational problem
with three parameters in the receive mode. Furthermore, if the
beam peak is in the broadside direction, the receive mode
design is polarization independent and the reflection phase
computation is a function of two parameters only. For a square
patch array, it is a function of the size, one parameter only, thus
making it extremely simple.
The present method is substantially less intensive computa-
tionally. Since most practical antenna arrays require the design
of a broadside beam or a single collimated beam, the receive
mode design is expected to be substantially simpler than the
traditional transmit mode design. In addition, when a design-
er needs to generate the reflection phase data using a comput-
er intensive commercial software such as Ansoft HFSS, the
reduction of computational effort in the receive mode will
result in a substantial saving in design turnaround time.
Similarly the receive mode analysis technique has potential to
save computer time for large reflectarrays.
Microstrip reflectarrays have desirable features such as ease
of design, manufacture, and deployment for application in
many space-based radar and remote sensing systems. They are
being investigated for many JPL systems such as SWOT (Surface
Water Ocean Topography). The receive mode design and
analysis technique is expected to find many future applications
in NASA.
This work was done by Sembiam Rengarajan of Caltech for
NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For more information, contact
iaoffice@jpl.nasa.gov. NPO-47408
(Continued on page 75)
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-747 58 NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011
Information Sciences
Receive Mode Analysis and Design of Microstrip Reflectarrays
A new method developed for the design of microstrip reflectarrays is extremely efficient.
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Intro
New Products ..........................................................................................................................67
June 2011
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Intro
60 www.techbriefs.com Imaging Technology, June 2011
M
achine vision combines a range of
technologies to provide useful
outputs from the acquisition and analy-
sis of images. Used primarily for inspec-
tion and robot guidance, the process
must be done reliably enough for in-
dustrial automation. This article pro-
vides an introduction of how todays
machine vision technology guides basic
robotic functions.
Lets go through a simple example of
what happens during robot guidance.
Take, for example, a stationary mount ed
camera, a planar work surface, and a
screwdriver that must be grasped by the
robot. The screwdriver may be lying flat
on that surface and mixed amongst, but
not covered by, other items. The key steps
executed during each cycle include:
1. Acquire a suitable image.
2. Find the object of interest (the over-
all screwdriver, or the piece of it that
must be grabbed.)
3. Determine the objects position and
orientation.
4. Translate this location to the robots
co-ordinate system.
5. Send the information to the robot.
6. Using that information, the robot can
then move to the proper position and
orientation to grasp the object in a
prescribed way.
While the machine vision portion
(steps #1 through #5) may appear
lengthy when explained, the entire se-
quence is usually executed within a few
hundredths of a second.
#1 Acquire a suitable image: Several
machine vision tools are described
below. Each of these software program
components operates on an image and
requires differentiation to see an ob-
ject. This differentiation may be light vs.
dark, color contrast, height (in 3D imag-
ing), or transitions at edges. Note: Its
important to confirm or design a geo-
metric solution so that lighting creates
reliable differentiation.
The choices of imaging methods vary
fundamentally. The most common are
gray scale and color versions of area scan
imaging, which simply means a conven-
tional picture taken and processed all at
once. Less common options are line
scan imaging, where the image is built
during motion, one line at a time, and
3D profiling, where the third dimension
of an image (Z) is coded into the value
of each pixel of the figure.
Points on a plane of interest vary in
their distance from the camera, chang-
ing their apparent size; this issue is ac-
centuated when the camera aim is not
perpendicular to the surface. Optics may
introduce barrel or pincushion distor-
tion. Barrel distortion bulges lines out-
ward in the center, like the lines or staves
on a wooden barrel; pincushion does the
opposite. A distortion correction tool is
often used to remove these flaws. During
a teaching stage, a known accurate
array (such as a rectangular grid of dots)
is placed at the plane of interest. The
tool views the (distorted) image, and de-
termines the image transformation re-
quired to correct it. During the run
phase, this transformation is executed on
each image.
#2 Find the object of interest: Find-
ing the object requires creating a dis-
tinction between the object of interest
and everything else that is in the field of
view, including the background (such as
a conveyor) or other objects. Here are
some common methods:
Template matching: A template-matching
tool is shown and trained on one or
more images of the item of interest,
like the round clips of the assembly in
Figure 1 and 2. It may learn the entire
image of the part, or certain features
such as the geometry of the edges.
During operation, the technology
searches the field of view for a near-
match to what it learned. There are
various images and mathematical pro-
cessing methods (such as normalized
correlation) to accomplish each. Those
based on edge geometries offer advan-
tages for partially occluded objects or a
scale-invariance option when the cam-
Figure 1. Gray scale image.
Figure 2. Enhanced image, with found templates
marked with yellow rectangles.
Machine Vision Fundamentals:
How to Make Robots See
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Intro
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Intro
eras distance from the object is vari-
able. When the degree of match ex-
ceeds a minimum threshold, the object
is kept. Figure 2 shows these results,
where the software tool has found two
clips that met the matched criteria and
marked them with yellow rectangles.
Differentiation based on brightness: This
method includes determining a
brightness threshold on a gray scale
image such that everything above or
below that value is the object of inter-
est (i.e. light objects on a dark back-
ground or vice versa). Most commonly
this is a value between 0 and 255 corre-
sponding to the 256 levels available in
8 bit coding for each pixel. The thresh-
old value may be fixed, or it may adapt
to varying light levels via a simple (av-
erage gray level) or complex (his-
togram-based) algorithm. The thresh-
old is applied to the image, separating
the object(s) of interest.
Differentiation based on color: Color is
best addressed by transforming each
pixel of the image to distance from
the trained color sample set in 3-axis
color space. Color representation
methods usually characterize a color
by 3 coefficients. RGB (Red, Green,
Blue) is common and native to most
imaging and display processes. Triplets
of coefficients require a three dimen-
sional graph called a color space. R,
G, B are each located on an axis or-
thogonal to each other, for example.
Distance between the points repre-
senting two colors in this space is the
three dimensional Pythagorean dis-
tance ([(R
1
- R
2
)
2
+ (G
1
- G
2
)
2
+ (B
1
-
B
2
)
2
]
.5
) between them. The trained
color can be that of either the desired
object or the background.
Figure 3 shows the original image be-
fore a color tool is trained on the
shades of red present in the screw-
driver handle. Execution on the color
image transforms it into the synthetic
image shown in Figure 4. The shade of
each pixel represents the distance in
3D color space (the closeness of the
match) to the trained color. Finally, in
Figure 5, the handle is uniquely objec-
tified using thresholding, marking the
object green on the display.
Differentiation based on height: This tech-
nique is used on images where the
third dimension is scanned and coded
into the pixel values as previously de-
scribed. This synthetic image may then
be processed in the same manner.
All methods may retain multiple eli-
gible objects, in which cases a choice
will need to be made between them on
some additional criteria, such as first
in line.
#3 Determine the position and orien-
tation of the object: For our example,
the results of this stage are the x and y
co-ordinates of the object and the angle
of its orientation. Sometimes this func-
tion is performed as part of the previous
find procedure. For example, a tem-
plate-match tool might supply position
and orientation data on the part which it
has located. The addition of simple soft-
ware tools that provide feature computa-
tion or geometric analysis will generally
complete this task.
#4 Translate the information to the co-
ordinate system of the robot: The vision
system and the robot each innately have
their own co-ordinate system to repre-
sent location, an orthogonal x and y.
To communicate to the robot, one must
translate to/from the other; this is usu-
ally handled by the vision system.
Besides permanent innate differ-
ences, other small errors may get intro-
duced. A simple addition or subtraction
of a correction factor from the x and y
values can provide first order correction
and translation for these factors. A tool
designed for this purpose operates in
two modes: a learn/calibrate mode
(where the robot may be stopped with a
target on it in view of the camera) and a
run mode when the correction or trans-
lation is applied. X and y offsets between
the systems are set during a calibration
sequence, and applied to the measure-
ment during running.
#5 This information is sent to the
robot controller: Interfaces are visualized
as having layers, each of which must be
matched between the two systems. The
bottom layers are the familiar general
types (typically Ethernet or RS232). The
top layers are the format and sequence
protocol for the data itself and its trans-
fer. Having one side of the link (the
robot) define this as a rigid proprietary
protocol is still common. When this is
the case, the protocol should be stable
and documented; then the machine vi-
sion supplier often creates a custom
translator to that language.
#6 The robot uses this information to
move to the correct position and orien-
tation to grasp the object: The vision sys-
tem tells the robot (specifically, the
robot controller) where to go, not how
to get there. In other configurations,
(especially with robot-mounted cam-
eras) the vision may continue to operate
during the move to provide feedback for
higher accuracy.
Conclusion
Using a simplified example applica-
tion, we can see the basic steps of how
machine vision guides robots. Most ap-
plications have additional complexities
in one or more areas. Many (such as
when the part is moving on a conveyor,
and when the camera is mounted on the
robot itself) are common and addressed
by additional technologies, tools and
methods which are currently available.
This article was written by Fred D. Turek,
COO at FSI Technologies, Inc. (Lombard,
IL). For more information, visit http://info.
hotims.com/34455-151.
Figure 3. Color image. The desired object is the
screwdriver handle.
Figure 4. Transformation of color image based
on 3D color space distance.
Figure 5. Handle objectified using thresholding,
marked in green.
Machine Vision Fundamentals
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Intro
The Role of Software in
Acoustic Micro Imaging
Imaging Technology, June 2011 www.techbriefs.com 63
A
coustic micro imaging uses a moving
transducer that pulses ultrasound
into materials and receives the return
echoes from material interfaces. Images
made from the echo signals may show
anomalies such as delaminations or other
cracks, since gaps send back stronger
echoes than well-bonded interfaces.
In manufacturing that involves
bonded layers of polymers, ceramics, or
metals, engineers often check bond
quality by making images of internal in-
terfaces. They may also image a single
layer between interfaces to search for
voids or cracks within it. When destruc-
tive physical analysis is planned, the
acoustic image shows exactly where to
section the sample.
Imaging a Multi-layer Composite
In an acoustic micro imaging system,
the ultrasonic transducer and other
hardware provide the reflection-mode or
transmission-mode data about the sam-
ple being examined, but it is the software
that does the work of manipulating that
data to solve specific problems.
In the case reported here, acoustic
micro imaging was used to determine
whether a particular laminated compos-
ite material could withstand the various
stresses that it would encounter in serv-
ice. The material, imaged at Sonoscans
headquarters and applications laboratory
in Elk Grove Village, IL, was a 4.9 mm
thick graphite epoxy composite having
27 layers of fine fibers laid down at 0,
90, +45 and -45.
For this application, a small hole was
drilled vertically through the sample,
and the hole was used to mill a long nar-
row channel. The acoustic micro imag-
ing system could then gather data con-
cerning the internal damage caused by
these two operations.
Acoustic Micro Imaging Hardware
The imaging systems transducer
raster-scans one flat surface of the
sample while pulsing ultrasound rang-
ing in frequency from 5 MHz to 400
MHz into the sample and receiving
the return echoes. The speed of ultra-
sound through most production mate-
rials is so high that the pulse-echo
function can be carried out at each of
several thousand x-y coordinates per
second as the transducer moves across
the sample.
The transducer itself contains two pri-
mary elements: a piezoelectric crystal
that generates the pulses and collects
the incoming echoes, and a spherical
lens that focuses the pulse. As the trans-
ducer scans the sample, it is coupled to
the top surface of the sample by water or
another fluid, since ultrasound at these
frequencies is propagated poorly or not
at all through air.
In samples that consist of layers of
solid materials, pulsed ultrasound is re-
flected by the interfaces between differ-
ent materials (see Figure 1). The essen-
tially flat material interfaces in this
sample are the air-filled delaminations
caused by the destructive test. All gaps
(delaminations, voids, cracks) reflect vir-
tually 100% of the ultrasonic pulse, un-
like solid-to-solid interfaces, where a
portion of the pulse crosses the gap and
travels deeper (see gray arrow in Figure
1). In the acoustic images of this studys
particular composite material (see Fig-
ure 2), epoxy-graphite interfaces are
represented by gray (reflections of mod-
est amplitude), and gaps are repre-
sented by white (reflections of very high
amplitude).
Software Controls the
Imaging Process
Figure 2 is an acoustic image known as
a C-Mode image, produced by raster-
scanning a transducer pulsing 30 MHz
ultrasound over the surface of the com-
posite sample and collecting echoes
from a depth of interest. Three features
are immediately evident:
The cross-hatch pattern of the grap -
hite fibers is visible.
The dark diagonal line at center is the
slit milled into the composite.
The white features adjacent to the slit
are delaminations between the layers of
the composite.
This image does not encompass the
full thickness of the composite. In this
sample, echoes can be reflected from
each of the 27 layers, which would pro-
duce a very complex image. For this
reason, a C-Mode image is typically
gated on a narrow time window
only echoes arriving within that win-
dow are used to make the image. Here
the gated depth is the top few layers of
the composite.
