NASA Tech Briefs - May 2017 - Vol. 41 No. 5

Features

• Who's Who

  Nick Krotkov, Atmospheric Scientist, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

• Articles

  Intelligent Robotics Safeguarding

  Products of Tomorrow: May 2017

• NASA Spinoff

  Novel Threading Enables New Approach to Golf Clubs

Tech Briefs

• Software

  Open Mission Control Technologies (Open MCT) Web

  Human Factors Analysis Support Tool (H-FAST) v 2.0

  RAYGUN Fast Generic Geometry Raycasting Tool

  iOrca Code Release

  LTAS Source Slaving Selector (LS3) Analyzer

  Representation and Analysis of System Behavior Using Monotonic Signals

• Materials

  Highly Porous and Mechanically Strong Ceramic Oxide Aerogels

  Asymmetric Dielectric Elastomer Composite Material

  Method of Creating Micro-Scale Silver Telluride Grains Covered with Bismuth Nanoparticles

  Polyimides Derived from Novel Asymmetric Benzophenone Dianhydrides

  Nanotubular Toughening Inclusions

• Mechanics & Machinery

  Robust, Highly Efficient Oxygen-Carbon Monoxide Cogeneration System

  Low Solidity Vaned Diffuser (LSVD) Design for Improvement of Pressure Recovery

  Tangential Wrap Rib Deployable Reflector

• Electronics & Computers

  A Modular Apparatus and Method for Attaching Multiple Devices

• Sensors/Data Acquisition

  AutoSurvey™ Software System

  Authenticated Sensor Interface Device

  Photo-Acoustic Chemical Detector

  Ultra-High-Speed Fiber Optic Sensor Detects Structural Damage in Real Time

  Piezoelectric Field Disturbance Sensing System and Method

  Low-Cost RFID Torque and Tension Sensing Tag System

  SpinDx™ Lab on a Disk

  Low-Power, Special-Purpose Chip for Speech Recognition in Electronics

  Method Improves Accuracy of Imaging Data

  Automation System Manages Critical Gas Distribution Process

  Floating Ultrasonic Transducer Inspection System and Method for Nondestructive Evaluation

• Aerospace

  Multi-Functional Annular Fairing for Coupling Launch Abort Motor to Space Vehicle

  In-Situ Load System for Calibrating and Validating Aerodynamic Properties of Scaled Aircraft in Ground-Based Aerospace Testing Applications

  Turbofan Engine Acoustic Liner Design and Analysis Tools

• Communications

  Polarization-Dependent Whispering Gallery Modes (WGMs) in Microspheres

  Cellular Reflectarray Antenna and Method of Making Same

  9-Meter Slaving System

  Ad Hoc Selection of Voice Over Internet Streams

  Deep-Space Positioning System

  GPS Satellite Geometry Analysis Tool (GPSGEM)

• Environment

  Unleashing RAPID

  Methods for Purifying Enzymes for Mycoremediation

  Land Cover Viewer

  Obs4MIPS.py

  System, Apparatus, and Method for Liquid Purification

  WX Subsystem Weather Station

• Propulsion

  Green Monopropellant Secondary Payload Propulsion System

  Flame Holder System

  Magnetically Conformed, Variable-Area Discharge Chamber for Hall Thruster, and Method

  Multi-Thruster Propulsion Apparatus

  Propellant Distributor for a Thruster

Products

• Product of the Month: May 2017

• Briefs

  Development of Sodium Lidar for Spaceborne Missions

  Additive-Manufactured, Very Lightweight, Diamond Turned Aspheric Mirror

  Partially Transparent Circular Mask to Suppress Narrowband Laser Light

  Characterizing Richness of Previously Unmapped Terrain and Estimating its Impact on Navigation Performance using 3D Range Sensors in Flight

• Applications

  Choosing a Light and Color Measurement System for LEDs

  Miniature Camera Mimics Eagle's Eye

• Articles

  Bringing New Vision to Laser Material Processing Systems

  3D Imaging Reveals Sub-surface Battery Flaws

• Products

  New Products: May 2017 Photonics & Imaging Technology

• Technology Leaders

  Using Sensor Fusion to Analyze Laser Processing in Additive Manufacturing

  Autonomous Vehicles Open Up New Roads for LIDAR Growth

  NASA Tests Lasers’ Ability to Transmit Data from Space