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IAI proposes to develop a Reconfigurable Wideband Radar Transceiver, with direct digital synthesis of P-band radar frequencies, novel high bandwidth P-band antenna design with high contrast ceramic material and digital implementation of receiver stretch processing, to achieve the solicitation objectives. Our innovation focuses on implementing maximum radar transceiver functionalities on high-speed digital reconfigurable platforms (FPGAs), and minimizing the number of analog components. Our Software-Defined Radar designs are based on COTS components and are modular in nature. This makes it easier to upgrade smaller units of the design with development in state-of-the-art, instead of re-designing the entire SDR. The stringent payload constraints of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) require tight integration of all radar functionalities, including signal generation, acquisition, processing, and down-link. The proposed platform can be an enabler for low form factor radar systems to support on-going UAS based NASA missions for Biomass/ecosystems imaging in P-band. A summary of our proposed innovation are: 1. Reconfigurable digital waveform synthesizer with 600 MHz bandwidth capability. 2. Compact P-band antenna design using high-contrast ceramic materials to cover 200 MHz bandwidth. 3. Digital implementation of receiver stretch processing. 4. Low size, weight and power specifications making the radar design suitable for UAS applications.

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The innovation in the proposed SBIR Phase I project is the development of a unique triple unction inverted metamorphic technology (IMM), which will enable the manufacture of very lightweight, low-cost InP-based multijunction solar cells. The proposed IMM technology will consist of an all indium and phosphorous-based structure, which is designed to improve the radiation resistance properties of the triple junction solar cell. Because of the intrinsic radiation hardness of InP materials, this material system is of great interest for building solar cells suitable for deployment in very demanding radiation environments such as medium earth orbit and missions to the outer planets. It is expected that an efficiency greater than 30% could be realized with this new IMM structure.

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We propose to investigate the feasibility of fabricating a germanium blocked-impurity-band (BIB) detector using a novel process which will enable us to: 1- fabricate a suitably-doped active layer using the well-established bulk crystal-growth process, which guarantees excellent dopant control and extremely low compensating impurities, and 2- grow the blocking layer using an implant-passivation technique which will produce the required high purity and a very sharp transition from the active to blocking layer. These features are key in design and optimization of multi-layered structure of BIBs, and their implementation and quality are crucial in optimum operation of these detectors. The proposed process is a drastic departure from conventional epitaxial methods, such as chemical vapor deposition and liquid phase epitaxy, which have yet to produce far IR BIBs suitable for astronomical instruments. Germanium BIBs will offer extended wavelength response to at least 2005m, high quantum efficiency, high immunity to ionizing radiation, and elimination of long-term transient and memory effects. Coupled with their compatibility with Si cryo-CMOS readout multiplexers and the planar, bump-bond hybridization process, these detectors will make possible the construction of large format, high sensitivity FPAs for far IR astronomy and will replace the current unstressed and stressed germanium detectors.

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Future landed robotic missions to the lunar poles will seek to characterize the properties of subsurface regolith. Current instruments for such in-situ analysis, however, require that geological samples be brought to the surface by a sample acquisition tool and subsequently processed and presented to the analyzer. This model has significant limitations with regard to science yield: evaporation of volatile molecules before reaching the instrument, loss of stratigraphic information, sample bias, and cross-contamination. Furthermore, sophisticated sample acquisition, processing and handling mechanisms required to operate in uncontrolled, dusty environments are expensive and failure-prone. We therefore propose an alternative: bring the instrument to the sample. Specifically, we propose development of a fiber-coupled laser-induced breakdown spectrometer (LIBS) system, integrated into a 3m-class drill. LIBS uses a high-energy laser pulse to create a plasma on the surface of the material under test; the atomic emissions are collected by a spectrometer and yield elemental composition and basic molecular information. DIHeDRAL will allow profiling of an entire borehole wall, centimeter by centimeter, 360 degrees, from the top to the bottom. The proposed Phase I work focuses on the downhole sensor head, including modeling, analysis, and breadboarding of the sensor head optics. The resulting validated sensor head design will be fed forward into Phase II, which will culminate in the integration and test of a simplified DIHeDRAL brassboard prototype to a depth of 1m in Honeybee's dedicated drill testing thermal-vacuum chamber.