Software Takes Over
The ultrasonic echoes in Figure 1
travel through the lens of the trans-
Figure 2. An acoustic image of graphite-epoxy
composite. The white regions are internal de-
fects.
Figure 1. Solid-to-solid material interfaces typically reflect a portion of the ultrasonic pulse as a usable
signal.
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Intro
ducer and into the piezoelectric ele-
ment, and the mechanical waves are
converted into RF electrical signals.
These analog signals are then converted
into digital signals; at this point software
takes over from hardware. Each signal is
first analyzed to determine its polarity
positive if the interface was from
lower to higher acoustic impedance,
and negative if the opposite.
From this point there are two general
functions that software can carry out
with the millions of incoming signals.
First, it can classify and sort them to
make one or more of the many types of
acoustic images. Second, it can analyze
the results of classifying and sorting.
Software operations begin by assign-
ing a gray-scale value to some attribute
of the signal often its amplitude, but
for some purposes, its frequency or lo-
cation or polarity. At a single x-y coor-
dinate within a single gate, not one but
many echoes are returned. Suppose, for
example, that a 100 MHz transducer is
being used. The ultrasound in a single
pulse from this transducer will actually
contain ultrasonic frequencies from
perhaps 70 to 120 MHz. In producing
a C-Mode acoustic image, software se-
lects the single echo at that x-y location
that has the highest amplitude, and
then assigns to that echo a gray-sale
value between 1 and 256. This value
can then, if desired, be converted into a
color by any one of numerous color
maps that assign colors to gray-scale val-
ues. The other signals from this x-y co-
ordinate are discarded. White areas in
Figure 2, for example, have the highest
amplitude and indicate gaps. Black
areas have very low amplitude, or re-
turned no signal at all. Many areas, es-
pecially among the fibers, are some
shade of gray.
One newly developed technique devi-
ates sharply from C-Mode imaging by
discarding both amplitude and polarity
of echoes. Instead software assigns gray-
scale values based only on the echo ar-
rival time, to measure the precise dis-
tance from the transducer to the surface
of the part at each x-y coordinate. The
result is a contour map of the surface
(see Figure 3). Magenta indicates the
highest points on the surface, while
green indicates the lowest points. The
color map in Figure 3 shows the relative
altitude of each coordinate. The area
around the drilled hole is raised, a fea-
ture that can also be seen in the cross-
sections at the right and bottom.
In some samples, it is important to
seek out very subtle features at the inter-
face between two materials. The feature
of interest might be, for example,
greater or lesser degrees of bonding at
various spots on the interface. Each x-y
coordinate at the interface will reflect
ultrasound at many different frequen-
cies, as mentioned above. In C-Mode
imaging, only the single highest-ampli-
tude echo is used, and the others (there Matrox Iris GT smart camera brings color to
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64 Imaging Technology, June 2011 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-749
Figure 3. Acoustic surface flatness map of the
composite sample. The magenta area around
the drilled hole is curled upward.
Acoustic Micro Imaging
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may be 20 or 30) are ignored. One type
of software regime accepts all of the
echoes of all frequencies from an x-y lo-
cation and produces a series of planar
images, one for each frequency. The
process is known as frequency-domain
imaging, to distinguish it from time-do-
main (C-Mode) imaging, where signals
are classified by their arrival time. If the
range of frequencies is from 80 to 115
MHz, software may produce twenty or
so acoustic images, each providing a dif-
ferent view of the same interface at a
single frequency. A feature that is absent
or ambiguous at 92 MHz may be crisp
and sharp at 87 MHz (see Figure 4).
For some samples the most useful type
of acoustic image is a non-destructive
cross section. Visually, this acoustic image
is the equivalent of viewing a physical
cross section, but is done without destroy-
ing the part. Often it is preceded by a pla-
nar C-Mode acoustic image. The planar
images display the whole area of the part,
which might be a ceramic substrate con-
taining internal traces. The planar image
can locate in x and y specific anomalies
or defects that can then be non-destruc-
tively cross sectioned.
Scanning proceeds along a single line
in the planar image that marks the sec-
tioning plane that intersects the anom-
aly or defect. The transducer scans back
and forth along this line, going deeper
at each pass. The return echoes are col-
lected by the transducer for processing.
The key parameters are x-y location,
elapsed time, amplitude, and polarity.
Software assigns gray-scale values and
arranges the resulting pixels into a dis-
play showing the cross-section.
The non-destructive cross section and
the planar image of the composite are
shown in Figure 5. The sectioning plane
passes vertically through damaged areas
but not through the milled slit. In the
cross section at bottom, irregular white
features form an inverted U shape; these
are delaminations and cracks caused by
drilling and milling. The U shape seen
here is generally considered acceptable
because delaminations travel along fiber
lengths where the material is strongest.
The smaller, more regularly arranged
features in the top layers are minor de-
laminations, probably caused by lack of
wetting between the fiber and the epoxy.
Conclusion
There are numerous other modes in
which hardware can collect and software
can manipulate acoustic signals to solve
specific problems, such as displaying the
3-dimensional structure of an internal
feature like a crack, or preserving the
entire acoustic content of a sample to
permit comparison to its original condi-
tion after failure in testing or in service.
These modes, most of which were devel-
oped and patented by Sonoscan, have
greatly broadened the scope of prob-
lems that can be solved.
This article was written by Tom Adams,
consultant at Sonoscan, Inc. (Elk Grove Vil-
lage, IL). For more information, visit
Figure 5. A non-destructive cross section through
the composite. The damaged areas form an in-
verted U pattern.
Figure 4. The same flip chip imaged at 192 MHz
(top) and 171 MHz (bottom). At 192, most solder
bumps (rows of small circles) look about the
same. At 171, bad ones stand out. The solder
bump marked with an arrow is ambiguous at
192 but clearly defective at 171.
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Intro
Imaging System Buckles Up Camera and Parking Sensor
F
or five years, Michael Lunoe, Presi-
dent of Zorg Industries, had been in
need of a camera system that could iden-
tify objects and provide accurate dis-
tance from the rear of a vehicle.
Zorg Industries, a Hong-Kong-based
operation with offices in five countries
including the US, UK, Korea, Australia,
and China, builds Smart Park collision
avoidance and vehicle integration prod-
ucts. The company sells these parking
sensors, reversing cameras, and LCD
monitors to larger aftermarket distribu-
tors, some car manufacturers, including
Toyota, as well as automotive electronics
distributors like Audiovox Corp., head-
quartered in Hauppauge, NY.
We actually got a large grant from the
Australian government to develop this
technology, and we couldnt get it done,
primarily because the processing power
that we needed made it price-prohibi-
tive, Lunoe said.
In February of 2010, it was Audiovox
that introduced Lunoe to CogniVue
Corp., a Gatineau, Quebec, Canada-
based company that provides Image
Cognition Processors (ICPs) and soft-
ware. The two vendors have since
teamed up to create products that inte-
grate the capabilities of a camera with
the capabilities of a parking sensor.
Theres a reason bumpers dont have
electronics. Theyre designed for bump-
ing. The only reason people put parking
sensors in them was because they had
to, said Lunoe.
The standard cameras alone offer a
passive view from the rear of the vehicle
to the drivers display. The small-foot-
print chip from CogniVue, however, has
allowed a great deal of cognitive process-
ing, according to Lunoe, including scene
analysis to detect objects or pedestrians,
display distance estimation, and offer
multiple-view options. The CV220X
processor is available in a 9x9mm
2
BGA
package and dissipates around 250mW
of power depending on the application.
One year after their meeting, Smart
Park Automotive Technologies Multi-
View Cam with Pedestrian Warning won
a Best of Innovations Design and Engi-
neering award at the 2011 Consumer
Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV. The
SmartPark CAM430MV combines multi-
ple viewing angles with digital imaging
technology. To achieve a wide view, the
reversing camera, currently in produc-
tion, uses a 180-degree glass lens and
CMOS digital sensor.
To have that at market within 12
months is pretty extraordinary, consider-
ing Id been trying to do it for 5 years,
said Lunoe.
The MultiView CAM with Pedestrian
Warning will be commercially available in
the coming months, he said. The minia-
ture camera, mounted on the rear of the
vehicle, will monitor the area behind the
car and identify objects in its path. The
system will give the driver an audible
and/or visual alert to the presence of a
person or object behind the vehicle. The
camera's reversing image, which includes
a graphic overlay of colored icons to de-
note distance and closure rate, can be dis-
played in various locations, including the
factory radio. The driver can also use a
portable GPS with reverse camera input,
a dedicated LCD, or a rear-view mirror
with built-in LCD display.
Next in the queue is the SmartPark
CAM-BSD1 Blind Spot Detection cam-
era system, as well as the SmartPark
CAM-LDFCW, which is currently in the
works and will supply collision avoidance
technology in a small windscreen
mounted camera. The forward-collision
standalone unit similarly uses a glass lens
with CMOS digital sensor, and incorpo-
rates processing as well as the audio and
visual warning displays.
The first generation is lane-departure
warning, which basically means if you
lose concentration, or you fall asleep,
and your vehicle leaves the lane youre
traveling in without you indicating that
youre planning to leave that lane, the
system alerts the driver to pay attention
again, said Lunoe. And the next stage
from there is forward-collision warning,
where the imaging system monitors the
closure distance between two vehicles.
The specifications for the SmartPark
CAM-BSD1 blind-spot detection system
have been confirmed, but the product is
not yet available in commercial form.
Lunoe expects these to be in the market
by years end as the company develops
the hardware for specific vehicles.
Lunoe said Zorg is probably 80 per-
cent down the track on lane-change
warning and blind-spot detection, and
he looks forward to opportunities that
use vision rather than radar for automo-
tive safety functions, including human
detection for pedestrian warning.
Ive got a whole list of stuff that Id
like to do, said Lunoe.
For free info related to CogniVue Corp.s
image processor, visit http://info.hotims.com/
34455-156. For more information about Smart
Park Automotive Technologies products, visit
The adjustable visual warning of the Smart Park Automotive Technologies object detection system
can be used in a variety of vehicles.
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Intro
Get Application-Driven,
Customized Solutions
Visit our Websites to Learn More
OEM Camera
Partnership Program
1echnical LxperLise
SLable lndusLry Leader
Superior CualiLy and Perormance
Flexible SysLem lnLecraLion
Cn-1ime Delivery
Clobal Service CenLers
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There are many reasons why
companies choose
Photometrics and QImaging
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Whats important to you?
www.photometrics.com
www.qimaging.com
Imaging Technology, June 2011 67
MTF Testing Multi-Waveband
Image Science has been providing customised systems
for MTF measurement since 1991 for both production
and R&D applications. Other optical parameters meas-
ured include Distortion, EFL, Field Curvature, Encircled
Energy, Transmission and
Strehl Ratio. Please visit:
www.image-science.co.uk
for more information.
Industrial Cameras
The Imaging Source, Charlotte NC, has released two MegaPixel indus-
trial cameras. The cameras include a Sony CCD ICX274, 1/1.8" sensor;
a resolution of 1600 1200 pixels; a frame rate of 15 fps; a USB 2.0
or GigE interface; optional trigger in and digital I/Os; and auto-
iris control.
Frame Grabber/Video Streamer
Foresight Imaging, Chelmsford, MA, offers the AccuStream Ex-
press HD+ frame grabber and video streamer, featuring a high
performance PCI Express x4 board design. The device acquires
video from non-standard and standard video formats including
HDMI video, DVI-D, RGBHV, YPbPr, HDTV, S-video, composite
color, and monochrome video sources up to 170 MHz pixel rates.
It is specifically designed for the high speed PCIe x4 bus and deliv-
ers sustained data transfers of 750 MB per second. The AccuStream Express
HD+ provides acquisition up to 75 MHz and includes 720p HDTV and 1024 768 70 Hz; it
also acquires from video signals up to 50 MHz and includes 480p, 576p, and 800 600 75 Hz.
All boards have a real-time up/down video re-sizer/scalar, which uses a polyphase algorithm
to create images down to 4 4 and up to 2048 2048.
Infrared Snapshot Camera
Sensors Unlimited Goodrich ISR Sys-
tems, Princeton, NJ, announces the
SU640KTS, a large-format indium gallium ar-
senide (InGaAs) high-resolution shortwave in-
frared (SWIR) snapshot video camera. The
imager meets all Conformite Europeene (CE)
and U.S. Federal Communications Commis-
sion (FCC) standards for radiated and con-
ducted emissions, for immunity from such
emissions, and for electrostatic discharge
(ESD) resistance. The SU640KTS operates in
a 0.9-1.7 micron range at 30 frames per sec-
ond. The solid-state, uncooled 640 512 pixel
array camera with 25 m pitch also features
built-in non-uniformity corrections (NUCs),
automatic gain control (AGC), and adjustable
automatic contrast enhancement. It offers
both EIA-170 analog video output and Camera
Link
compatibility for 12-bit digital imaging.

Extensive camera commands and controls are
also available using the Camera Link interface
or a separate EIA232 interface.
