Mission simulation as an approach to develop requirements for automation in Advanced Life Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, J. D.; Eckelkamp, R. E.; Barta, D. J.; Dragg, J.; Henninger, D. L. (Principal Investigator)

1996-01-01

This paper examines mission simulation as an approach to develop requirements for automation and robotics for Advanced Life Support Systems (ALSS). The focus is on requirements and applications for command and control, control and monitoring, situation assessment and response, diagnosis and recovery, adaptive planning and scheduling, and other automation applications in addition to mechanized equipment and robotics applications to reduce the excessive human labor requirements to operate and maintain an ALSS. Based on principles of systems engineering, an approach is proposed to assess requirements for automation and robotics using mission simulation tools. First, the story of a simulated mission is defined in terms of processes with attendant types of resources needed, including options for use of automation and robotic systems. Next, systems dynamics models are used in simulation to reveal the implications for selected resource allocation schemes in terms of resources required to complete operational tasks. The simulations not only help establish ALSS design criteria, but also may offer guidance to ALSS research efforts by identifying gaps in knowledge about procedures and/or biophysical processes. Simulations of a planned one-year mission with 4 crewmembers in a Human Rated Test Facility are presented as an approach to evaluation of mission feasibility and definition of automation and robotics requirements.

NASA systems autonomy demonstration project: Advanced automation demonstration of Space Station Freedom thermal control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dominick, Jeffrey; Bull, John; Healey, Kathleen J.

1990-01-01

The NASA Systems Autonomy Demonstration Project (SADP) was initiated in response to Congressional interest in Space station automation technology demonstration. The SADP is a joint cooperative effort between Ames Research Center (ARC) and Johnson Space Center (JSC) to demonstrate advanced automation technology feasibility using the Space Station Freedom Thermal Control System (TCS) test bed. A model-based expert system and its operator interface were developed by knowledge engineers, AI researchers, and human factors researchers at ARC working with the domain experts and system integration engineers at JSC. Its target application is a prototype heat acquisition and transport subsystem of a space station TCS. The demonstration is scheduled to be conducted at JSC in August, 1989. The demonstration will consist of a detailed test of the ability of the Thermal Expert System to conduct real time normal operations (start-up, set point changes, shut-down) and to conduct fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) on the test article. The FDIR will be conducted by injecting ten component level failures that will manifest themselves as seven different system level faults. Here, the SADP goals, are described as well as the Thermal Control Expert System that has been developed for demonstration.

Advanced automation in space shuttle mission control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heindel, Troy A.; Rasmussen, Arthur N.; Mcfarland, Robert Z.

1991-01-01

The Real Time Data System (RTDS) Project was undertaken in 1987 to introduce new concepts and technologies for advanced automation into the Mission Control Center environment at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The project's emphasis is on producing advanced near-operational prototype systems that are developed using a rapid, interactive method and are used by flight controllers during actual Shuttle missions. In most cases the prototype applications have been of such quality and utility that they have been converted to production status. A key ingredient has been an integrated team of software engineers and flight controllers working together to quickly evolve the demonstration systems.

Development Status: Automation Advanced Development Space Station Freedom Electric Power System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dolce, James L.; Kish, James A.; Mellor, Pamela A.

1990-01-01

Electric power system automation for Space Station Freedom is intended to operate in a loop. Data from the power system is used for diagnosis and security analysis to generate Operations Management System (OMS) requests, which are sent to an arbiter, which sends a plan to a commander generator connected to the electric power system. This viewgraph presentation profiles automation software for diagnosis, scheduling, and constraint interfaces, and simulation to support automation development. The automation development process is diagrammed, and the process of creating Ada and ART versions of the automation software is described.