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Clear air turbulence (CAT), often referred to as "air pockets," is attributed to Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities at altitudes generally above 18,000ft, often in the absence of any visual cues such as clouds, making it difficult to avoid. The vortices produced when atmospheric waves "break" can have diameters of 900-1200ft and tangential velocities of 70-85 ft/sec. CAT is dangerous for commercial and military aviation, most recently demonstrated by Continental flight 128 from Rio de Janeiro to Houston on August 3, 2009, which encountered severe turbulence and made an emergency landing with 37 injured passengers, nine hospitalized. Many other incidents attributed to turbulence have caused injuries or deaths to passengers and crew. Another recently-highlighted hazard is the inadequacy of current airspeed sensors on commercial aircraft. Federal investigators have reported that on at least a dozen recent flights by U.S. jetliners, malfunctioning equipment made it impossible for pilots to know how fast they were flying. Michigan Aerospace Corporation (MAC) proposes the Molecular Air Data and Clear Air Turbulence (MADCAT) system which will be capable of providing not only a look-ahead capability to predict clear air turbulence but also a full air data solution (airspeed, angle of attack, angle of sideslip, pressure and temperature). The technology has already demonstrated, in-flight, the ability to measure airspeed, angle of attack and angle of sideslip. In addition, ground units based upon the same core technology have demonstrated range-resolved wind, temperature and density measurements from the ground to altitudes of 18km. This proposal will focus on combining the two capabilities into a practical solution. MAC's direct-detection UV LIDAR technology uses molecular backscatter and so does not require aerosols, as required by many competing approaches.

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We propose to develop a compact, robust, optically-based sensor for local and remote sensing of oxygen (O2) at 1.26 5m, carbon dioxide (CO2) at 1.56 5m and other species in spectral region of up to 2lm with accuracy of the order of 0.5 ? 1 ppm, allowing a very high out-of-band rejection of spurious solar background radiation. This sensor will utilize a widely tunable narrowband optical filter in conjunction with a wideband optical source (sun light or a commercially available broadband source) in combination with built-in calibration laser diode to make absorption measurements as well as evaluate atmospheric parameters such as pressure, temperature and density. Proposed instrumentation can be valuable for NASAs ASCENDS program with broad scope applications in the measurement of atmospheric parameters and multi-species concentration measurement including CO2. Instrumentation will be environmentally rugged and compact and will possess auto-calibration capabilities, fast response time (microseconds to milliseconds range) and low-power consumption. Phase I work will involve building and characterizing a complete laboratory scale system so that a final system can be constructed in Phase II. TRL range at onset of Phase I is 2 at end 3-4; Phase 2 at onset 4 at end 5-6.

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Achievement of a dramatic increase in the bond strength in the composite/adhesive interfaces of existing fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite material joints and structures suitable for NASA applications is the main goal of this Phase I project. The Phase II project will focus on implementation of the proposed technology for newest materials developed up to date and scaling of the proposed technology to large area and complex shape FRP composite structural joints. The proposed technology developed at Integrated Micro Sensors Inc is based on laser-assisted fabrication of Micro Column Arrays (MCA) on the surface of the two materials prior to bonding. There are several advantages of the MCA technology in the drastic improvement of bonds between any similar and dissimilar materials. First, mechanical strength increases due to interlocking of the adhesive or brazing material between micro columns. Second, the bond strength increases due to the increase of the specific surface area by more than an order of magnitude. Third, stability increases due to the inherent elasticity of the micro cones during a deformation that can occur due to stresses induced by difference in thermal expansion between the material and adhesive or braze or under shear stress). Fourth, increase in the bond durability because of the repeated bend contours of the surface preventing hydrothermal failure. Fifth, wettability of the material surface significantly improves due to (i) a highly developed surface morphology at the micro and submicron level resulting from rapid solidification of the material surface during laser processing, and (ii) changes in local chemistry due to surface oxidation that could be beneficial to promoting a stronger bond.