The low power (<2.5 W at 20 C, 9-16 V) In-
GaAs camera comes with a C-mount lens
adapter. Camera options include a C-mount
25 mm f/1.4 lens, Nikon 50 mm f/1.4 lens
with an F-mount adapter, or a SWIR optimized
50 mm f/1.4 lens with the Goodrich 42 mm
interface adapter. Also available is an imaging
pack consisting of 2-meter Camera Link cable
and the National Instruments PCIe-1427
frame grabber card.
For Free Info Visit
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Intro
Schneider Compact C-Mount lenses lock
in calibrated settings, so focus and boreslight
stay true no matter now harsh the conditions.
Offering virtually indestructible construction
and visible through near IR performance.
As small and robust as
|.;| c-.-.i.-
can be.
Schneider Kreuznach
Compact C-Mount Lenses
In the USA: +1 631 761-5000
Outside the USA: +49.671.601.205
www.schneiderindustrialoptics.com
68 Imaging Technology, June 2011 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-753
Wide variety of lens assemblies in stock for
high-res diagnostic cameras. Over 60 years
of design and manufacturing experience.
2011 Universe Kogaku (America) Inc.
UKAoptics.com
516- 624-2444
info@ukaoptics.com
$| h0
CUSTOM
MEDICAL
IMAGING
LENSES
FROM PROTOTYPE TO PRODUCTI ON
1000s of Lens Sizes in Stock.
Most Lenses Ship Same Day.
Thermal Scanning System
Invisual E. Inc., Toronto, Ontario,
Canada, offers an in-process, real-time
thermal scanning system for welding in-
spection and batch process monitoring.
The system utilizes the thermal distribu-
tion of the heat-affected zone to detect ir-
regularities of the thermal field during so-
lidification of the welded seam. It also provides mill or production
equipment integration, I/O signaling, alarm generation, production
tags, and traceability and production reports for audits.
Optical Part-Recognition Tool
Teledyne DALSA, Billerica, MA, a
Teledyne Technologies company, has
announced its BOA IDR optical in-
spection product. Features include
identification and grading capabili-
ties for part tracking based on codes,
characters, or pattern; verification of
2D matrix codes, such as Data Ma-
trix, PDF/QR codes, 1D barcodes, or printed characters; Ethernet com-
munication between the BOA IDR and the factory enterprise; user ad-
ministration controls; remote inspection monitoring via Ethernet;
history logging; IP67 rated enclosure with lens cap; and direct connec-
tion to external light sources.
LED Video Display
Multi ChipLEDs from OSRAM Opto
Semiconductors, Sunnyvale, CA, have
been used by FormoLight Technologies,
Inc., Taipei, Taiwan, to develop a 150" di-
agonal LED video display.
The compact size of the RGB Multi
ChipLEDs (1.6 1.6 0.9 mm) permits a
special image format in LED video displays ranging in size from small
to large screens. The LEDs are packed closely together, and the dis-
tance between pixels can be as little as 2 mm. They contain three chips
(red, green, blue), each of which can be controlled separately. The
color impression is constant across the entire viewing angle.
High-Speed Imaging System
Photron, San Diego, CA, has introduced
the IDP Express R2000 system. The R2000
features an on-board field-programmable
gate array (FPGA) to provide developers
access to the open-ended architecture.
The new system supports one or two of
Photrons miniature CMOS high speed
camera heads at full or reduced resolution and speed. It is available in
two configurations, without the FPGA and with an XILINX FPGA.
Without the FPGA, the R2000 operates in a typical, image acquisition
capacity, writing image data directly to the host computers RAM. Op-
erating with the XILINX FPGA, the tool enables real-time hardware-
based pre-processing while recording the event.
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Intro
Imaging Technology, June 2011 www.techbriefs.com
Low Cost USB Camera
The mvBlueFOX-MLC module is a fully featured
compact single-board camera perfectly targeted
for space and cost sensitive OEM applications.
A superior image quality (high dynamic range
mode is supported) in combination with a very
high frame rate make the camera ideally suited
for embedded applications.
List Price is $273.00 for the board level camera
w/o the lensholder.
Designed and manufactured in Germany.
www.dnvllc.com
Tel: 1-888-701-0874
Camera Link
Equipment
Supporting devices for Camera Link
imaging applications:
i Repeaters
i Adapters
i Video Splitters
i Camera Selectors
i Test Equipment
i Custom Engineering
508-842-0165
sales@vividengineering.com
www.vividengineering.com
Frame Grabber
The PIXCI
SV5L low-profile composite and S-Video PCI frame grab-

ber from EPIX, Buffalo Grove, IL, acquires video from NTSC, RS-170,
PAL, CCIR, or S-Video cameras. A 3-input video multiplexer allows signal
selection from two mini-BNC inputs or one S-Video. SMA connectors
provide TTL Trigger In and Strobe Out. Digitized video is transferred via
DMA to the host computers PCI bus as fast as the bus will allow and with
minimal delay. Included XCAP-Lite software provides adjustments to gain, hue, bright-
ness, saturation, and contrast. It can run up to 8 PIXCI
SV5L frame grabbers in one computer.

High-Definition CMOS Camera
Toshiba Imaging Systems Division, Irvine, CA, offers the IK-HR2D
HD camera. Providing real-time, live-image data capture, the camera
also features both DVI-D and USB outputs. The 1.73 1.73 3.17', one-
piece CMOS device has selectable outputs to capture and send out
video data. The device sends data up to 60 fps at 1080p/720p or 30 fps
at 1080i. For still images, a series of images, video at 5 fps in 1080
mode, or 10 fps in 720 mode, the optional USB port is ideal.
Imaging Adapters
The VA210 Series of AOTF-NIR (Acousto-Optic Tunable Filter
Near Infrared) hyperspectral imaging adapters from Brimrose,
Sparks, MD, measure visible or NIR hyperspectral imaging infor-
mation on a variety of materials. The AOTF-based imaging sys-
tem, equipped with radio-frequency driver software, provides nar-
row bandwidth, wavelength selection, spatial resolution, spectral
resolution, and intensity control. The tool has a 6.4 4.8 mm camera sensor area, and its high
spatial resolution will reach up to 2560 1840 pixels.
Stainless Steel Sensor
The ZM Series from Optex FA Sensors, West Des Moines, IA, provides
durability with a SUS316L stainless steel housing and IP69K protection con-
forming to the IEC60529 rating system. The self-contained sensor meets en-
vironmental demands such as high pressure and high temperature deter-
gent washing. The anti-static PPSU lens is scratch resistant and repels water
and oil.
Lens Nanopositioning System
Mad City Labs, Madison, WI, offers the Nano-F3D lens nanopositioning sys-
tem. The tool positions an objective lens in 3 dimensions with sub-
nanometer accuracy and repeatability. With a travel range of 100 m in
each axis, the Nano-F3D is suitable for 4Pi microscopy as well as other
imaging and inspection applications. Designed to be mounted on micro-
scopes and optical fixturing, it also features integrated PicoQ
sensors with
closed loop control.
Color-Identification Cameras
PPT VISION, Bloomington, MN, introduces twenty-six new IM-
PACT
M-Series color cameras with dedicated software tools for sort-

ing, monitoring, and identifying color objects. The options range
from economical VGA resolution cameras, to 210 frames-per-second
high-speed cameras, to a five-megapixel, high-precision model. Color
IMPACT M-Series cameras can be used to detect food spoilage and
determine the fat content in meat. Other applications include sort-
ing and identifying pharmaceutical tablets, wire placement, and components in electronic prod-
ucts. The IMPACT M-Series Embedded Vision System also allows users to perform up to four
unique inspections that can be initiated independentlyat different times or simultaneously
utilizing a single vision processor.
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Intro
Webinars
Upcoming...
PHX ModelCenter: Integrated Design Tools
Save Time, Money...
Live Presentation - Thursday, June 2, 2011, 2:00 PM ET
NASA strives to employ the best design tools throughout its research and development activities, however, many of these tools are
not designed to communicate with each other. PHX ModelCenter ties together existing tools and simulates one complex system.
This webinar will explain the graphical environment for process integration and design automation and how it provides a robust,
physics-based design and analysis framework for integrating multiple design elements into one usable platform.
Please visit www.techbriefs.com/webinar52
James Mullins
Director of Professional Services
Phoenix Integration
Presenter:
This 30-minute webinar includes:
Live Q&A session Application Demo Access to archived event on demand
Solving Assembly Challenges in Reduced
Footprint Applications
Live Presentation - Wednesday, June 15, 2011, 2:00 PM ET
The trend toward smaller, lighter, and thinner electronic devices and their inherently restrictive design envelopes have presented
particular challenges on the road to their assembly and manufacture. This presentation will expand on the new hardware demands
and profile several advanced micro fastener technologies gaining traction as suitable attachment solutions in the marketplace.
Jay McKenna
Global Product Manager
New and Micro Products
PennEngineering
Presenter:
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Intro
Expanding Multiphysics Applications with COMSOL 4.2
Live Presentation - Tuesday, June 21, 2011 2:00 pm ET
Multiphysics has earned the reputation as an excellent approach for simulation in engineering and science. COMSOL Version 4.2
represents the latest advances in expanding the applications of multiphysics in several directions. Attend this webinar to hear the lat-
est features for electromagnetic, mechanical, chemical, fluid, and CAD modeling.
Practical Thermal Management Solutions: Heat Pipes
Design Fundamentals & Product Applications
Live Presentation Tuesday, June 28, 2011, 2:00 PM ET
With the dramatic increase in technology requirements and the allowable space decreasing, thermal management solutions are ever
more challenging. This webinar will provide hands on information for the product design engineer about heat pipes How they func-
tion, when to consider using them, and how to implement them into your design.
Scott Garner, P.E.
Vice President
Electronics Products Group
Bryan Muzyka
Sales Engineer
Electronics Products Group
David Kan
VP of Sales - Southwest USA
COMSOL, Inc.
Presenter:
Presenters:
ADVANCEDCOOLINGTECHNOLOGIES, INC.
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Intro
Process Control Modules
The CS series of process control
modules from OMEGA Engineer -
ing, Stamford, CT, provides PID
loop control of any process without
using a PLC. A variety of modules
allows control of temperature, flow,
and pressure; the single- and dual-
loop temperature modules also provide ramp-and-soak controls.
Light-Curable Adhesive
DYMAX Corp., Torrington, CT, has released the 3225-T-SC plastic-
bonding adhesive formulated with the companys patented See-Cure
technology. This material is designed for rapid bonding, laminating,
and sealing of most plastics and aluminum. It is colored bright blue in
the uncured state. The adhesives high visibility enables automated
vision systems to confirm adhesive placement prior to the cure.
Capacitive Sensor
The CPA100 capacitive sensor from Lion
Precision, St. Paul, MN, has a setpoint output to indi-
cate presence/absence. The nonlinear analog out-
put is capable of resolutions as low as 15 nm RMS.
The sensor features a front-panel range indicator to
alert the operator to out-of-range conditions, DIN
rail-mount electronics, and user adjustments for off-
set and gain. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.
com/34455-107
LED Driver
Supertex, Sunnyvale, CA, offers the HV9967
open-loop, average-mode current control
LED driver IC that operates in a constant
off-time mode. It includes a 60V, 0.8-ohm
MOSFET that can be used as a stand-
alone buck converter, or connected as a
source driver output for driving an exter-
nal MOSFET to operate at offline AC line
voltages. It delivers LED current accuracy of 3%
without sensitivity to external component variation. For Free Info Visit
Industrial Keyboard
CTI Electronics, Stratford, CT,
offers the KIO6000 and KIO7000
rugged industrial keyboards with
country-specific languages. The
NEMA 4 (IP66) keyboards
include an integrated mouse.
Languages available include US English,
Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, UK English,
and Italian. The Plug-n-Play KIO6000 Series or KIO7000 Series are
offered in a watertight aluminum or stainless steel enclosure. For Free
Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/34455-109
Electrical Design
Trace Software USA, Byron Center, MI,
has released elecworks electrical design
software for SolidWorks that allows users to
design automation and electrical installa-
tion projects from 2D schematics up to 3D
design. An additional Routing and Cabling module enables panel
and machine wiring in 3D automatically. For Free Info Visit
Functional Simulation
LMS International, Troy, MI, offers LMS
Virtual.Lab Revision 10 software for function-
al performance simulation. Features cover
multi-body simulation to FEM acoustics,
including custom-fit solvers. Automatically
Matched Layer (AML) eliminates the need to model the absorbing
Perfectly Matched Layer (PML). The solver does it automatically,
delivering a simplified FEM mesh close to the radiating system.
Design Collaboration
IronCAD, LLC, Atlanta, GA, has introduced
IronCAD Design Collaboration Suite Product
Update #1, which includes IRONCAD, INO-
VATE, IRONCAD DRAFT, and the Native
Translator Bundles. The integrated suite pro-
vides collaboration between 2D and 3D, enabling users to commu-
nicate design data seamlessly throughout their design process. The
suite extends the users ability to leverage 3D within a 2D design
process. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/34455-102
3D Data Distribution
Elysium, Southfield, MI, offers
ASFALIS K2 software for managing 3D
data distribution in manufacturing.
