Enabling High-Capacity Space Communication

Researchers have achieved data rates as high as 424Gbit/s across a 53-km turbulent free-space optical link using plasmonic modulators — devices that uses special light waves called surface plasmon polaritons to control and change optical signals. The new research lays the groundwork for high-speed optical communication links that transmit data over open air or space. Read on to learn more.

AI Helps UAVs Predict Oncoming Turbulence

Professor Animashree (Anima) Anandkumar and her team at The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have developed a control strategy for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that uses reinforcement learning to adaptively learn how turbulent wind can change over time and then uses that knowledge to control the UAV based on what it is experiencing.

Researchers Demonstrate Noise-Free Communication with Structured Light

Researchers have outlined a new optical communication protocol that exploits spatial patterns of light for multi-dimensional encoding in a manner that does not require the patterns to be recognized, thus overcoming the prior limitation of modal distortion in noisy channels.

How Virtual Twins Help Optimize Supply Chains

Unprecedented and unrelenting market turbulence has shown that the old ways of supply chain planning and manufacturing production are outdated and vulnerable to disruption.

Microphone Detects Turbulence Hundreds of Miles Away

A NASA microphone that detects unseen air turbulence is lofted to high heights aboard a stratospheric glider.

High-Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for Monitoring Meteorological Parameters

The system uses infrasonic acoustics for weather monitoring and for drone or UAV activity.

Turbulence Model for Design of Aircraft Capable of Handling Extreme Scenarios

This model can be used to design better aircraft without having to wait months for supercomputer calculations.

Bio-Inspired Wing Design for Small Drones

Taking a cue from birds and insects, the wing design helps drones fly more efficiently and makes them more robust to atmospheric turbulence.

Wake Vortex Avoidance System and Method

NASA Langley Research Center scientists have developed a microphone that detects infrasound, i.e., acoustic waves ranging from 20-Hz frequencies down to DC. Infrasound is emitted in a number of hazardous...

Enhanced X-Ray Imaging Determines Molecular Structure

For more than 100 years, X-rays have been used in crystallography to determine the structure of molecules. At the heart of the method are the principles of diffraction and superposition, to...

Wing Shape Design Reduces Vortex and Wake

It's common to see line-shaped clouds in the sky, known as contrails, trailing behind the engines of a jet airplane. What's not always visible is a vortex coming off of the tip of each wing — like two...

Lock-In Imaging System for Detecting Disturbances in Fluid

NASA's Langley Research Center has developed an aircraft-based turbulence and vortex detection system. Turbulence and vortices in the front-flight path are very dangerous for airplanes....

Extreme Low Frequency Acoustic Measurement System

NASA’s Langley Research Center has developed a system to detect and locate atmospheric clear air turbulence (CAT) by means of a ground-based infrasonic array to serve as an early warning...