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Briefs: Information Technology
Software for Building Models of 3D Objects via the Internet
The Virtual EDF Builder (where "EDF" signifies Electronic Development Fixture) is a computer program that facilitates the use of the Internet for building and displaying digital models of three- dimensional (3D) objects that ordinarily comprise assemblies of solid models created previously...
Briefs: Information Technology
CLARAty Functional-Layer Software
Functional-layer software for the Coupled Layer Architecture for Robotics Autonomy (CLARAty) is being developed. [CLARAty was described in "Coupled-Layer Architecture for Advanced Software for Robots" (NPO-21218), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 26, No. 12 (December 2002), page 48. To recapitulate: CLARAty was proposed to...
Briefs: Information Technology
Java Library for Input and Output of Image Data and Metadata
A Java-language library supports input and output (I/O) of image data and metadata (label data) in the format of the Video Image Communication and Retrieval (VICAR) image-processing software and in several similar formats, including a subset of the Planetary Data System (PDS) image file...
Briefs: Information Technology
"Virtual Cockpit Window" for a Windowless Aerospacecraft
A software system processes navigational and sensory information in real time to generate a three- dimensional- appearing image of the external environment for viewing by crewmembers of a windowless aerospacecraft. The design of the particular aerospacecraft (the X-38) is such that the...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
InAs quantum-dot lasers that feature distributed feedback and lateral evanescent-wave coupling have been demonstrated in operation at a wavelength of 1.3 µm. These lasers are prototypes...
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Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Two techniques have been proposed to increase the efficiency of coupling of light from lasers to Cassegrain telescopes and, in general, telescopes with secondary or tertiary mirror...
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Briefs: Physical Sciences
Scanning thermography is a noncontact, nondestructive technique that makes it possible to find defects hidden inside structural components in a variety of settings. Scanning thermography can be used to perform inspections...
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Briefs: Physical Sciences
An arc-jet source of chemically active nitrogen atoms has been developed for use in molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) to grow such III-V semiconductors as nitrides of gallium, aluminum, and...
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Briefs: Physical Sciences
Lightweight Mirrors for Orbiting Earth-Observing Instruments
A report discusses selected aspects of a continuing program to develop thermally stable, lightweight mirrors for planned Earth-observing spaceborne instruments. These mirrors are required to retain precise concave or convex surface figures required for diffraction-limited optical...
Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Fail-safe electromagnetic motor brakes are undergoing development for use in joints of robot arms. The brakes are needed for both static holding and emergency stopping. In the present context, "fail-safe"...
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Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Figure 1 depicts a mechanical linkage that converts rotational motion about three base joints (A, B, and C) to translational motion of an end effector (D) in three dimensions. The linkage is...
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Briefs: Motion Control
A compact conical roller clutch can be either (1) engaged to obtain both positive locking against rotation in one sense and freewheeling in the opposite sense or (2) disengaged to obtain free...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A proposed complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) photodiode integrated-circuit imaging device of the active-pixel-sensor (APS) type would include column feedback sub-circuits that...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
An optoelectronic/digital flash x-ray imaging system has been invented for use in quantitative physiological studies and general radiology. The system could be implemented in a relatively...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A custom high-speed charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera that features a capability for real-time readout from multiple regions of interest (subwindows) within its field of view is undergoing...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Interface System for Downlinking Digital TV Signals From Spacecraft
A system of interface electronic circuitry that includes a data packetizer and a data depacketizer has been developed to enable the downlinking of both standard- and high-definition television (SDTV and HDTV) signals from a space shuttle or the International Space Station. The...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Stereoscopic Vision System Tracks Objects in Real Time
A stereoscopic machine-vision system offers a capability for robust tracking of objects in three dimensions (3D). The system is suitable for use in a variety of robotic applications. The system hardware includes a pan-tilt-verge camera and aiming mechanism assembly and a board that holds...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A high-efficiency, high-frame-rate ultraviolet (UV) charge-coupled device (CCD) camera that is especially well suited for biological and defense applications was developed. This is the...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
The Data Acquisition and Control Systems (DACS) Laboratory is a facility at Stennis Space Center that provides an off test-stand capability to develop data-acquisition and control systems for...
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
The best-effort geographical multi-hop routing (BEGHR) protocol routes packets of data in an ad hoc digital radio-communication network on the basis of the current geographical...
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Briefs: Information Technology
Characteristics of Dynamics of Intelligent Systems
An investigation of nonlinear mathematical models of dynamics has led to the selection of characteristics that could be useful for distinguishing mathematically between the behaviors of (1) intelligent or living systems and (2) nonliving systems. As contemplated here, an intelligent or living...
Briefs: Information Technology
The title "Coupled Layer Architecture for Robotics Autonomy" (CLARATy) refers to a software architecture for robots that has been proposed to (1) improve the modularity of...
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Briefs: Materials
Polymeric electrolytes for rechargeable lithium-based electrochemical cells and batteries would be made by blending and complexing cyanoresins with lithium salts, according to a proposal....
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Briefs: Software
Software for Monitoring Performance of Other Software
Performance Logging Services (PLS) is a software utility that tracks the performance of another program in terms of statistics of timing and use of memory buffers. The monitored program must utilize either the UNIX or the VxWorks operating system. PLS can monitor performance requirements in real...
Briefs: Software
Software for Multidisciplinary Analysis With Parallelization
HiMAP is an advanced, portable software system that implements highly modular, parallel computation of the possibly nonlinear, coupled behaviors of aeroelastic and other complex systems that comprise subsystems, each of which is modeled by use of software formulated within a separate...
Briefs: Software
ICAN/JAVA: Integrated Composite Analyzer Recoded in Java
The Integrated Composite Analyzer (ICAN) computer program, originally written in the FORTRAN language, has been completely recoded in Java to make it more widely usable. Whereas the original ICAN could be executed on only a limited number of platforms, ICAN/JAVA is compatible with almost all...
Briefs: Software
Software for Onboard Autonomy of a Three-Spacecraft Mission
A system of software has been designed to enable autonomous operations of the three University-built miniature spacecraft of the Three Corner Sat mission, scheduled for launch in 2003. The main software subsystems and their functions are the following:
Briefs: Software
Software for Mobile Data-Communication Networks
Mobile Router is operating system code residing in a network router allowing the router to provide mobile-ipv4 functionality for any attached nodes. Mobile Router enables the entire network to roam. It is no longer necessary for every node in the network to run mobile Internet Protocol (IP) software...
Briefs: Software
Runge-Kutta Circular-Advection-Problem Solver
Release 3.0 of the Multi-Stage Runge-Kutta Circular Advection Solver is a computer program that solves the circular-advection problem by use of a general m-stage Runge-Kutta scheme (for m = 1, 2, and 4) on a Cartesian (x,y) grid with optimized coefficients. [The circular-advection problem, ¶u/¶t =...

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