The software performs data transla-
tion automation, data distribution
record-keeping, and assembly configu-
ration management. The system enables users to search records by
CAD attributes and compare original and revised models. For Free
Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/34455-103
Materials Software
Granta Design, Cambridge, MA, has
announced extensions to its GRANTA
MI software that helps users make deci-
sions on coatings and surface treat-
ments. The new capabilities focus on
compliance, regulatory, and risk factors
relating to restricted substances. Data can be integrated with an
existing database of over 6,000 restricted substances and 60 regu-
lations, legislation, and industry standards that impact these sub-
stances. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/34455-104
Product Focus: CAD/CAE Software
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Intro
If you want better control of your air powered device, install the Deschner
Kinechek speed regulator. Ofering
superior performance over ordinary control
valves the Kinechek will regulate your
air cylinder with extraordinary precision
over millions of cycles. Simply set the
Kinecheks infnitely adjustable speed
control knob and watch your operation run more smoothly year after year,
thats it! Easy to install and maintain, the Kinechek is designed for years of
outstanding leak proof performance. In fact, thousands of Kinechek speed
regulators continue to operate
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NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011 73 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-758
Portable Recorder
Conduant Corp., Longmont, CO,
has introduced the Big River
LTX3 portable recorder pow-
ered by Amazon Express. It supplies up to 800
megabytes per second of sustained PCI Express recording and play-
back. The recorder can operate independently from a host computer
with command/control performed over an Ethernet network connec-
tion. An 8-lane cabled PCIe interface provides connectivity to a host
computer for command/control and/or data access. For Free Info
Visit http://info.hotims.com/34455-110
Gaging System
The Equator gaging system from Renishaw,
Hoffman Estates, IL, can be programmed for mul-
tiple parts and re-programmed in minutes for
design changes. The system is available with two
levels of software: a programmable version for
production engineers to create DMIS programs,
and a shop floor system that allows those pro-
grams to be executed but prevents operators from
making modifications. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/
34455-111
Laser Distance Sensor
The optoNCDT ILR 1030 laser distance sen-
sor from Micro-Epsilon, Raleigh, NC, offers a
measuring range between 0.2 m and 8 m on dif-
fuse reflective surfaces, and as high as 50 m
when using a reflector plate. Features include
measurement speed of 100 Hz, which also
enables length measurements with different
objects in the measuring range, as well as measurements on different
target materials. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/34455-112
Structural Adhesives
Henkel Corp., Rocky Hill, CT, offers Loctite
H8100 and H8110 Speedbonder structural

acrylic adhesives formulated to fixture in 5 to 20 min-
utes. They are designed to reduce or eliminate welds,
rivets, and threaded fasteners. Both adhesives are
green-colored, two-component acrylic adhesives that
cure rapidly at room temperature. The H8100 fix-
tures in 20 minutes, while the H8110 offers fixturing
in 5 minutes. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/34455-113
Temperature Controller
Selco Products, Reno, NV, offers the
2699B electronic temperature controller
housed in an easy-to-install enclosure. The
controller includes a temperature range to
over 2000 F, timer control, multiple
power and sensor inputs, multiple output
types, and a variety of selectable hardware configurations. The all-in-
one controller is configurable by setting the software options and
selecting the correct hardware configuration. For Free Info Visit
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Intro
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-865 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-861 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-864
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-863 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-874 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-872
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-866 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-873
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vides customers with the
DC/DC and AC/DC converters needed to meet
their performance and financial re quirements.
100% electrically tested, ROHS compliant and
available with a variety of options, such as short
circuit protection, high isolation, metal cases and
remote on/off. Visit our searchable part list on
our website. Contact: Guy Francfort; Tel: 732-249-
2656; e-mail: guy.f@megaelectronics.com; or visit
www.megaelectronics.com.
MEGA Electronics Inc.
FAST PULSE TEST SOLUTIONS
Avtech offers over 500 standard models of high-speed
pulse generators for R&D and automated factory-
floor testing. Some of our standard models include:
AVR-EB4-B: for reverse-recovery time tests
AV-156F-B: for airbag tests.
AVO-9A-B: for laser diode tests.
AV-151J-B: for piezoelectric tests.
AVOZ-D2-B: for testing of attenuators.
AVR-DV1-B: for phototriac dV/dt tests
Pricing, manuals, datasheets:
http://www.avtechpulse.com/
Avtech Electrosystems Ltd
EVANS
TANTALUM
WETS MEET
DSCC 93026
Evans Capacitors new
HyCap series includes wet tantalum capacitors meet-
ing DSCC 93026 requirements. The B and D (#2 and
#4) capacitors rate from 150F at 125V to 680F at
50V (85C). Evans Hybrid
capacitors are used by

virtually every Tier 1 aviation defense contractor,
storing up to 2 joules/cc. (0.5 joules/g.). Evans
Capacitor; http://www.evanscap.com/hycap.htm
Evans Capacitor
ULTRAFAST
UNIVERSAL TESTING
MACHINE
Offering precision materials
analysis, Shimadzus AG-Xplus
Series features ultrafast 5kHz
(0.2 msec) sampling as well as
3,300 mm/min return and 3,000 mm/min crosshead
speeds for reduced cycle times. The Series guaran-
tees a precision range of the load cell (1/1000 to
1/1), and control resolution has been improved by a
factor of eight, enhancing the reliability of test
results. Learn more: Shimadzu Scientific
Instruments, 800-477-1227, www.ssi.shimadzu.com
Shimadzu Scientific Instruments
BOKERS FREE 2011
WASHER CATALOG
Bokers 2011 Washer Catalog
features over 25,000 non-stan-
dard flat washer sizes available
with no tooling charges. Outside
diameters of 0.080" to 5.140", a
wide variety of inside diameters
and thicknesses, and over 2,000 material options pro-
vide endless possibilities. ISO 9001:2008 Registered.
Bokers, Inc.; Tel: 888-927-4377; Fax: 800-321-3462;
email: sales@bokers.com; www.bokers.com/ntbl
Bokers, Inc.
POROUS
CERAMIC
VACUUM
CHUCK
PhotoMachining of -
fers a porous ceramic
vacuum chuck for use
with thin films and other flat samples. Pore sizes
under 25 microns assure uniform suction and holding
power for even the smallest parts. PhotoMachining
also provides contract laser-manufacturing services,
and designs and builds custom laser-based manufactur-
ing equipment. PhotoMachining, Inc., 4 Industrial Dr.,
Unit 40, Pelham, NH 03076; Tel: 603-882-9944; Fax:
603-886-8844; rschaeffer@photomachining.com;
www.photomachining.com
PhotoMachining, Inc.
EMI SHIELDING
GASKETS
Molded and Die
CutNickel-Graphite filled
silicone and fluorosili-
cone rubber compounds provide corrosion and
weather resistant EMI shielding gaskets for electronic
enclosures. Nickel-Graphite filled silicone has shield-
ing effectiveness of 80 dB in frequencies of 20 MHz to
10 GHz. Gaskets are die cut or water jet cut from
.020" to .125" thick molded sheets. Gaskets with seal-
ing beads and complex profiles are custom molded
from 30, 45, 55 and 65 durometer compounds. Email
a dxf file for test samples. Stockwell Elastomerics,
Inc., Philadelphia, Pa. Tel: 215-335-3005; e-mail:
service@stockwell.com; www.stockwell.com
Stockwell Elastomerics
HIGH-
PERFORMANCE
COATINGS
Boyd Coat i ngs Re -
search Co. manufac-
tures, applies, and dis-
tributes custom-devel-
oped, high-perform-
ance coatings to meet
specific device needs.
High-volume and flexible manufacturing capabilities
allow the company to produce both large and
small quantities quickly and cost-effectively. Boyd
is a Licensed Industrial Applicator of Teflon
.
www.boydcoatings.com
Boyd Coatings Research Co.
THERMOCOUPLES,
MAKE YOUR OWN
The HotSpot Welder is a
portable capacitive discharge
wire welding unit that allows
thermocouple wire to be
formed into freestanding bead
or butt welded junctions, or to
be directly welded to metal.
The HotSpot provides a quick, simple, accurate, low-
cost means of fabricating thermocouples on a when
needed, where needed basis. Brochure and specifi-
cation sheet provide photos and descriptions of
thermocouple construction and use. DCC
Corporation, Pennsauken, NJ 08110; Tel: 856-662-
7272; www.dccCorporation.com.
DCC Corporation
Cov ToC
+
A
Intro
Information Sciences
(Continued from page 58)
Missions to small bodies, such as
comets or asteroids, require autonomous
guidance for descent to these small bod-
ies. Such guidance is made challenging
by uncertainty in the position and veloci-
ty of the spacecraft, as well as the uncer-
tainty in the gravitational field around
the small body. In addition, the require-
ment to avoid collision with the asteroid
represents a non-convex constraint that
means finding the optimal guidance tra-
jectory, in general, is intractable.
In this innovation, a new approach is
proposed for chance-constrained opti-
mal guidance with non-convex con-
straints. Chance-constrained guidance
takes into account uncertainty so that the
probability of collision is below a speci-
fied threshold. In this approach, a new
bounding method has been developed
to obtain a set of decomposed chance
constraints that is a sufficient condition
of the original chance constraint. The
decomposition of the chance constraint
enables its efficient evaluation, as well as
the application of the branch and bound
method. Branch and bound enables
non-convex problems to be solved effi-
ciently to global optimality.
Considering the problem of finite-
horizon robust optimal control of
dynamic systems under Gaussian-distrib-
uted stochastic uncertainty, with state
and control constraints, a discrete-time,
continuous-state linear dynamics model
is assumed. Gaussian-distributed stochas-
tic uncertainty is a more natural model
for exogenous disturbances such as wind
gusts and turbulence than the previous-
ly studied set-bounded models.
However, with stochastic uncertainty, it is
often impossible to guarantee that state
constraints are satisfied, because there is
typically a non-zero probability of having
a disturbance that is large enough to
push the state out of the feasible region.
An effective framework to address
robustness with stochastic uncertainty is
optimization with chance constraints.
These require that the probability of vio-
lating the state constraints (i.e., the
probability of failure) is below a user-
specified bound known as the risk
bound. An example problem is to drive
a car to a destination as fast as possible
while limiting the probability of an acci-
dent to 10
7
. This framework allows
users to trade conservatism against per-
formance by choosing the risk bound.
The more risk the user accepts, the bet-
ter performance they can expect.
This work was done by Lars James
Blackmore of Caltech and Masahiro Ono and
Brian Williams of MIT for NASAs Jet
contact iaoffice@jpl.nasa.gov. NPO-47305
Chance-Constrained Guidance With Non-Convex Constraints
This solution can be used for non-convex guidance problems in small-body rendezvous,
formation flight, and uninhabited aerial vehicle applications.
AMERICAN
AEROSPACE
CONTROLS INC.
CATALOG ONLINE
Visit our Website to find our
full-line catalog of high-reliabili-
ty current, voltage, power, and
frequency transducers. AAC
offers timely delivery, custom design services, and
standard transducer products for space, aircraft,
land vehicles, shipboard, rail transit, industrial con-
trols, military, and commercial C grade applications.
Contact Greg DAbramo: 888-873-8559; e-mail:
aac@rcn.com; www.a-a-c.com.
American Aerospace Controls, Inc.
SWITCH SEALING
BOOT CATALOG
Hermetically seal any switch,
potentiometer or circuit breaker
with a HEXSEAL silicone seal-
ing boot. IP66/68 rated, meets
MIL Spec MIL-DTL-5423 and is
UL Recognized. Armored and
EMI/RFI versions. Toggle, pushbutton, rotary, and
rocker styles to fit all popular devices. Catalog features
manufacturer cross reference charts. NEMA & techni-
cal reference info. APM HEXSEAL; 800.498.9034;
www.apmhexseal.com; info@apmhexseal.com
APM HEXSEAL
PRECISION
DISPENSERS &
METERING PUMPS
Fluid Metering, Inc. offers a full
line of Dispensers and Metering
Pumps for Laboratory, In dus -
trial and OEM applications.
FMIs unique piston-type posi-
tive displacement units feature no valves, low-dead
volume, 1% accuracy and a ceramic/fluorocarbon
fluid path Flows from 2.5 l/dispense to flows of
4,600 ml/min with pressures to 200 psig. Fluid
Metering is certified as compliant with ISO 9001
quality standards. Ph: 800-223-3388 or 516-922-6050;
Fax: 516-624-8261; email: pumps@fmipump.com;
www.fmipump.com.
Fluid Metering, Inc.