Space station advanced automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woods, Donald

1990-01-01

In the development of a safe, productive and maintainable space station, Automation and Robotics (A and R) has been identified as an enabling technology which will allow efficient operation at a reasonable cost. The Space Station Freedom's (SSF) systems are very complex, and interdependent. The usage of Advanced Automation (AA) will help restructure, and integrate system status so that station and ground personnel can operate more efficiently. To use AA technology for the augmentation of system management functions requires a development model which consists of well defined phases of: evaluation, development, integration, and maintenance. The evaluation phase will consider system management functions against traditional solutions, implementation techniques and requirements; the end result of this phase should be a well developed concept along with a feasibility analysis. In the development phase the AA system will be developed in accordance with a traditional Life Cycle Model (LCM) modified for Knowledge Based System (KBS) applications. A way by which both knowledge bases and reasoning techniques can be reused to control costs is explained. During the integration phase the KBS software must be integrated with conventional software, and verified and validated. The Verification and Validation (V and V) techniques applicable to these KBS are based on the ideas of consistency, minimal competency, and graph theory. The maintenance phase will be aided by having well designed and documented KBS software.

Programmable Automated Welding System (PAWS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kline, Martin D.

1994-01-01

An ambitious project to develop an advanced, automated welding system is being funded as part of the Navy Joining Center with Babcock & Wilcox as the prime integrator. This program, the Programmable Automated Welding System (PAWS), involves the integration of both planning and real-time control activities. Planning functions include the development of a graphical decision support system within a standard, portable environment. Real-time control functions include the development of a modular, intelligent, real-time control system and the integration of a number of welding process sensors. This paper presents each of these components of the PAWS and discusses how they can be utilized to automate the welding operation.

Issues in advanced automation for manipulator control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bejczy, A. K.

1976-01-01

This paper provides a brief description and analysis of the main issues in advanced autonomous control of manipulators as seen from a system point of view. The nature of manipulation is analyzed at some depth. A general multilevel structure is outlined for manipulator control organization which includes the human operator at the top level of the control structure. Different approaches to the development of advanced automation of mechanical arms are summarized. Recent work in the JPL teleoperator project is described, including control system, force/torque sensor, and control software development. Some results from control experiments are summarized.

Joint force protection advanced security system (JFPASS) "the future of force protection: integrate and automate"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lama, Carlos E.; Fagan, Joe E.

2009-09-01

The United States Department of Defense (DoD) defines 'force protection' as "preventive measures taken to mitigate hostile actions against DoD personnel (to include family members), resources, facilities, and critical information." Advanced technologies enable significant improvements in automating and distributing situation awareness, optimizing operator time, and improving sustainability, which enhance protection and lower costs. The JFPASS Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) demonstrates a force protection environment that combines physical security and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) defense through the application of integrated command and control and data fusion. The JFPASS JCTD provides a layered approach to force protection by integrating traditional sensors used in physical security, such as video cameras, battlefield surveillance radars, unmanned and unattended ground sensors. The optimization of human participation and automation of processes is achieved by employment of unmanned ground vehicles, along with remotely operated lethal and less-than-lethal weapon systems. These capabilities are integrated via a tailorable, user-defined common operational picture display through a data fusion engine operating in the background. The combined systems automate the screening of alarms, manage the information displays, and provide assessment and response measures. The data fusion engine links disparate sensors and systems, and applies tailored logic to focus the assessment of events. It enables timely responses by providing the user with automated and semi-automated decision support tools. The JFPASS JCTD uses standard communication/data exchange protocols, which allow the system to incorporate future sensor technologies or communication networks, while maintaining the ability to communicate with legacy or existing systems.

Automated Help System For A Supercomputer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callas, George P.; Schulbach, Catherine H.; Younkin, Michael

1994-01-01

Expert-system software developed to provide automated system of user-helping displays in supercomputer system at Ames Research Center Advanced Computer Facility. Users located at remote computer terminals connected to supercomputer and each other via gateway computers, local-area networks, telephone lines, and satellite links. Automated help system answers routine user inquiries about how to use services of computer system. Available 24 hours per day and reduces burden on human experts, freeing them to concentrate on helping users with complicated problems.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the space station and the US economy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, A.

1985-01-01

In response to Public Law 98-371, dated July 18, 1984, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee has studied automation and rebotics for use in the space station. The Executive Overview, Volume 1 presents the major findings of the study and recommends to NASA principles for advancing automation and robotics technologies for the benefit of the space station and of the U.S. economy in general. As a result of its study, the Advanced Technology Advisory Committee believes that a key element of technology for the space station is extensive use of advanced general-purpose automation and robotics. These systems could provide the United States with important new methods of generating and exploiting space knowledge in commercial enterprises and thereby help preserve U.S. leadership in space.