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The proposed Phase I objectives and work plan, carried through to completion, will result in the development of a RAD-tolerant, high-speed, multi-channel fiber optics transceiver, associated reconfigurable intelligent node communications architecture, and supporting hardware for intra-vehicular and ground-based optical networking applications with data rates exceeding 3.2Gbps per channel. The goals of this proposed program are perfectly in-line with the subtopic goals, which are to: "(1) develop high-performance processors and memory architectures and reliable electronic systems, and (2) develop an avionics architecture that is flexible, scalable, extensible, adaptable, and reusable." "The subtopic objective is to elicit novel architectural concepts and component technologies that are realistic and operate effectively and credibly in environments consistent with the future NASA Science missions."

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Advanced Scientific Concepts, Inc. (ASC) is a small business, which has developed a compact, eye-safe 3D Flash LIDARTM Camera (FLC) well suited for real-time spacecraft trajectory, speed, orientation measurements relative to the planet's surfaces and evaluating potential hazards during the critical landing sequence. Data collected using ASC's FLC at JPL's Mars Yard and in NASA ALHAT flight tests demonstrated that ASC Flash LIDAR system can meet the requirements for Entry Descent and Landing (EDL). Aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-127), SpaceX and ASC demonstrated the DragonEye Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking (AR&D) Flash LIDAR solution in low earth orbit, the first Flash LIDAR in space. ASC is developing a camera for iRobot Corporation for use in autonomous robotic navigation which is directly applicable to EDL mission requirements. The purpose of the Phase I SBIR effort is to increase the 3D-Focal Plane Array's (3D-FPA) long term reliability by creating a 3D-FPA Dewar sensor assembly. Reliability will be improved significantly by reduced outgassing, corrosion prevention, radiation tolerance and reduced aging sensitivity. ASC's 128x128 3D array FLC has the equivalent of 16,000 range finders on a single FPA which allows the sensor to act as a 3D video camera with enhanced functionality and value add well beyond range finding.

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This 2009 NASA SBIR Phase 1 proposal for an innovative Miniature Laser Magnetometer (MLM) is a response to subtopic S1.06 Particles and Field Sensors and Instrument Enabling Technologies. The MLM instrument will incorporate a number of technical innovations to achieve high-sensitivity and high-stability performance while significantly reducing the size of the laser-pumped helium magnetometer for use on very small satellites and UAVs. The MLM design approach will trade sensitivity for miniaturization of critical components while still meeting the performance requirements for geomagnetic and space science experiments. Reduction in instrument mass, volume and power will be accomplished through innovations including miniaturized components, laser spectroscopy techniques for resonance detection, compact integrated optical designs and miniaturized electronics packaging. The MLM will have a dynamic range up to 75,000 nT and a 860 Hz sample rate. The scalar sensitivity will be 1 pT/rtHz with an accuracy of 0.1 nT. The vector sensitivity will be 1 pT/rtHz with an accuracy of 0.5 nT. Trade studies will select the innovations for inclusion in the MLM conceptual design that will demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating and demonstrating a brass-board in Phase 2. The TRL is expected to be 4 at the end of the Phase 1 contract.

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AISI 9310 nickel-chromium-molybdenum alloy steel is used extensively in military helicopter rotor shafts and gears. This reliable alloy provides excellent fatigue life combined with high hardness, elastic modulus, and tensile strength. However, to facilitate rapid speed changes of variable drive systems in high-performance rotorcraft, these steel components must weigh less and have lower rotational inertia. Ultramet will develop and demonstrate a material system consisting of continuous alumina fiber-reinforced 9310 steel. Relative to the unmodified alloy, this material system will offer reduced weight, increased strength, and increased stiffness while maintaining the excellent heat treatment properties and hardening schedules of 9310 steel. The composite will be lighter than the base alloy by 15?23%, possess significantly higher specific strength and stiffness, maintain comparable corrosion resistance, and allow the continued use of proven 9310 steel. The composite will be produced using an innovative variant of Ultramet's rapid, low-cost pressureless melt infiltration technology previously demonstrated for fabrication of fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites.