MSC SOFTWARE
FREE TRAINING &
EVALUATION
SOFTWARE
MSC Software has been a trust-
ed source in engineering for a
Half-Century. Our engineers,
and the products and services they provide, have been
helping customers solve the worlds most challenging
mechanical engineering problems for generations in
just about every industry. MSC Software sponsored
Events provide an opportunity to meet our experienced
engineers. Let our Engineers & Software products help
you solve your companys most challenging problems.
http://pages.mscsoftware.com/EventsLanding.html
MSC Software
MSC SOFTWARE
USERS
CONFERENCE
REGISTRATION
Were Engineering Tomorrows
Innovations Today! The worlds
smartest engineers attend our conferences. So should
you. Lets Simulate Reality! Join Us: October 4-6, 2011
in sunny Costa Mesa, CA. MSC conferences are the pre-
mier event in the simulation and analysis community.
Bringing leading academics, engineers, technologists,
designers, executives and managers from all over the
world to exchange information and ideas, network with
peers, and gain access to the software developers that
are redefining CAE. http://pages.mscsoftware.com/
MSC_UserConference2011_Home.html
MSC Software
From AAC: Transducers for
extreme environments.
Standard AC & DC current, voltage,
power and frequency transducers available
Q Prototype development
Q MIL-STD 461, DO-160 and EN 50121
Q Automated surface
mount per IPC-A- 610
and J-STD-001
Q 5 year warranty
Q Contact AAC today; www.a-a-c.com
570 Smith Street, Farmingdale, NY 11735
Tel>631.694.5100 | Toll Free>888.873.8559 | Fax>631.694.6739 | 631.845.0766
Email>aac@rcn.com | www.a-a-c.com
American Aerospace Controls
AAC Our products performWe deliveralways.
Discover the
Latest Advances
in LEDs and
Solid-State
Lighting
From the publishers
of NASA Tech Briefs,
Lighting Technology digital magazine
features design tutorials, tech reports,
application notes and product news on
energy-efficient LEDs. View free of charge
at: www.greendesignbriefs.com/ezines
Cov ToC
+
A
Intro
NASAs Technology Sources
If you need further information about new technologies presented in NASA Tech Briefs,
request the Technical Support Package (TSP) indicated at the end of the brief. If a TSP is not
available, the Innovative Partnerships Office at the NASA field center that sponsored the
research can provide you with additional information and, if applicable, refer you to the
innovator(s). These centers are the source of all NASA-developed technology.
Ames Research Center
Selected technological strengths: Information
Technology; Biotechnology; Nanotechnology;
Aerospace Operations Systems; Rotorcraft;
Thermal Protection Systems.
Lisa L. Lockyer
(650) 604-1754
lisa.l.lockyer@nasa.gov
Dryden Flight Research Center
Selected technological strengths:
Aerodynamics; Aeronautics Flight Testing;
Aeropropulsion; Flight Systems; Thermal
Testing; Integrated Systems Test and
Validation.
Yvonne D. Gibbs
(661) 276-3720
yvonne.d.gibbs@nasa.gov
Glenn Research Center
Aeropropulsion; Communications; Energy
Technology; High-Temperature Materials
Research.
Kathleen Needham
(216) 433-2802
kathleen.k.needham@nasa.gov
Goddard Space Flight Center
Selected technological strengths: Earth and
Planetary Science Missions; LIDAR; Cryogenic
Systems; Tracking; Telemetry; Remote Sensing;
Command.
Nona Cheeks
(301) 286-5810
nona.k.cheeks@nasa.gov
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Selected technological strengths: Near/Deep-
Space Mission Engineering; Microspacecraft;
Space Communications; Information Systems;
Remote Sensing; Robotics.
Indrani Graczck
(818) 354-4906
indrani.graczck-1@nasa.gov
Johnson Space Center
Selected technological strengths: Artificial
Intelligence and Human Computer Interface;
Life Sciences; Human Space Flight
Operations; Avionics; Sensors;
Communications.
David Leestma
(281) 483-3809
david.c.leestma@nasa.gov
Kennedy Space Center
Selected technological strengths: Fluids and
Fluid Systems; Materials Evaluation; Process
Engineering; Command, Control, and Monitor
Systems; Range Systems; Environmental
Engineering and Management.
David R. Makufka
(321) 867-6227
david.r.makufka@nasa.gov
Langley Research Center
Selected technological strengths: Aerodynamics;
Flight Systems; Materials; Structures; Sensors;
Measurements; Information Sciences.
Elizabeth B. Plentovich
(757) 864-2857
elizabeth.b.plentovich@nasa.gov
Marshall Space Flight Center
Selected technological strengths: Materials;
Manufacturing; Nondestructive Evaluation;
Biotechnology; Space Propulsion; Controls and
Dynamics; Structures; Microgravity Processing.
Jim Dowdy
(256) 544-7604
jim.dowdy@nasa.gov
Stennis Space Center
Selected technological strengths: Propulsion
Systems; Test/Monitoring; Remote Sensing;
Nonintrusive Instrumentation.
Ramona Travis
(228) 688-3832
ramona.e.travis@ssc.nasa.gov
National Technology Transfer Center
Darwin Molnar
Wheeling, WV
(800) 678-6882
NASA HEADQUARTERS
Innovative Partnerships Program Office
Doug Comstock, Director
(202) 358-2221
doug.comstock@nasa.gov
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) &
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
Programs
Carl Ray, Program Executive
(202) 358-4652
carl.g.ray@nasa.gov
Published by.........................................Tech Briefs Media Group
Publisher.....................................................Joseph T. Pramberger
Editorial Director ........................................................Linda L. Bell
Editor, PTB and Embedded Technology...............Bruce A. Bennett
Technical/Managing Editor.........................................Ted Selinsky
Technical Writers.........................................................Shirl Phelps
.........................................................................Nick Lukianoff
Editor, Green Design & Manufacturing ....................Kendra Smith
Associate Editor .........................................................Emily Chang
Associate Editor...........................................................Billy Hurley
Production Manager .............................................Adam Santiago
Production Manager ................................................Cortney Silva
Art Director ...............................................................Lois Erlacher
Designer ...........................................................Bernadette Torres
Marketing Director .............................................Debora Rothwell
Circulation Manager .............................................Marie Claussell
Circulation/Audience Development Coordinator ....Brandie Denlinger
NASA Tech Briefs are provided by the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration, Innovative Partnerships Program:
Administrator...............................................Charles F. Bolden, Jr.
Director, Innovative Partnerships Office ...............Doug Comstock
Publications Director ...............................................Janelle Turner
Technical Director .............................................................Carl Ray
TECH BRIEFS MEDIA GROUP
261 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1901, New York, NY 10016
(212) 490-3999 FAX (212) 986-7864
Chief Executive Officer ..............................Domenic A. Mucchetti
Executive Vice-President.......................................Luke Schnirring
Technology Director .............................................Oliver Rockwell
Systems Administrator ............................................Albert Sunseri
Web Developer......................................................Karina Adames
Online Content Manager/Web Developer..............Peter Bonavita
Digital Media Producer ................................................Phil Abalos
Credit/Collection ......................................................Felecia Lahey
Accounting/Human Resources Manager.......................Sylvia Ruiz
Office Manager ...................................................Alfredo Vasquez
Receptionist............................................Elizabeth Brache-Torres
NASA TECH BRIEFS ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
CT, MA, NH, ME, VT, RI, Eastern Canada......................Ed Marecki
......................................................................Tatiana Marecki
...........................................................................at (401) 351-0274
NJ, PA, DE ..................................................................John Murray
...........................................................................at (973) 545-2132
NY........................................................................Stan Greenfield
...........................................................................at (203) 938-2418
VA, MD, DC, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, TN,
MS, LA, AR, OK, TX, WV ...........................................Ray Tompkins
...........................................................................at (281) 313-1004
Western NY, OH, MI, IN..........................................Ryan Beckman
...........................................................................at (973) 409-4687
MN, ND, SD, WI, IL, KY, MO, KS,
IA, NE, Central Canada .................................................Bob Casey
...........................................................................at (847) 223-5225
Northwest, N. Calif., Western Canada.......................Craig Pitcher
at (408) 778-0300
Bill Hague
...........................................................................at (310) 457-6783
CO, UT, MT, WY, ID, NM............................................Cynthia Louis
...........................................................................at (970) 223-3911
S. Calif., AZ, NV ...............................................................Tom Boris
...........................................................................at (949) 715-7779
New Business Managers ........................................Patrick Harvey
...........................................................................at (973) 409-4686
Angelo Danza
...........................................................................at (973) 874-0271
Tim Powers
...........................................................................at (973) 409-4762
Michael Barboza
...........................................................................at (973) 545-2565
Reprints........................................................................Jill Kaletha
.................................................................at (866) 879-9144, x168
w w w . t e c h b r i e f s . c o m
NASAs Technology Sources
If you need further information about new technologies presented in NASA Tech Briefs,
request the Technical Support Package (TSP) indicated at the end of the brief. If a TSP is not
available, the IPO at the NASA field center that sponsored the research can provide you with
additional information and, if applicable, refer you to the innovator(s). These centers are the
source of all NASA-developed technology.
Ames Research Center
Selected technological strengths: Information
Technology; Biotechnology; Nanotechnology;
Aerospace Operations Systems; Rotorcraft;
Thermal Protection Systems.
Mary Walsh
(650) 604-1405
mary.w.walsh@nasa.gov
Dryden Flight Research Center
Aerodynamics; Aeronautics Flight Testing;
Aeropropulsion; Flight Systems; Thermal
Testing; Integrated Systems Test and
Validation.
Yvonne D. Gibbs
(661) 276-3720
yvonne.d.gibbs@nasa.gov
Glenn Research Center
Aeropropulsion; Communications; Energy
Technology; High-Temperature Materials
Research.
Joe Shaw
(216) 977-7135
robert.j.shaw@nasa.gov
Goddard Space Flight Center
Selected technological strengths: Earth and
Planetary Science Missions; LIDAR; Cryogenic
Systems; Tracking; Telemetry; Remote Sensing;
Command.
Nona Cheeks
(301) 286-5810
nona.k.cheeks@nasa.gov
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Selected technological strengths: Near/Deep-
Space Mission Engineering; Microspacecraft;
Space Communications; Information Systems;
Remote Sensing; Robotics.
Indrani Graczyk
(818) 354-2241
indrani.graczyk@jpl.nasa.gov
Johnson Space Center
Selected technological strengths: Artificial
Intelligence and Human Computer Interface;
Life Sciences; Human Space Flight
Operations; Avionics; Sensors;
Communications.
John E. James
(281) 483-3809
john.e.james@nasa.gov
Kennedy Space Center
Selected technological strengths: Fluids and
Fluid Systems; Materials Evaluation; Process
Engineering; Command, Control, and Monitor
Systems; Range Systems; Environmental
Engineering and Management.
David R. Makufka
(321) 867-6227
david.r.makufka@nasa.gov
Selected technological strengths: Aerodynamics;
Flight Systems; Materials; Structures; Sensors;
Measurements; Information Sciences.
Elizabeth B. Plentovich
(757) 864-2857
elizabeth.b.plentovich@nasa.gov
Marshall Space Flight Center
Selected technological strengths: Materials;
Manufacturing; Nondestructive Evaluation;
Biotechnology; Space Propulsion; Controls and
Dynamics; Structures; Microgravity Processing.
Jim Dowdy
(256) 544-7604
jim.dowdy@nasa.gov
Stennis Space Center
Selected technological strengths: Propulsion
Systems; Test/Monitoring; Remote Sensing;
Nonintrusive Instrumentation.
Ramona Travis
(228) 688-3832
ramona.e.travis@ssc.nasa.gov
National Technology Transfer Center
Darwin Molnar
Wheeling, WV
(800) 678-6882
NASA HEADQUARTERS
Innovative Partnerships Office
Doug Comstock, Director
(202) 358-2221
doug.comstock@nasa.gov
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) & Small
Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs
Carl Ray, Program Executive
(202) 358-4652
carl.g.ray@nasa.gov
w w w . t e c h b r i e f s . c o m
NASAs Innovative Partnerships
Office (IPO)
NASAs R&D efforts produce a robust supply of promising technologies with applications in many indus-
tries. A key mechanism in identifying commercial applications for this technology is NASAs national
network of laboratories and business support entities. The network includes ten NASA field centers, the
National Technology Transfer Center (NTTC), and a full tie-in with the Federal Laboratory Consortium
(FLC) for Technology Transfer. To explore technology transfer, development, and collaboration opportu-
nities with NASA, visit www.ipp.nasa.gov.
Cov ToC
+
A
Intro
Advertisers Index
For free product literature, enter advertisers reader service numbers at www.techbriefs.com/rs, or visit the
Web site listed beneath their ad in this issue.