Automation of the longwall mining system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, W.; Aster, R. W.; Harris, J.; High, J.

1982-01-01

Cost effective, safe, and technologically sound applications of automation technology to underground coal mining were identified. The longwall analysis commenced with a general search for government and industry experience of mining automation technology. A brief industry survey was conducted to identify longwall operational, safety, and design problems. The prime automation candidates resulting from the industry experience and survey were: (1) the shearer operation, (2) shield and conveyor pan line advance, (3) a management information system to allow improved mine logistics support, and (4) component fault isolation and diagnostics to reduce untimely maintenance delays. A system network analysis indicated that a 40% improvement in productivity was feasible if system delays associated with all of the above four areas were removed. A technology assessment and conceptual system design of each of the four automation candidate areas showed that state of the art digital computer, servomechanism, and actuator technologies could be applied to automate the longwall system.

OR automation systems.

PubMed

2002-12-01

An operating room (OR) automation system is a combination of hardware and software designed to address efficiency issues in the OR by controling multiple devices via a common interface. Systems range from the relatively basic--allowing control of a few devices within a single OR--to advanced designs that are capable of not only controlling a wide range of devices within the OR but also exchanging information with remote locations.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom and for the US economy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

In April 1985, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on Space Station Freedom. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). The progress made by Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the Office of Space Station in developing and applying advanced automation and robotics technology are described. Emphasis was placed upon the Space Station Freedom Program responses to specific recommendations made in ATAC Progress Report 9, the Flight Telerobotic Servicer, the Advanced Development Program, and the Data Management System. Assessments are presented for these and other areas as they apply to the advancement of automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom.

Protecting Networks Via Automated Defense of Cyber Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

autonomics, and artificial intelligence . Our conclusion is that automation is the future of cyber defense, and that advances are being made in each of...SUBJECT TERMS Internet of Things, autonomics, sensors, artificial intelligence , cyber defense, active cyber defense, automated indicator sharing...called Automated Defense of Cyber Systems, built upon three core technological components: sensors, autonomics, and artificial intelligence . Our

Automated longwall guidance and control systems, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rybak, S. C.

1978-01-01

Candidate vertical control systems (VCS) and face advancement systems (FAS) required to satisfactorily automate the longwall system were analyzed and simulated in order to develop an overall longwall system configuration for preliminary design.

Automation of the Environmental Control and Life Support System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dewberry, Brandon S.; Carnes, J. Ray

1990-01-01

The objective of the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Advanced Automation Project is to recommend and develop advanced software for the initial and evolutionary Space Station Freedom (SSF) ECLS system which will minimize the crew and ground manpower needed for operations. Another objective includes capturing ECLSS design and development knowledge for future missions. This report summarizes our results from Phase I, the ECLSS domain analysis phase, which we broke down into three steps: 1) Analyze and document the baselined ECLS system, 2) envision as our goal an evolution to a fully automated regenerative life support system, built upon an augmented baseline, and 3) document the augmentations (hooks and scars) and advanced software systems which we see as necessary in achieving minimal manpower support for ECLSS operations. In addition, Phase I included development of an advanced software life cycle testing tools will be used in the development of the software. In this way, we plan in preparation for phase II and III, the development and integration phases, respectively. Automated knowledge acquisition, engineering, verification, and can capture ECLSS development knowledge for future use, develop more robust and complex software, provide feedback to the KBS tool community, and insure proper visibility of our efforts.

Advanced in In Situ Inspection of Automated Fiber Placement Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juarez, Peter D.; Cramer, K. Elliott; Seebo, Jeffrey P.

2016-01-01

Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) systems have been developed to help take advantage of the tailorability of composite structures in aerospace applications. AFP systems allow the repeatable placement of uncured, spool fed, preimpregnated carbon fiber tape (tows) onto substrates in desired thicknesses and orientations. This automated process can incur defects, such as overlapping tow lines, which can severely undermine the structural integrity of the part. Current defect detection and abatement methods are very labor intensive, and still mostly rely on human manual inspection. Proposed is a thermographic in situ inspection technique which monitors tow placement with an on board thermal camera using the preheated substrate as a through transmission heat source. An investigation of the concept is conducted, and preliminary laboratory results are presented. Also included will be a brief overview of other emerging technologies that tackle the same issue. Keywords: Automated Fiber Placement, Manufacturing defects, Thermography

Automated tracking for advanced satellite laser ranging systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGarry, Jan F.; Degnan, John J.; Titterton, Paul J., Sr.; Sweeney, Harold E.; Conklin, Brion P.; Dunn, Peter J.