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With the ever increasing complexity and duration of International Space Station (ISS) missions, along with planned lunar and Martian missions, the need for more advance capabilities for monitoring the astronaut crew environment becomes ever more critical. Accompanying this is an unprecedented need for reduction in instrumentation size, weight, and power consumption. Recent advances in sensor technology have led to the development of miniature analytical instruments. However, many of these systems require a means of producing a vacuum with pressures under 1 Torr to either supply a rough vacuum or to back a high vacuum pump such as a molecular drag pump or turbo pump. Unfortunately, currently available rough vacuum pumps remain large, heavy, power hungry and unreliable. Lynntech proposes to develop a long-life, robust, low-power, miniature rough vacuum pump for trace gas contaminant monitors.

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Based on our proprietary fiber technology and extensive experience in fiber laser development, a new single-frequency 2?]m fiber laser source will be developed. The source includes advanced frequency-locking schemes for both center-line locking and offset-frequency locking, so as to address the bandwidth issue associated with airborne and space-borne coherent lidar, i.e., Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons.

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Future NASA flight missions are considering passive wavefront and amplitude control in astronomical applications such as the search for exo-planets. NASA's Discovery mission proposal called out the need for a coherent 2-dimensional array of fiber bundles for this application. In this SBIR proposal we propose to develop monolithic polarization maintaining (PM) coherent fiber bundle arrays consisting of 1,600 fibers with core-to-core spacing of 80 micron with placement accuracy of < 2 micron. In Phase I we will design and develop specialty glasses and fibers and demonstrate a 2D array with 16 cores to prove the feasibility of this proposal.

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The proposed innovation is to apply proven nano-film technology to enable Microchannel plate (MCP) devices to be manufactured on a range of insulating substrates and devices which possess sufficiently high gain and low ion feedback to replace chevron stacks in current NASA detector technologies. Commercial MCP devices have many desirable properties, such as sensitivity to small amounts of light and excellent position and timing resolution. MCP production is a mature technology, based largely on techniques and materials developed in the 1970's, and is limited to small area devices. Limitations due to the bulk glass manufacturing technology adversely impact many applications and impair manufacturability. For example, heavy metal impurities contained within the bulk glass of the MCP limit the achievable dark noise in low signal detection. In MCP manufacturing, the requisite batch processing restricts flexibility to tailor individual device or small batch performance to specific applications and can often result in poor MCP yield due to variations in composition and poor process control. In this proposal, we will utilize atomic layer deposition (ALD) of nanometer thin films which has been proven to replicate and improve the component functions of secondary electron emission (SEE) and conductivity on non-traditional glass substrates, to investigate the high gain and low ion feedback capabilities of this technology. We estimate that the technology stands at TRL 2 at the and expect to be at 4 at end of the Phase 1 contract.

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The proposed work will establish high fidelity computational methods and wind tunnel test model in support of new freeplay criteria for the design, construction and controlled actuation of control surfaces with varying amounts of freeplay and their aeroelastic response. These methods will be validated with wind tunnel and flight test data. In Phase I a nonlinear computational aeroservoelastic methodology will be developed for freeplay induced flutter/LCO and gust response. Validation will be achieved by comparisons with legacy and new wind tunnel test data. In Phase II the methodology will be generalized to create a mature software capability for closed-loop aeroelastic systems in the trimmed/untrimmed state including gust, stick or random aeroacoustic excitations. An all movable tail wing wind tunnel test article will be designed and built with variable freeplay with initial test evaluation completed in Phase I and a thorough parameter variation data set and will be developed in Phase II for computational code validation in Phase II. Subject to available funding constraints both high speed transonic as well as subsonic will tunnel tests will be undertaken. In Phase III the computational methodology in combination wind tunnel test results will be used to support the improvement of the current FAA and/or MIL-SPEC freeplay aeroelastic response criteria. Following the successful demonstration and validation of the new computational methods, the methodology will be proposed for adoption by FAA for commercial applications and the DOD for military applications with the expectation that all major civilian and military aerospace industries will adopt the design/analysis methodology for freeplay induced LCO/flutter prevention.

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This NASA Phase I SBIR proposal seeks to demonstrate a new class of ultra-low-density (ULD) polymer matrix composites of high specific modulus and specific strength for mass sensitive space and aerospace applications. the "baseline" composite system for this program is state-of-the-art carbon fiber reinforced epoxy and/or bismaliimide. The key materials innovations are light-weight hollow carbon fibers in a light-weight porous (closed pores) polymer matrix. This innovation in composites technology would enable structural composites of lower density and higher specific modulus and strength than any currently available. If successful, this technology could have a profound impact and reduced payload weight and cost. Potential applications include planetary landers, satellites, large orbiting arrays and structures, booster motor cases. This program benefits from the support and participation of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

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We propose a high performance approach to enhancing communications between astronauts. In the new generation of NASA audio systems for astronauts, inbound signals may interfere with outbound signals and create an annoying positive feedback during communications. Our objective is to eliminate the inbound signals in the outbound path. We propose to apply an affine projection algorithm (APA) to achieve the above objective. In our recent studies, it was found that APA achieves a balance between performance (convergence speed) and computational complexity, as compared to least mean square (LMS) and recursive least square (RLS) algorithms. Our preliminary simulation results showed that the proposed framework is promising. In Phase 1, we will perform extensive simulations to prove the feasibility of our approach. In Phase 2, the validated algorithms will be implemented in radiation hardened DSP or Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).

Summary

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Nuvotronics has developed and optimized the PolyStrata<SUP>TM</SUP> process for the fabrication of intricate microwave and millimeter-wave devices. These devices have primarily been rectangular coaxial transmission lines, although rectangular waveguide and other structures have also been demonstrated. Intricate devices have been demonstrated with insertion loss 5 to 10 times lower than traditional planar circuits; isolation better than 60dB for lines that share separating walls; multiple levels of densely-packed coaxial circuits; and low-parasitic attachment to active devices and traditional circuit boards. In this Phase I project, Nuvotronics will deseign microfabricated MEMs-based switches on the Polystrata platform. Nuvotronics will explore whether piezoelectric-based or magnetic-based actuation provides the best performance for millimeter-wave radiometry applications. The devices will have size and cost advantages, higher power handling capability, and lower loss than achievable with the commonly available wafer-based switches of today.

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As the consumer and industrial requirements for compact, high-power-density, electrical power systems grow substantially over the next decade; there will be a significant need for novel electrode/electrolyte materials for high-power/energy-density capacitors. To meet the strong market demand for miniaturization and higher capacitance/voltage values in a given case size, new and advanced technologies must be developed and implemented. This proposal addresses the development of an all-solid, high-energy-density, high-power-density, high-voltage capacitor, with substantially reduced Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) and cost. The proposed capacitor combines the advantages of operating voltage associated with certain metal-oxide electrolytic capacitors with some special features of metal-oxide pseudocapacitor material. Compared to the standard solid electrolytic capacitor, the proposed capacitor design will have a higher capacitance and lower resistance, yielding a low-cost, low-ESR device with a simplified packaging process. During Phase I prototype capacitor units will be fabricated and characterized to demonstrate the feasibility of our approach. These units will be evaluated and compared to standard capacitors to evaluate the overall benefit of the hybrid capacitors and success in demonstrating concept feasibility.

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We have developed a fully integrated LDO regulator using a patented transistor technology that can be manufactured in high volume commercial semiconductor foundries with no changes to the process flow. The regulator is stable under all load conditions without the need for an external compensation capacitor thereby reducing the mass/volume of the power management system and increasing reliability. The existing LDO component has very competitive figures of merit (dropout voltage, transient response, power supply rejection) compared to existing components targeting commercial consumer electronics. The work we are proposing for this Phase 1 activity will confirm the expected wide temperature range operation (-180C to +150C) and radiation tolerance (200krads(Si) to 1 Mrad(Si)) of the existing component. Based on these measurements we shall design, simulate and layout LDO regulators for nominal load currents of 100 mA and 1A for fabrication at two rad-hard CMOS foundries during a follow-on Phase 2 activity. The LDO regulators will be designed as drop-in replacements for many existing components. They can also be integrated directly on chip as part of an application specific integrated circuit thereby reducing the chip count still further.

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Aircraft design is a complex process requiring interactions and exchange of information among multiple disciplines such as aerodynamics, strength, fatigue, controls, propulsion, corrosion, maintenance, and manufacturing. A lot of attention has been paid during the past fifteen years in the Multi-disciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) nature of the aircraft design process. However, a consistent void in aircraft design is the ability to integrate high-fidelity computational capabilities from multiple disciplines within an organized MDO environment. Integrating high fidelity simulation technology (that has been developed over the years though significant investments) within a MDO environment will constitute a disruptive technological development in aircraft design. The ability to replace time consuming solvers with metamodels within the highly iterative environment of an integrated network of optimizations is critical for engaging high fidelity simulation tools in the MDO analysis of complex aircraft systems. Previous work completed by the proposing firm has demonstrated the feasibility of conducting such MDO analysis for an aircraft system, while considering outer mold line shape optimization and structural sizing simultaneously. Since the ability to create metamodels from results obtained at a number of sample points from the actual solvers is the key enabling factor for conducting the multi-discipline optimization analysis, the proposed project will use as foundation the existing metamodeling capability of the proposing firm and will pursue new research that will lead to the development of a powerful stand-alone commercial product for metamodel development. The latter, along with the proposing firm's MDO solver will provide the means for operating an integrated network of optimizations for designing aircraft systems.

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NASA's Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission involves many challenging operations. One of the highest-risk operations is the guidance of the Orbiting Sample (OS) into the capture mechanism on the MSR Orbiter/Earth Return Vehicle (ERV). Aurora Flight Sciences, and its research partner the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Space Systems Laboratory (SSL), propose to adapt and augment the Synchronized Position Hold Engage Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) Mars Orbiting Sample Retrieval MOSR testbed to incorporate optically-guided rendezvous and docking with the OS (RDOS). This additional functionality will extend the MOSR testbed's existing capabilities to further support MSR rendezvous and capture algorithm development. With these new capabilities, the MOSR RDOS system would extend the utility of the MOSR testbed from the "last meter" problem?focusing largely on the contact dynamics between the OS and the capture mechanism , but not addressing GN&C?to the "last several meters", which involve significant time-critical maneuvers by the chaser in order to ensure that the OS is captured and, most importantly, that the contact dynamics between OS and capture mechanism neither cause the OS to become dislodged from the capture mechanism nor cause any structural damage to the OS itself.

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We propose to develop ESPRIT: an Exercise Sensing and Pose Recovery Inference Tool, in support of NASA's effort in developing crew exercise technologies for astronaut health and fitness. ESPRIT is a single camera system that monitors the exercise activities of the crew, detects markers placed on the body and other image features, recovers 3D kinematic information of the human body pose, and compiles statistical data about the exercise activities. There are two main challenges for motion capture using a single camera: (1) lack of depth information, and (2) partial occlusion of parts of the body. To overcome these challenges, the proposed framework relies on strong priors on human body pose, shape, and motion dynamics to resolve pose ambiguities. Besides marker locations, it extracts other image features that provide additional cues for recovering pose. It combines both discriminative and generative approaches to achieve robust pose estimation and tracking performance.

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An important consideration of long duration space flight operations is interpersonal dynamics that effect crew cohesion and performance. Flight surgeons have stated the need for unobtrusive monitoring to help detect if crews are having difficulties with coping with long duration spaceflight environments. The long-term goal of this project is to develop a set of applied technologies that can monitor crew health and cohesiveness in an unobtrusive manner and identify potential abnormalities for feedback to astronauts and flight surgeons for further investigation. The new Constellation vehicles will have thousands of procedures represented in XML, which facilitates automatic translation. Our approach is to determine nominal performance metrics during training and then compare that against data acquired during actual missions. Deviations between the nominal and current performance can be flagged for additional attention. Since crew members can perform upwards of hundreds of procedures a week, there will be substantial data with which to assess crew behavior and performance. Social interactions are also a significant factor in team cohesion and performance and we plan to establish, and then compare against, social norms using Sociometric Badges and communications (spoken and text) analysis. During Phase I research, we determined those objectives measures that are acquirable in an unobtrusive manner directly and via tractable processing and have a high likelihood of providing flight surgeons with the information they can use to best assess crew cohesion, performance, and mental state. In Phase II, we will develop and then evolve a prototype ABCAT system by iterating through a cycle of gathering test data in experiments, evaluating its effectiveness with feedback from project personnel and NASA flight surgeons, and refining or redesigning aspects of the system to improve performance.