Advertisers listed in bold-face type have banner ads on the NASA Tech Briefs web site www.techbriefs.com
Reader Service
Company Number Page
Reader Service
Company Number Page
Agilent Technologies..........................................715 ............................19
AllMotion, Inc.....................................................710 ............................12
Alpha Wire Company ........................................747 ............................58
American Aerospace Controls ..........................830 ............................75
APM Hexseal ......................................................859 ............................75
ASM Sensors, Inc. ..............................................725 ............................31
Astro-Med Inc. ....................................................712 ............................15
AutomationDirect ..............................................717 ............................21
Avtech Electrosystems Ltd. ................................860 ............................74
Belt Technologies, Inc. ......................................850 ............................40
Bird Precision ....................................................861 ............................74
Bishop-Wisecarver Corp. ....................................719 ............................23
Bokers Inc. ........................................................862 ............................74
Boyd Coating Research Co., Inc ........................863 ............................74
Bruker Corp. ......................................................760 ..................COV III
Celesco Transducer Prod, Inc. ..........................721 ............................27
COMSOL, Inc. ................................................707, 864 ..............7, 74
Crane Aerospace & Electronics ........................727 ............................33
Create The Future Design Contest....................708............................8-9
DCC Corporation ..............................................865 ............................74
Dearborn Electronics, Inc. ................................745 ............................57
Deschner Corporation ......................................757 ............................73
Dewetron Inc...................................................720 ..........................25
Digi-Key Corporation ......................................704 ......................3, 46
Digital Network Vision, LLC..............................755 ............................69
Dimension ......................................................................................42
Dynapar ..............................................................766 ............................7a
Eagle Stainless Tube........................................736 ..........................45
Edmund Optics ..............................................750 ..........................65
element14............................................................711 ............................13
ELMA Bustronic ................................................722 ............................28
Evans ..............................................................730, 866 ............36, 74
Farrand Controls ............................................743 ..........................56
FLIR Commercial Vision Systems....................729 ..........................35
Fluid Metering Inc. ............................................867 ............................75
Forest City Gear ..................................................706 ..............................6
FORTUS 3D Production Systems ....................................................42
Fotofab ................................................................735 ............................44
General Polygon Systems ..................................868 ............................74
HaydonKerk Motion Solutions ........................761 ..........................1a
Helical Products Co., Inc. ..................................762 ............................2a
Herber Aircraft Service, Inc. ..............................733 ............................48
IKO International, Inc. ......................................763 ............................3a
Image Science Ltd. ............................................751 ............................67
IMS Schneider Electric Motion USA ................815 ............................9a
Indium Corporation ..........................................737 ............................47
Insaco Inc. ..........................................................771 ............................20
Integrated Engineering Software Inc. ..............716 ..........................38
International Rectifier........................................728 ............................34
Kaydon Bearings ................................................764 ............................4a
Lin Engineering..................................................765 ............................5a
Lowell Corporation ............................................768 ..........................10a
LPKF Laser & Electronics ..................................718 ............................22
Master Bond Inc. ................................................746 ............................57
MathWorks ..........................................................705 ..............................5
Matrox Imaging ..................................................749 ............................64
Measurement Computing Corp. ......................724, 726 ............30, 32
MEGA Electronics, Inc. ......................................869 ............................74
Micro-Epsilon Messtechnik GmbH....................732 ............................39
MicroCare Corp. ................................................741 ............................55
Mill-Max Mfg. Corp. ..........................................731 ............................37
Morehouse Instrument Co., Inc. ......................713 ............................50
MPL ....................................................................742 ............................55
MSC Software Corporation ............................870, 871 ..................75
National Instruments..........................................701 ....................COV II
Newport Corporation ........................................769 ............................16
Nippon Pulse America, Inc. ..............................767 ............................8a
NuSil Technology ..............................................714 ............................17
Omega Engineering ........................................702 ............................1
PhotoMachining Inc...........................................872 ............................74
Photometrics | QImaging ..................................754 ............................67
Polymicro Technologies ....................................744 ............................56
Proto Labs, Inc. ..................................................734 ............................43
RedEye RPM....................................................................................42
Schneider Optics ................................................752 ............................68
Seastrom Mfg. ....................................................758 ............................73
SENSORS Tech Forum ......................................723 ............................29
Shimadzu Scientific Instruments ......................873 ............................74
Smalley Steel Ring Company ............................739 ............................51
SolidWorks Corporation..................................759..................COV IV
Stanford Research Systems Inc. ........................703 ..............................2
Stockwell Elastomerics ......................................874 ............................74
Stratasys Inc. ..................................................709 ..........................11
Teledyne DALSA ............................................748 ..........................61
Universe Kogaku America, Inc. ......................753 ..........................68
Vivid Engineering ..............................................756 ............................69
VueMetrix............................................................740 ............................53
Watson-Marlow Pumps Group ..........................738 ............................49
yet2.com ................................................................................................41
Zeus Industrial Products ....................................770 ............................52
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Intro
Inside NASA
This feature profiles NASAs ten field centers located across the country. Each month, well highlight a NASA centers unique
facilities, capabilities, and areas of research, as well as specific missions and projects underway at each center. If you are interested
in partnering with a particular center, or in licensing specific technology, check out the More Information section at the end of each
profile for contact information.
L
angley Research Center in
Hampton, VA, has always been inno-
vative. By solving monumental tech-
nology challenges, including those that
spawned the aviation industry and space
travel, our researchers have earned a
reputation for their expertise in
research, development, and experimen-
tation. Today is no different. We are
looking at new ways to revolutionize air-
planes and the air transportation system,
to provide access to space, and to under-
stand climate change. With our unique
blend of aerosciences, structures and
materials, atmospheric characterization,
systems analysis, and entry, descent, and
landing expertise, we work across all of
NASAs missions.
What Were Doing
In aeronautics, we are tackling the
technical challenges of NextGen, the
next generation of air transportation.
With new airframe design and air-
frame/engine integration concepts,
were reducing noise. Were also devel-
oping methods to verify and validate
software-intense automation and distrib-
uted networks of safety systems. Our
advanced materials and design concepts
can significantly lower fuel consumption
and noise, yet still create stronger, light-
weight aircraft.
For rotorcraft, we are improving
active control technologies for more effi-
cient performance. We are working on
operational and safety issues related to
unmanned aircraft systems operating in
the national airspace. Along with the
FAA Surveillance and Broadcast Services
Office, Aviation Communication & Sur -
veillance Systems (MITRE), were devel-
oping procedures and applications for
the Automatic Dependent Surveill ance-
Broad cast system to increase the effi-
ciency of airport operations and reduce
fuel burn.
To support exploration, we are collabo-
rating with partners in government,
industry, and academia on needed tech-
nologies for the next generation of
launch, crew, and cargo vehicles able to
go beyond Low Earth Orbit. Our exper -
NASA Langleys Airspace and Traffic Operations Laboratory (ATOL) houses a suite of complex, high-
fidelity simulation systems dedicated to the research of advanced Air Traffic Management (ATM) con-
cepts and technologies.
Workers from ILC Dover and NASA Langley inflated and tested the Inflatable Re-Entry Vehicle
Experiment (IRVE) at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on the eastern shore of Virginia.
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Intro
tise in space launch system aerodynamics,
guidance, navigation and control, and
structural and thermal analyses is being
used across the spectrum of vehicle devel-
opment, including the launch abort sys-
tem. For both spacecraft and inflatable
habitats, Langleys experts are construct-
ing lightweight materials and structures
to make space travel more economical,
more efficient, and safer from radiation.
Were building a 2.65-meter aeroshell
with an advanced thermal protection sys-
tem and structure to demonstrate manu-
facturability and performance at relevant
scale. Our new Hydro Impact Basin will
enable validating and certifying future
space vehicles for water landings.
Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) is
one of our sweet spots. We are devel-
oping rigid and flexible thermal protec-
tion systems and supersonic and hyper-
sonic inflatable aerodynamic decelera-
tors to allow astronauts to land with
exploration-class payloads on planetary
surfaces. For the Mars Science
Laboratory, we will integrate a suite of
sensors to measure atmospheric condi-
tions and the crafts heat shield perform-
ance during its entry and descent.
Langleys science researchers are
measuring, monitoring, and modeling
our planets atmosphere to learn how it
is changing. Our goal is to understand
how and why the changes are taking
place and then share this knowledge
with others, especially policymakers. We
develop instrumentation used on satel-
lites, research aircraft, and on the
ground. Currently, we are measuring the
outgoing energy reflected and emitted
from Earth one of the two most
important long-term measurements for
detecting climate change. By using a
combination of instruments, we are
studying the effects of clouds and
aerosols on the heating and cooling of
Earth. Were also making measurements
of aerosols, ozone, and CO
2
, and assess-
ing the impact of human activities on
the atmosphere. Our scientists also tack-
le climate by flying with their instru-
ments into hurricanes to study how they
form and gather in strength. With teams
around the globe, we conduct atmos-
pheric missions. As a result, we have col-
lected one of the worlds most compre-
hensive and precise collections of cli-
mate data.
Technical Capabilities
From concept to flight, our end-to-
end technical capabilities and facilities
enable the experimentation, testing,
and validation needed to advance next-
generation aerospace technologies.
Langley has many unparalleled facilities,
such as the National Transonic Facility,
the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel, and the
8-Foot-High-Temperature Tunnel. Our
ability to test from subsonic to hyperson-
ic flight, along with our advanced labs
and simulators, provides a unique envi-
ronment for developing game-changing
technologies and systems for future air
and space transportation.
Often, we are asked to address inter-
national issues and to respond to urgent
national problems. Recent examples
include rescuing the Chilean miners,
crash investigations, oil spills, and vol-
canic ash mitigation.
Where Do The Technologies Go?
The technologies we develop fre-
quently find down-to-Earth applications.
Langley inventors received the NASA
Government Invention of the Year award
for their Ultrasonic Crimp Tool, origi-
nally used by the Aircraft Aging and
Durability Project to inspect connections
on electrical wiring systems in commer-
cial and military airplanes. A system ini-
tially created to detect clear air turbu-
lence can now be used for earthquake
detection, for predicting environmental
and weather conditions, and for general-
purpose sound pressure testing. The
Portable Infrasonic Detection System
also recently won a green innovation
award. These technologies and many
others are available for licensing (visit
http://technologygateway.nasa.gov/)
More Information
An ever-accelerating pace of change
and rapid advancement make collabora-
tion a critical component of our strategy
for success. We look forward to working
with others all over the world as we con-
tinue to develop innovative solutions for
the future. For more information, con-
tact Michele Ferebee, Manager of
Partnership, Innovation, and Co m -
mercial Space, at michelle.t.ferebee
@nasa.gov; Tel: 757-864-5617.
By using data from NASA's Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIP-
SO) satellite, Langley researchers created this image of the Eyjafjallajkull Volcano ash cloud as it con-
tinued to drift over the continent.
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Intro
NASA TechNeeds
www.techbriefs.com/nasatechneeds
NASA Tech Briefs (NTB) has been a very successful method by which NASA conveys technologies available for commercial use to
the NTB audience. NTB readers represent a broad spectrum of technology experts in many disciplines and industries across the coun-
try, and just as you may benefit from NASA technology, NASA may also benefit from your technology.
To help tap into the technologies you may be aware of that can address NASAs technology needs, NTB features NASA TechNeeds,
a series of articles that highlights the technology needs of the Agency. (A detailed overview of NASAs tech needs areas is available
at: www.techbriefs.com/nasatechneeds.) The objective is to provide awareness of NASAs future needs and requirements, which
could facilitate potential future partnerships.
Each article describes specific selected technologies of importance. In every case, a NASA point of contact will be provided so that
those interested have the means to explore the potential for partnerships with NASA.
NASA wants to make NTB a means by which we can achieve mutually beneficial two-way technology transfer, building on the
track record of success that NTB has achieved in transferring NASA technology for commercial development and public benefit.
N
ASA seeks innovative tech-
nologies to facilitate meeting
back Planetary Protection objec-
tives for a potential Mars Sample
Return (MSR) mission, and to
facilitate forward Planetary Pro -
tection implementation for a
potential mission to Europa. For -
ward and back Planetary Pro -
tection concerns biological mate-
rial transported from Earth, or to
Earth, respectively.
Back Planetary Protection ad -
dresses the possibility that Mars
material may pose a biological
threat to the Earths biosphere.
This leads to a constraint that
returned samples of Mars materi-
al be contained with extraordi-
nary robustness until they can be
tested and proved harmless, or
be sterilized by an accepted
method. Achieving this contain-
ment goal will require new tech-
nology for several functions.
Containment assurance requires
breaking the chain of contact with
Mars: the exterior of the sample con-
tainer must not be contaminated with
Mars material. Also, the integrity of the
containment must be verified, the
sealed sample container must survive
the worst-case Earth impact correspon-
ding to the candidate mission profile,
and the Earth entry vehicle (EEV)
must withstand the thermal and struc-
tural rigors of Earth atmosphere entry
all with an unprecedented degree
of confidence.
For Europa, products and technolo-
gies are sought that can be demonstrat-
ed to be compatible with the mission
prelaunch sterilization conditions and
the environmental conditions of space-
flight and the Jovian system. Candidate
technologies for new functions and
capabilities include development of
alternative sterilization solutions for sen-
sitive spacecraft hardware, and demon-
stration of novel biobarrier and reconta-
mination prevention approaches for
spacecraft hardware.
NASA Needs
Back Planetary Protection technolo-
gies for the following MSR functions
are needed: container design,
sealing, and verification; break-
ing-the-chain of contact/dust
mitigation; meteoroid protec-
tion and breach detection; and
reliability analysis.
Technologies are desired for
the Europa mission that allow
sterilization of previously non-
sterilizable flight hardware (for
example, sensors, battery and
valve seals, and optical coatings)
by either 1) dry heat processing,
or 2) gamma irradiation. NASA
also seeks to use 3) hydrogen
peroxide vapor processes for re-
sterilization of assembled flight
hardware elements. Products
and technologies are sought that
can be demonstrated to be com-
patible with these three identi-
fied sterilization processes, as
well as the environmental condi-
tions of spaceflight and the
Jovian system.
Applications
The Mars Astrobiology Ex plorer-
Cacher (MAX-C) mission, as part of a
Mars Sample Return, and the Europa
Orbiter Mission, are included as high-
priority efforts of the next decade. Both
of these complex missions have signifi-
cant Planetary Protection requirements,
and can directly benefit from innovative
solutions from industry.
More Information
For further information, please contact Dr. J.
Andy Spry at James.A.Spry@jpl.nasa.gov or at
818-354-3073, or email nasa@techbriefs.com.
NASA Planetary Protection
By Dr. J. Andy Spry, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
NASA needs appropriate new technologies to be developed to
allow missions to meet their Planetary Protection requirements, as
in the case of the biobarrier cover for the arm on the Phoenix lan-
der shown here deployed on Mars.
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Intro
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Intro
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Help host Jeremy Luchini design the rst hardcore baby buggy using
SolidWorks
.

Youll share ideas, comment on designs and vote on key
decisions throughout the project. If you think youre ready, lets go design.
Watch. Share. Vote. LetsGoDesign.tv

PROJECT 3: HOT ROD BABY BUGGY
LOOKING FOR
DESIGNERS TO
PUSH THIS BABY
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Intro
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June 2011
New Products ..................................................9a
See page 10a.
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Intro
IIa www.techbriefs.com/motion Motion Control Technology, June 2011
H
ydraulic steering systems have long
dominated the industrial utility
vehicle market because of their familiar-
ity both to vehicle designers and opera-
tors. More recently, a trend has been
seen towards the use of electronic steer-
by-wire systems that provide greater
design flexibility by enabling software to
customize the connection between the
steering wheel and steering mechanism.
Several suppliers offer integrated steer-
by-wire systems targeting the industrial
utility vehicle market. A key differentiat-
ing factor is the method used to provide
torque feedback to give the operator a
heightened sense of vehicle control. The
latest generation of integrated steer-by-
wire systems consumes less power, is less
expensive, and offers the ability to be
programmed to provide a wide range of
value-added features.
Moving Away from
Hydraulic Steering
Hydraulic steering technology has
been used in industrial utility vehicles
for decades. Engineers are familiar with
its ruggedness in unfriendly environ-
ments and its power density, which
enhances performance in the most diffi-
cult applications. But recent trends in
the industry position hydraulic steering
as less advantageous for many industrial
utility vehicles. Hydraulic steering sys-
tems require a motor, pump, valves,
hoses, and fittings. Utility vehicles that
utilize hydraulic drives for other func-
tions may or may not have a hydraulic
pump with enough capacity to accom-
modate the steering system.
There has been a general trend away
from hydraulics in other applications as
well. Many manufacturers are looking to
cut back or eliminate the use of
hydraulics, so it is becoming much hard-
er to find spare capacity on a hydraulic
pump for the steering system. If spare
capacity is not available, then it becomes
necessary to add a hydraulic system ded-
icated to steering, which substantially
raises the cost of this approach.
Electronic steer-by-wire systems, on the
other hand, are completely self-con-
tained and do not require external
pumps or hoses. This means that they
are usually considerably less expensive
than hydraulic steering when the costs
of the pump, valve, hoses, and fittings
are taken into account.
Another reason for considering a move
away from hydraulic steering is the desire
to improve battery life of electric-powered
vehicles and reduce energy consumption
of fossil-fuel-powered vehicles. Hydraulic
vehicles tend to consume relatively high
amounts of power because the hydraulic
system continually consumes supply power
whether or not the steering system is being
operated. Electronic steering also con-
sumes considerably less power because
Performance and Reduce Cost
Electronic steering systems provide nearly maintenance-free operation, and offer substantially greater
design flexibility than hydraulic or direct drive systems. Newer-generation electronic steer-by-wire sys-
tems also provide the tactile response, or feel, of mechanical and hydraulic steering systems.
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Intro
TM
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Intro
power is drawn only when operating the
steering systems.
Advantages of Electronic
Steer-by-Wire Systems
Another reason for the trend away
from hydraulic steering is substantial per-
formance improvements that have been
made in electric motors. The power den-
sity of electric motors has substantially
increased because of advances in magnet-
ic materials, lead/ball screw efficiency,
construction, manufacturing techniques,
and electronics. Todays electric motors
can deliver substantially more power
while maintaining high levels of efficien-
cy. Steer-by-wire systems have also benefit-
ted by the improved reliability of all elec-
tronic and electrical products. Electronic
steering systems provide nearly mainte-
nance-free operation and are much less
prone to fail due to lack of maintenance.
Electronic steering also offers substan-
tially greater design flexibility than
hydraulic or direct-drive systems. There
is much greater flexibility in locating the
steering wheel because it no longer has
to connect directly to a mechanical drive
shaft or a hydraulic valve, which in turn
needs to be connected by hoses to the
steering motor. Electronic steering elim-
inates the need for costly telescopic
mechanical linkage or long hydraulic
hoses in man-up vehicles where the
operator is hoisted up to pick stock from
high warehouse racks.
Electronic steering also provides far
more opportunity in configuring the
steering functionality of the vehicle.
Design engineers themselves can easily
change the steering ratio with a software
command, and can even design the vehi-
cle so that the steering ratio can be
changed in the field or programmed to
change on the fly, depending on vehicle
operating conditions. For example, an
electronic steering system could be con-
figured to have a high steering ratio at
low speeds and a lower ratio at high
speeds to help avoid sudden turns at
high speed, or configured to allow for
rapid maneuvering at low speed.
Electronic steering can be programmed
to indicate that the vehicle is nearing the
end of the steering range by increasing
torque resistance. Electronic steering
also opens up the door to other more
advanced options such as using torque
resistance to prevent the operator from
steering towards detected obstacles.
Unique Torque Feedback
A critical consideration in moving to
electronic steering is that operators are
used to the tactile response, or feel,
provided by both direct mechanical and
hydraulic steering systems. The earliest
generations of electronic steer-by-wire sys-
tems did not provide this feedback and
they did not achieve acceptance by vehi-
cle users. Today, torque feedback devices
are available that provide several signifi-
cant advantages. The new approach
works much like a brake by using a mag-
netic actuation system to apply force to a
friction disc that impinges upon a rotor.
The friction disc utilizes an innovative
material whose static-to-dynamic-friction
performance is not subject to the slip-
stick effect that in a conventional brake
generates a higher level of friction when
the shaft is stationary.
The new material also provides a pro-
portional torque force over a wide range
of applied forces. The air gap between
the friction material and the rotor
remains constant regardless of wear to
the friction material. Unlike other mate-
rials used in torque feedback devices,
the new friction material is insensitive to
temperature so it provides consistent
performance over a wide range of oper-
2a Motion Control Technology, June 2011 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-762
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Intro
FOR mAMTEMAMCE-FREE LMEAR WAY PERFORmAMCE,
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Intro
www.techbriefs.com/motion Motion Control Technology, June 2011
Solar panel
positioning
to 0.0006?
www.kaydonbearings.com
Recently a solar energy system
developer had a bright idea:
rotate each panel with one
bearing instead of two a
Kaydon slewing ring bearing.
And since solar positioning
requires 10 times the accuracy
of a standard bearing, we
designed one with radial
runout of 0.0006 (precision
class ABEC 5).
Kaydon can solve your design
problem, too. Visit our website
today for examples and 3-D
drawings, or call 800-514-3066.
No problem.
ating conditions without the need for a
temperature compensation system. The
new material generates a consistent fric-
tional force over its life and does not
generate any frictional force when cur-
rent is turned off. This torque feedback
device also provides faster response to
very small changes in current.
Integrated Systems Reduce
Development Costs
Nearly every industrial utility and per-
sonal mobility vehicle manufacturer has
either introduced steer-by-wire or has an
initiative underway to introduce it in the
near future. Many of these companies are
designing and sourcing their own sys-
tems. This can be a challenging task
because of the need to specify a sensor,
building or buying a system to provide
torque feedback, providing a drive motor,
and integrating these components with
each other and with the vehicle.
Utilizing a complete electronic steer-
by-wire system can substantially reduce
product development and sourcing costs
while providing an advanced design that
has been proven in the field. Such elec-
tronic steer-by-wire systems include
redundant shaft position sensors, torque
feedback device with friction assembly
and electromagnetic actuator, drive
motor, and protective housing. The orig-
inal equipment manufacturer simply
needs to connect the drive motor to
their gearbox, bolt the steering wheel to
the housing, and program the device to
provide the desired functionality.
The architecture of these complete
systems offers a wide range of mechani-
cal interfaces, voltages, torques, drive
horsepower, etc. as standard, so they can
be adapted easily to most any applica-
tion. Such integrated electronic steering
systems are, in most cases, less expensive
than hydraulic systems and internally
developed electronic steering systems.
Application Success
Nilfisk-Advance, Inc. is the worlds
largest manufacturer of professional
cleaning equipment. The companys
Advance Captor 4300B and 4800B bat-
tery rider sweeper-scrubbers can both
sweep and scrub in a single pass. They
also provide 80-gallon tanks, the largest
main broom in their class, and the pro-
ductivity of an engine machine without
the noise and fumes.
These cleaning machines were original-
ly designed with direct-drive steering and
electrical torque assist. Nilfisk-Advance
engineers made the decision to upgrade
the steering system to electronic steer-by-
wire in order to improve steering per-
formance, reduce power consumption,
and make it possible to add additional fea-
tures. We considered hydraulic steering;
however, the vehicle only has a small
hydraulic power pack used for lifting the
hopper and closing the dump door, said
Kurt Vetse, mechanical engineer. This
power pack is designed for intermittent
use so going to hydraulic steering would
have required a new continuous-duty
power pack. This would have significantly
increased the cost of the steering system.
We didnt want to devote the extensive
resources or expose ourselves to the risk
that would have been required to develop
our own steer-by-wire system from scratch.
So we looked at three leading commercial
steer-by-wire solutions. We selected the
Thomson unit because of its compact size
and low cost.
The integrated steer-by-wire unit
incorporates all of the capabilities need-
ed for steer-by-wire, including torque
feedback technology that provides
repeatable performance over time and
temperature and no torque at zero cur-
rent. The steer-by-wire unit bolts right
on to the existing gearbox that Nilfisk-
Advance uses to turn the steered wheel,
and fits within the existing console.
Nilfisk-Advance engineers adjusted the
torque feedback to simulate the
hydraulic steering systems that many
customers are used to. They configured
the unit to provide fewer lock-to-lock
steering wheel turns than are required
by most hydraulic systems to reduce the
amount of operator effort. They also
decreased the level of steering sensitivity
when the vehicle is going straight in
order to make it easier for the operator
to keep the vehicle on a straight path.
This article was written by Geoff Rondeau,
Product Manager, Thomson Industries, Inc.,
Wood Dale, IL. For more information, visit
The Torque Feedback Device provides position or
velocity feedback to electric and steer-by-wire
system operators with the feel of hydraulics.
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Intro
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Intro
6a www.techbriefs.com/motion Motion Control Technology, June 2011
Applications
H
ow do you test the behavior of differ-
ent soil structures in an earthquake?
Obviously, large earthquakes dont hap-
pen often, and they certainly dont hap-
pen on cue. The solution, of course, is to
model earthquakes in a laboratory envi-
ronment. And thats exactly what is being
done by the Center for Geotechnical
Modeling at the University of California,
Davis. Since its not economical to simu-
late the forces of an earthquake on full-
size soil structures such as one would
find beneath a real bridge or large build-
ing, physical models of much smaller size
are used. In Figure 1, for example, is a
model of the San Francisco Bay Area
Rapid Transit transbay tube that was
recently tested in Davis
1
.
The problem with using small soil
models, however, is that material proper-
ties of the soil do not scale the same way
as the physical dimensions of the model
scale. In fact, in order to respond in the
same manner to earthquake forces as
full-size physical environments, the force
of gravity on a smaller model needs to be
scaled upward by the same factor that
the size of the model is scaled downward
from the real-world environment that is
being modeled
2
. That is, in order to
accurately model the gravity loading of a
model that is 1/100 the size of the prob-
lem in real life, the weight of everything
in the model would need to be increased
to 100 times its original weight.
So how do you simulate a 100-times
increase in the force of gravity on an
object? You put the object on the end of
a centrifuge arm and take it for a spin
(Figure 2). Then, if you want to see how
the object responds to an earthquake,
you shake it while its spinning. Thats
whats going on at the UC Davis Center
for Geotechnical Modeling.
The soil and structure model is placed
on a shake table that is affixed to the
end of the centrifuge arm. As the cen-
trifuge spins, the table pivots to align
itself perpendicular to the arm of the
centrifuge. The rotational velocity of the
centrifuge is increased until the desired
outward force is reached, at which time
a hydraulic cylinder applies the shaking
action. The shaking motion is controlled
by an electro-hydraulic motion con-
troller under direction from a remote
personal computer that can instruct the
motion controller to play back the
shaking motion as recorded from past
real earthquakes.
The UC Davis lab typically tests mod-
els that are between 1/30 and 1/60 the
size of their real-life counterparts, but
the lab is not studying what happens to
buildings or other structures themselves
when subjected to earthquakes. Instead,
the researchers are focused on learning
about how the soils behave and how
structures interact with the soil.
The soil used for testing is regular soil
or sand so that the material properties of
the model soil will match the real world.
This is possible because the relative size
of the sand or soil particles is still suffi-
ciently small compared to the size of the
model structures. Getting the stresses cor-
rect within the soil is the most important
part of getting the soil behavior correct.
Simulation Requirements
The hydraulics that shake the model
are mounted on the centrifuge arm
(Figure 3). The shaking table that they
act on is similar to those used in other
laboratory research, except that it needs
to operate in an accelerated G-field envi-
ronment. Earthquake frequencies that
are produced in real life typically range
from less than 1 to around 10 Hz or
more, but the shaking frequency needs to
be scaled along with the G level in the
model environment. So, the frequency of
the hydraulic shaking motion that must
be produced in the centrifuge environ-
ment will typically be on the order of 30
Hz to 300 Hz. Since real earthquake sig-
natures as well as test waveforms are
being reproduced, the hydraulic controls
need to be able to respond very quickly to
arbitrary inputs, using closed-loop con-
trol to make sure that the motion ade-
quately follows the target inputs.
The motion controller responds by
playing back recorded stimulus, said
Dan Wilson, Associate Director of the
Center for Geotechnical Modeling at
UC Davis. We typically use sine waves to
check out the system and then move on
to reproduce actual motions recorded in
earthquakes such as the 1989 Loma
Prieta or 1995 Kobe earthquakes, or just
about any other recorded strong ground
motion of interest.
Electro-Hydraulic Motion Controller for
Earthquake Simulation
Figure 1. The large geotechnical centrifuge at UC Davis was used to study the seismic response of the
San Francisco Bay Areas BART transbay tube and surrounding spoils.
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Intro
Recently, the UC Davis team upgrad-
ed the motion controller they use on
their 1-m-radius centrifuge shaker. Our
old hydraulic controller was a home-
made device that we couldnt maintain,
said Wilson. We wanted a controller
that was highly reliable, capable of pro-
ducing extreme, high-frequency wave-
forms under closed-loop control, and
one that is easy to program for different
applications. Plus, we wanted one that
would interface easily to a PC running
LabVIEW. The researchers use the
LabVIEW program by National
Instruments to do filtering and scaling
of the earthquake files, as well as collect
data from instruments during the
experiments.
The shaker on the 1-m radius cen-
trifuge operates at 3000 psi with a peak
force of around 4500 pounds, shaking a
payload of around 150 pounds. It shakes
with a peak stroke of 6 mm and peak
velocity of 0.3 m/s at frequencies up to
400 Hz (not all simultaneously). The
high-frequency motions put a stress on
hydraulic system components and con-
trols. The frequencies are beyond the
resonant frequencies of the oil column
and the servo valve being used, and the
mass that is being driven is very large
compared to the reaction mass available.
Plus, the payload (soil sample) can go
from something very stiff to very soft
during the testing (wet soil can liquefy
during an earthquake). This means that
the closed-loop controls will be receiving
feedback that changes nonlinearly and
rapidly during the simulation run.
Selecting the Motion
Controller
To upgrade the controls in the earth-
quake simulator, the UC Davis team
selected an RMC70 Series motion con-
troller from Delta Computer Systems of
Battle Ground, WA. When running a
simulation, the controller uses position
feedback that it gets from a linear vari-
able displacement transducer (LVDT)
to close the position control loop. The
motion controller is mounted in a box
on the wall outside the centrifuge, and
the LVDT and load cell feedback sig-
nals and the valve coil drive signal run
over slip rings to the actuator on the
centrifuge.
The UC Davis team has been using
Deltas RMCTools software package to
generate motion commands to check
Motion Control Technology, June 2011 7a
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Figure 2. The model to be tested and the shake table are mounted to a pivoting container at the end
of the centrifuge arm. A hydraulic rotary joint in the middle passes high-pressure oil onto onboard
accumulators that provide high pressure and high flow to the servo valve.
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Intro
www.techbriefs.com/motion Motion Control Technology, June 2011
LINEAR SHAFT MOTOR
| www.nipponpulse.com | info@nipponpulse.com |
1-540-633-1677
NPM
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PRECISE. ACCURATE.
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MOTION COMMUNICATION
DRIVE.
Chip and board level controllers,
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Notion Checker series - palm-sized
controllers with integrated drive circuit
CONTROL. NETWORK.
Nippon Pulse has been manufacturing
stepper motors for 60 years
Accurate positioning control
Cost effective
Easily integrated into all systems
Simple and durable
Nippon Pulse offers consultation,
integration, customization, and prototyping
Tin-can, linear, synchronous, and hybrid
steppers are available
Applications
out the hardware. The tuning wizard
was used as the starting point for all of
the tuning. In the case of the shaker,
the motion open loop is run at the
highest frequencies. The auto-tuning
provided baseline PID coefficients
used for feedback control at slower
speeds. Typically, the UC Davis team
starts out the system with a new model
by doing linear motion at relatively
slow speeds. Once the system is stabi-
lized, the motion is switched to pro-
duce sine waves, and then the
researchers switch to using more com-
plex waveforms in proving out the
hardware. Full simulation runs are
then done using the filtered earth-
quake waveforms that are downloaded
from the PC to the RMC using Modbus
TCP/IP over Ethernet.
One of the early challenges that need-
ed to be overcome by the team was the
ability to manage the high motion fre-
quencies that were being produced. At
the frequencies at which they were oper-
ating, some of the position feedback was
out of phase with the motion. The team
needed to filter out higher-frequency
feedback signals in order to keep the
motion under control.
The new control system has been used
so far primarily for a study on using bio-
logical grouting methods for liquefac-
tion remediation. In this work,
researchers harness naturally occurring
biological processes to create cemented
sands in the hope they can reduce the
risk of liquefaction. The project is a chal-
lenge to control because the researchers
want to recreate the same motion in
models that fully liquefy (i.e. become
very soft) to models that are fully
cemented (i.e. very stiff).
Interesting things that the team has
learned include how to tune a system
that is very nonlinear in its re sponse. The
properties of the system change as it
shakes, and soil changes to slurry.
Getting the system to respond well under
both sets of conditions is a challenge.
This article was written by Bill Savela of
Delta Computer Systems. For more informa-
tion, visit http://info.hotims.com/34455-
321.
References
1
Chou et al, Centrifuge Modeling of
Seismically-Induced Uplift for the BART
Transbay Tube, Journal of Geotechnical
and Geoenvironmental Engineering (Print
date TBD)
2
B.L. Kutter, "Dynamic Centrifuge Modeling
of Geotechnical Structures", Trans portation
Research Record 1336, TRB, National
Research Council, pp. 24-30, Washington,
DC, 1992
Figure 3. The actuator, servo valve, and feedback LVDT are mounted below the soil and structure
model. The steel beams support the model container in the g field and provide the reaction mass for
shaking.
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Intro
Motion Control Technology, June 2011 www.techbriefs.com/motion Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/34455-815
Products
NEW
Ball Valves
M-series metal seat ball valves from A-T Controls (Cincinnati,
OH) are engineered with coated matched balls and seats to with-
stand high temperatures, pressures, and abrasive materials.
The valves have a temperature range of -20 F to 661 F,
and a pressure rating up to ANSI class 600. Ball and seat
materials include stainless steel, stellite welded, and
hard chrome-plated steel, allowing the valves to per-
form in applications involving abrasive fluids and steam.
Two optional coatings are also available: a tungsten car-
bide (TC) coating for heavy slurry environments, and a
chrome carbide (CC) coating for higher-temperature applications. An oversized stem prevents
deformation at higher pressures and temperatures. Larger ball design provides a tight seal, pre-
venting leakage, and an Inconel seat spring maintains positive contact between the ball and seat
during operation.
The valves are available with four connection options (flanged, threaded, socket weld, and
butt weld), and body material options include WCB, CF8, and CF8M. Special material is avail-
able based on application. Nominal pipe size (NPS) range is 0.5 to 8.0". A uni-directional shut-
off is standard, with a bi-directional shutoff available for back flow applications.
Stainless Steel Motors
Boston Gear (Charlotte, NC) has launched a line of stainless
steel motors designed for washdown applications. Exterior
construction consists of 300 Series stainless steel housing,
end bells, output shaft, and conduit box. Motors are
UL/ULc certified and conform to 2007 EISA efficiency
standards. All units feature Class F insulation, Class B rise at
1.15 service factor, and epoxy-encapsulated windings.
Internally locked bearings eliminate unwanted axial movement. Other features include double-
lip shaft seals, rubber gasket seal on the conduit cover, O-rings between end bells and the hous-
ing, and no mounting feet. Stainless steel 230/460 VAC, 3-phase, 60 Hz (50 Hz) motors are total-
ly enclosed, and are available in seven sizes ranging from 0.5 HP to 3 HP. Fan-cooled and non-
ventilated models are offered.
Motion and Logic Controllers
ORMEC Systems Corp. (Rochester, NY) offers the ServoWire Motion &
Logic Controllers (SMLC) that coordinate a network of ServoWire
(FireWire) drives for applications where multi-axis motion is needed. In
cases where axes are required that do not need as tightly coordinated
motion, the XD-Indexer drive can be integrated into the SMLC system via
Modbus TCP communication. The total number of drives on a SMLC con-
troller can be expanded beyond the ServoWire limit of 16
to more than 100. The controller features high-perform-
ance computing capability and offers CoDeSys IEC
61131-3 programming, PLCopen motion function blocks,
industrial Ethernet network solutions, and FireWire-
based drive networking.
ServoWire drives are offered in more than 14 models with onboard I/O and output currents
ranging from 2.5 to 60 amps. Both encoder and resolver feedbacks are available. The XD-
Indexer drives are programmed with table-based software. They provide 32 independent
motion profiles synchronizing motion with machine I/O. The drive has fully functional index-
ing capabilities. The CoDeSys program in the SMLC controller uses a library of function blocks
to command the indexing sequences.
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Intro
Rotary Servo Drive
DE-STA-CO (Auburn Hills, MI) has released the
CAMCO
RSD rotary servo drive. The zero-backlash,

cam-actuated drive can be used with both rotary and lin-
ear systems for smooth motions even at high speeds or
with rapid speed changes. The drive is compatible with a
variety of industry-standard servomotors, offering the
flexibility and logic to handle applications that involve
uneven motion or displacement, change in direction, or different products run-
ning on the same machine. A large-output mounting surface enables the drive to
support dials and high loads. Its thru-hole can accommodate accessory lines such
as electrical wiring, and air or hydraulic lines. Additional features include four
output options: large flange with thru-hole; 32-mm-diameter shaft; external
shrink disk for 30-mm or 40-mm shaft; and internal shrink disk for 30-mm shaft.
Robots and Grippers
ABB Robotics (Auburn Hills, MI) has introduced two
palletizing robots and three palletizing grippers for end-
of-line, centralized, full-layer, and bag palletizing appli-
cations. The IRB 460 palletizing robot is capable of up
to 2,190 cycles per hour. The 4-axis robot is designed
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a reach of 2.4 meters, and has a maximum payload
of 110 kg. The second robot, the IRB 760, is
designed for high-output, full-layer palletizing.
With a payload capacity of 450 kilograms and a
reach of 3.2 meters, the 4-axis robot fea-
tures a high-inertia wrist that enables it
to rotate heavier and larger products.
Three FlexGripper end-of-arm tools include a heavy-duty claw for
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weight cases, and a clamp gripper for handling heavy cases. The prod-
ucts also feature the RobotStudio Palletizing PowerPac software, which
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An additional enhancement is Hybrid Motion Technology, which
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Linear Position Sensors
Macro Sensors (Pennsauken, NJ) offers the MLW Series
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measurement of displacements up to 1.2 meters. Available
in ranges of 300 mm (11.8") to 1,200 mm (39.4"), these
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hydraulic cylinder and actuator feedback applications
where the sensor can either be mounted externally or
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or actuator body. Utilizing
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sensors can be packaged within hydraulic cylinders as a
closed-loop feedback device.
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NASA Tech Briefs June 2011

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