1996-06-01

NASA's Satellite Laser Ranging Network was originally developed during the 1970's to track satellites carrying corner cube reflectors. Today eight NASA systems, achieving millimeter ranging precision, are part of a global network of more than 40 stations that track 17 international satellites. To meet the tracking demands of a steadily growing satellite constellation within existing resources, NASA is embarking on a major automation program. While manpower on the current systems will be reduced to a single operator, the fully automated SLR2000 system is being designed to operate for months without human intervention. Because SLR2000 must be eyesafe and operate in daylight, tracking is often performed in a low probability of detection and high noise environment. The goal is to automatically select the satellite, setup the tracking and ranging hardware, verify acquisition, and close the tracking loop to optimize data yield. TO accomplish the autotracking tasks, we are investigating (1) improved satellite force models, (2) more frequent updates of orbital ephemerides, (3) lunar laser ranging data processing techniques to distinguish satellite returns from noise, and (4) angular detection and search techniques to acquire the satellite. A Monte Carlo simulator has been developed to allow optimization of the autotracking algorithms by modeling the relevant system errors and then checking performance against system truth. A combination of simulator and preliminary field results will be presented.

Results of an Experimental Exploration of Advanced Automated Geospatial Tools: Agility in Complex Planning

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

AUTOMATED GEOSPATIAL TOOLS : AGILITY IN COMPLEX PLANNING Primary Topic: Track 5 – Experimentation and Analysis Walter A. Powell [STUDENT] - GMU...TITLE AND SUBTITLE Results of an Experimental Exploration of Advanced Automated Geospatial Tools : Agility in Complex Planning 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER...Std Z39-18 Abstract Typically, the development of tools and systems for the military is requirement driven; systems are developed to meet

Automation of the space station core module power management and distribution system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weeks, David J.

1988-01-01

Under the Advanced Development Program for Space Station, Marshall Space Flight Center has been developing advanced automation applications for the Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) system inside the Space Station modules for the past three years. The Space Station Module Power Management and Distribution System (SSM/PMAD) test bed features three artificial intelligence (AI) systems coupled with conventional automation software functioning in an autonomous or closed-loop fashion. The AI systems in the test bed include a baseline scheduler/dynamic rescheduler (LES), a load shedding management system (LPLMS), and a fault recovery and management expert system (FRAMES). This test bed will be part of the NASA Systems Autonomy Demonstration for 1990 featuring cooperating expert systems in various Space Station subsystem test beds. It is concluded that advanced automation technology involving AI approaches is sufficiently mature to begin applying the technology to current and planned spacecraft applications including the Space Station.

An automated digital imaging system for environmental monitoring applications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bogle, Rian; Velasco, Miguel; Vogel, John

2013-01-01

Recent improvements in the affordability and availability of high-resolution digital cameras, data loggers, embedded computers, and radio/cellular modems have advanced the development of sophisticated automated systems for remote imaging. Researchers have successfully placed and operated automated digital cameras in remote locations and in extremes of temperature and humidity, ranging from the islands of the South Pacific to the Mojave Desert and the Grand Canyon. With the integration of environmental sensors, these automated systems are able to respond to local conditions and modify their imaging regimes as needed. In this report we describe in detail the design of one type of automated imaging system developed by our group. It is easily replicated, low-cost, highly robust, and is a stand-alone automated camera designed to be placed in remote locations, without wireless connectivity.

Space station automation study: Autonomous systems and assembly, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bradford, K. Z.

1984-01-01

This final report, prepared by Martin Marietta Denver Aerospace, provides the technical results of their input to the Space Station Automation Study, the purpose of which is to develop informed technical guidance in the use of autonomous systems to implement space station functions, many of which can be programmed in advance and are well suited for automated systems.

Center/TRACON Automation System: Development and Evaluation in the Field

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-10-01

Technological advances are changing the way that advanced air traffic control : automation should be developed and assessed. Current standards and practices of : system development place field testing at the end of the development process. : While su...

ASUPT Automated Objective Performance Measurement System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waag, Wayne L.; And Others

To realize its full research potential, a need exists for the development of an automated objective pilot performance evaluation system for use in the Advanced Simulation in Undergraduate Pilot Training (ASUPT) facility. The present report documents the approach taken for the development of performance measures and also presents data collected…

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station and for the US economy. Volume 1: Executive overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

In response to Public Law 98-371, dated July 18, 1984, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee has studied automation and robotics for use in the Space Station. The Executive Overview, Volume 1 presents the major findings of the study and recommends to NASA principles for advancing automation and robotics technologies for the benefit of the Space Station and of the U.S. economy in general. As a result of its study, the Advanced Technology Advisory Committee believes that a key element of technology for the Space Station is extensive use of advanced general-purpose automation and robotics. These systems could provide the United States with important new methods of generating and exploiting space knowledge in commercial enterprises and thereby help preserve U.S. leadership in space.

Advanced automation for in-space vehicle processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sklar, Michael; Wegerif, D.

1990-01-01

The primary objective of this 3-year planned study is to assure that the fully evolved Space Station Freedom (SSF) can support automated processing of exploratory mission vehicles. Current study assessments show that required extravehicular activity (EVA) and to some extent intravehicular activity (IVA) manpower requirements for required processing tasks far exceeds the available manpower. Furthermore, many processing tasks are either hazardous operations or they exceed EVA capability. Thus, automation is essential for SSF transportation node functionality. Here, advanced automation represents the replacement of human performed tasks beyond the planned baseline automated tasks. Both physical tasks such as manipulation, assembly and actuation, and cognitive tasks such as visual inspection, monitoring and diagnosis, and task planning are considered. During this first year of activity both the Phobos/Gateway Mars Expedition and Lunar Evolution missions proposed by the Office of Exploration have been evaluated. A methodology for choosing optimal tasks to be automated has been developed. Processing tasks for both missions have been ranked on the basis of automation potential. The underlying concept in evaluating and describing processing tasks has been the use of a common set of 'Primitive' task descriptions. Primitive or standard tasks have been developed both for manual or crew processing and automated machine processing.

Advances in Scientific Investigation and Automation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abt, Jeffrey; And Others

1987-01-01

Six articles address: (1) the impact of science on the physical examination and treatment of books; (2) equipment for physical examination of books; (3) research using the cyclotron for historical analysis; (4) scientific analysis of paper and ink in early maps; (5) recent advances in automation; and (6) cataloging standards. (MES)

Programmable, automated transistor test system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Truong, L. V.; Sundburg, G. R.

1986-01-01

A programmable, automated transistor test system was built to supply experimental data on new and advanced power semiconductors. The data will be used for analytical models and by engineers in designing space and aircraft electric power systems. A pulsed power technique was used at low duty cycles in a nondestructive test to examine the dynamic switching characteristic curves of power transistors in the 500 to 1000 V, 10 to 100 A range. Data collection, manipulation, storage, and output are operator interactive but are guided and controlled by the system software.

Advances in in situ inspection of automated fiber placement systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juarez, Peter D.; Cramer, K. Elliott; Seebo, Jeffrey P.

2016-05-01

Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) systems have been developed to help take advantage of the tailorability of composite structures in aerospace applications. AFP systems allow the repeatable placement of uncured, spool fed, preimpregnated carbon fiber tape (tows) onto substrates in desired thicknesses and orientations. This automated process can incur defects, such as overlapping tow lines, which can severely undermine the structural integrity of the part. Current defect detection and abatement methods are very labor intensive, and still mostly rely on human manual inspection. Proposed is a thermographic in situ inspection technique which monitors tow placement with an on board thermal camera using the preheated substrate as a through transmission heat source. An investigation of the concept is conducted, and preliminary laboratory results are presented. Also included will be a brief overview of other emerging technologies that tackle the same issue.

A survey of life support system automation and control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finn, Cory K.

1993-01-01

The level of automation and control necessary to support advanced life support systems for use in the manned space program is steadily increasing. As the length and complexity of manned missions increase, life support systems must be able to meet new space challenges. Longer, more complex missions create new demands for increased automation, improved sensors, and improved control systems. It is imperative that research in these key areas keep pace with current and future developments in regenerative life support technology. This paper provides an overview of past and present research in the areas of sensor development, automation, and control of life support systems for the manned space program, and it discusses the impact continued research in several key areas will have on the feasibility, operation, and design of future life support systems.

From an automated flight-test management system to a flight-test engineer's workstation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duke, E. L.; Brumbaugh, Randal W.; Hewett, M. D.; Tartt, D. M.

1991-01-01

The capabilities and evolution is described of a flight engineer's workstation (called TEST-PLAN) from an automated flight test management system. The concept and capabilities of the automated flight test management systems are explored and discussed to illustrate the value of advanced system prototyping and evolutionary software development.

Development of design principles for automated systems in transport control.

PubMed

Balfe, Nora; Wilson, John R; Sharples, Sarah; Clarke, Theresa

2012-01-01

This article reports the results of a qualitative study investigating attitudes towards and opinions of an advanced automation system currently used in UK rail signalling. In-depth interviews were held with 10 users, key issues associated with automation were identified and the automation's impact on the signalling task investigated. The interview data highlighted the importance of the signallers' understanding of the automation and their (in)ability to predict its outputs. The interviews also covered the methods used by signallers to interact with and control the automation, and the perceived effects on their workload. The results indicate that despite a generally low level of understanding and ability to predict the actions of the automation system, signallers have developed largely successful coping mechanisms that enable them to use the technology effectively. These findings, along with parallel work identifying desirable attributes of automation from the literature in the area, were used to develop 12 principles of automation which can be used to help design new systems which better facilitate cooperative working. The work reported in this article was completed with the active involvement of operational rail staff who regularly use automated systems in rail signalling. The outcomes are currently being used to inform decisions on the extent and type of automation and user interfaces in future generations of rail control systems.

From an automated flight-test management system to a flight-test engineer's workstation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duke, E. L.; Brumbaugh, R. W.; Hewett, M. D.; Tartt, D. M.

1992-01-01

Described here are the capabilities and evolution of a flight-test engineer's workstation (called TEST PLAN) from an automated flight-test management system. The concept and capabilities of the automated flight-test management system are explored and discussed to illustrate the value of advanced system prototyping and evolutionary software development.

Integrated Multi-process Microfluidic Systems for Automating Analysis

PubMed Central

Yang, Weichun; Woolley, Adam T.

2010-01-01

Microfluidic technologies have been applied extensively in rapid sample analysis. Some current challenges for standard microfluidic systems are relatively high detection limits, and reduced resolving power and peak capacity compared to conventional approaches. The integration of multiple functions and components onto a single platform can overcome these separation and detection limitations of microfluidics. Multiplexed systems can greatly increase peak capacity in multidimensional separations and can increase sample throughput by analyzing many samples simultaneously. On-chip sample preparation, including labeling, preconcentration, cleanup and amplification, can all serve to speed up and automate processes in integrated microfluidic systems. This paper summarizes advances in integrated multi-process microfluidic systems for automated analysis, their benefits and areas for needed improvement. PMID:20514343

NASA Systems Autonomy Demonstration Project - Development of Space Station automation technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bull, John S.; Brown, Richard; Friedland, Peter; Wong, Carla M.; Bates, William

1987-01-01

A 1984 Congressional expansion of the 1958 National Aeronautics and Space Act mandated that NASA conduct programs, as part of the Space Station program, which will yield the U.S. material benefits, particularly in the areas of advanced automation and robotics systems. Demonstration programs are scheduled for automated systems such as the thermal control, expert system coordination of Station subsystems, and automation of multiple subsystems. The programs focus the R&D efforts and provide a gateway for transfer of technology to industry. The NASA Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology is responsible for directing, funding and evaluating the Systems Autonomy Demonstration Project, which will include simulated interactions between novice personnel and astronauts and several automated, expert subsystems to explore the effectiveness of the man-machine interface being developed. Features and progress on the TEXSYS prototype thermal control system expert system are outlined.

Space station as a vital focus for advancing the technologies of automation and robotics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Varsi, Giulio; Herman, Daniel H.

1988-01-01

A major guideline for the design of the U.S. Space Station is that the Space Station address a wide variety of functions. These functions include the servicing of unmanned assets in space, the support of commercial labs in space and the efficient management of the Space Station itself; the largest space asset. The technologies of Automation and Robotics have the promise to help in reducing Space Station operating costs and to achieve a highly efficient use of the human in space. The use of advanced automation and artificial intelligence techniques, such as expert systems, in Space Station subsystems for activity planning and failure mode management will enable us to reduce dependency on a mission control center and could ultimately result in breaking the umbilical link from Earth to the Space Station. The application of robotic technologies with advanced perception capability and hierarchical intelligent control to servicing system will enable the servicing of assets either in space or in situ with a high degree of human efficiency. The results of studies leading toward the formulation of an automation and robotics plan for Space Station development are presented.

Automated Deployment of Advanced Controls and Analytics in Buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pritoni, Marco

Buildings use 40% of primary energy in the US. Recent studies show that developing energy analytics and enhancing control strategies can significantly improve their energy performance. However, the deployment of advanced control software applications has been mostly limited to academic studies. Larger-scale implementations are prevented by the significant engineering time and customization required, due to significant differences among buildings. This study demonstrates how physics-inspired data-driven models can be used to develop portable analytics and control applications for buildings. Specifically, I demonstrate application of these models in all phases of the deployment of advanced controls and analytics in buildings: in the first phase, "Site Preparation and Interface with Legacy Systems" I used models to discover or map relationships among building components, automatically gathering metadata (information about data points) necessary to run the applications. During the second phase: "Application Deployment and Commissioning", models automatically learn system parameters, used for advanced controls and analytics. In the third phase: "Continuous Monitoring and Verification" I utilized models to automatically measure the energy performance of a building that has implemented advanced control strategies. In the conclusions, I discuss future challenges and suggest potential strategies for these innovative control systems to be widely deployed in the market. This dissertation provides useful new tools in terms of procedures, algorithms, and models to facilitate the automation of deployment of advanced controls and analytics and accelerate their wide adoption in buildings.

Volpe Center Report on Advanced Automation System Benefit-Cost Study: Final Report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-10-25

The Volpe Center study of the benefits and costs of the AAS approached the analysis by segments rather than as a whole system. The study concentrated on the automation aspects of the A TC system and applied conservative assumptions to the estimation ...

Advanced information processing system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lala, J. H.

1984-01-01

Design and performance details of the advanced information processing system (AIPS) for fault and damage tolerant data processing on aircraft and spacecraft are presented. AIPS comprises several computers distributed throughout the vehicle and linked by a damage tolerant data bus. Most I/O functions are available to all the computers, which run in a TDMA mode. Each computer performs separate specific tasks in normal operation and assumes other tasks in degraded modes. Redundant software assures that all fault monitoring, logging and reporting are automated, together with control functions. Redundant duplex links and damage-spread limitation provide the fault tolerance. Details of an advanced design of a laboratory-scale proof-of-concept system are described, including functional operations.

Evaluation of an automated karyotyping system for chromosome aberration analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prichard, Howard M.

1987-01-01

Chromosome aberration analysis is a promising complement to conventional radiation dosimetry, particularly in the complex radiation fields encountered in the space environment. The capabilities of a recently developed automated karyotyping system were evaluated both to determine current capabilities and limitations and to suggest areas where future development should be emphasized. Cells exposed to radiometric chemicals and to photon and particulate radiation were evaluated by manual inspection and by automated karyotyping. It was demonstrated that the evaluated programs were appropriate for image digitization, storage, and transmission. However, automated and semi-automated scoring techniques must be advanced significantly if in-flight chromosome aberration analysis is to be practical. A degree of artificial intelligence may be necessary to realize this goal.

Vision 20/20: Automation and advanced computing in clinical radiation oncology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, Kevin L., E-mail: kevinmoore@ucsd.edu; Moiseenko, Vitali; Kagadis, George C.

This Vision 20/20 paper considers what computational advances are likely to be implemented in clinical radiation oncology in the coming years and how the adoption of these changes might alter the practice of radiotherapy. Four main areas of likely advancement are explored: cloud computing, aggregate data analyses, parallel computation, and automation. As these developments promise both new opportunities and new risks to clinicians and patients alike, the potential benefits are weighed against the hazards associated with each advance, with special considerations regarding patient safety under new computational platforms and methodologies. While the concerns of patient safety are legitimate, the authorsmore » contend that progress toward next-generation clinical informatics systems will bring about extremely valuable developments in quality improvement initiatives, clinical efficiency, outcomes analyses, data sharing, and adaptive radiotherapy.« less

Vision 20/20: Automation and advanced computing in clinical radiation oncology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, Kevin L., E-mail: kevinmoore@ucsd.edu; Moiseenko, Vitali; Kagadis, George C.

2014-01-15

This Vision 20/20 paper considers what computational advances are likely to be implemented in clinical radiation oncology in the coming years and how the adoption of these changes might alter the practice of radiotherapy. Four main areas of likely advancement are explored: cloud computing, aggregate data analyses, parallel computation, and automation. As these developments promise both new opportunities and new risks to clinicians and patients alike, the potential benefits are weighed against the hazards associated with each advance, with special considerations regarding patient safety under new computational platforms and methodologies. While the concerns of patient safety are legitimate, the authorsmore » contend that progress toward next-generation clinical informatics systems will bring about extremely valuable developments in quality improvement initiatives, clinical efficiency, outcomes analyses, data sharing, and adaptive radiotherapy.« less

Vision 20/20: Automation and advanced computing in clinical radiation oncology.

PubMed

Moore, Kevin L; Kagadis, George C; McNutt, Todd R; Moiseenko, Vitali; Mutic, Sasa

2014-01-01

This Vision 20/20 paper considers what computational advances are likely to be implemented in clinical radiation oncology in the coming years and how the adoption of these changes might alter the practice of radiotherapy. Four main areas of likely advancement are explored: cloud computing, aggregate data analyses, parallel computation, and automation. As these developments promise both new opportunities and new risks to clinicians and patients alike, the potential benefits are weighed against the hazards associated with each advance, with special considerations regarding patient safety under new computational platforms and methodologies. While the concerns of patient safety are legitimate, the authors contend that progress toward next-generation clinical informatics systems will bring about extremely valuable developments in quality improvement initiatives, clinical efficiency, outcomes analyses, data sharing, and adaptive radiotherapy.

INITIATORS AND TRIGGERING CONDITIONS FOR ADAPTIVE AUTOMATION IN ADVANCED SMALL MODULAR REACTORS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Katya L Le Blanc; Johanna h Oxstrand

It is anticipated that Advanced Small Modular Reactors (AdvSMRs) will employ high degrees of automation. High levels of automation can enhance system performance, but often at the cost of reduced human performance. Automation can lead to human out-of the loop issues, unbalanced workload, complacency, and other problems if it is not designed properly. Researchers have proposed adaptive automation (defined as dynamic or flexible allocation of functions) as a way to get the benefits of higher levels of automation without the human performance costs. Adaptive automation has the potential to balance operator workload and enhance operator situation awareness by allocating functionsmore » to the operators in a way that is sensitive to overall workload and capabilities at the time of operation. However, there still a number of questions regarding how to effectively design adaptive automation to achieve that potential. One of those questions is related to how to initiate (or trigger) a shift in automation in order to provide maximal sensitivity to operator needs without introducing undesirable consequences (such as unpredictable mode changes). Several triggering mechanisms for shifts in adaptive automation have been proposed including: operator initiated, critical events, performance-based, physiological measurement, model-based, and hybrid methods. As part of a larger project to develop design guidance for human-automation collaboration in AdvSMRs, researchers at Idaho National Laboratory have investigated the effectiveness and applicability of each of these triggering mechanisms in the context of AdvSMR. Researchers reviewed the empirical literature on adaptive automation and assessed each triggering mechanism based on the human-system performance consequences of employing that mechanism. Researchers also assessed the practicality and feasibility of using the mechanism in the context of an AdvSMR control room. