The visualization front-end of a Decision Support System (DSS) also includes an analysis engine linked to vehicle telemetry, and a database of learned models for known behaviors. Because the display is graphical rather than text-based, the summarization it provides has a greater information density on one screen for evaluation by a flight controller. This tool provides a system-level visualization of the state of a vehicle, and "drill-down" capability for more details and interfaces to separate analysis algorithms and sensor data streams.
The system-level view is a 3D rendering of the vehicle, with sensors represented as icons, tied to appropriate positions within the vehicle body and colored to indicate sensor state (e.g., normal, warning, anomalous state, etc.). The sensor data is received via an Information Sharing Protocol (ISP) client that connects to an external server for real-time telemetry. Users can interactively pan, zoom, and rotate this 3D view, as well as select sensors for a detail plot of the associated time series data. Subsets of the plotted data can be selected and sent to an external analysis engine to either search for a similar time series in an historical database, or to detect anomalous events.
The system overview and plotting capabilities are completely general in that they can be applied to any vehicle instrumented with a collection of sensors. This visualization component can interface with the ISP for data streams used by NASA's Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center. In addition, it can connect to, and display results from, separate analysis engine components that identify anomalies or that search for past instances of similar behavior.
This software supports NASA's Software, Intelligent Systems, and Modeling element in the Exploration Systems Research and Technology Program by augmenting the capability of human flight controllers to make correct decisions, thus increasing safety and reliability. It was designed specifically as a tool for NASA's flight controllers to monitor the International Space Station and a future Crew Exploration Vehicle.
This program was written by Joseph Jacob, Michael Turmon, Timothy Stough, and Herbert Siegel of Caltech and Patrick Walter and Cindy Kurt of United Space Alliance for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
This software is available for commercial licensing. Please contact Karina Edmonds of the California Institute of Technology at (626) 395-2322. Refer to NPO-43952.
This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
Visualization Component of Vehicle Health Decision Support System
(reference NPO-43952) is currently available for download from the TSP library.
Don't have an account?
Overview
The DSS Technical Support Package outlines the development of a Visualization Component for the Vehicle Health Decision Support System (DSS) aimed at enhancing situational awareness for operations on the International Space Station (ISS) and other missions. The document highlights the challenges posed by data overload, with approximately 100,000 sensors generating data at a rate of 1Hz, which overwhelms existing staff and operational capabilities.
To address these challenges, the DSS aims to provide an interactive, dynamic, and information-rich interface that enhances decision-making processes. Key objectives include improving data summarization, interpretation, and diagnosis through automatic learning techniques rather than relying on manually tuned rules. This approach is intended to increase the accuracy of decision-making in critical operational contexts.
The visualization objectives focus on supplementing the current text-based tabular displays used in flight control operations with a more intuitive graphical display. This new interface is designed to increase information density, provide a global view with drill-down capabilities, and make it easier to identify anomalies. The system will feature an interactive point-and-click mechanism that allows flight controllers to select sensors and time ranges, triggering the DSS Analysis Engine (AE) for data analysis and anomaly detection.
The document outlines a phased approach to development, with prototype software components being created in Phase 1 and a production system planned for Phase 2. User feedback from flight controllers is emphasized as a critical component of the design process, ensuring that the system meets the practical needs of its users.
Overall, the DSS Technical Support Package represents a significant step towards leveraging advanced visualization and analysis technologies to improve operational efficiency and safety in aerospace missions. By integrating these innovative tools, NASA aims to enhance the ability of flight controllers to manage and interpret vast amounts of sensor data, ultimately leading to better-informed decisions in complex environments. The document serves as a resource for understanding the ongoing efforts in aerospace technology development and the potential applications of these advancements in various fields.
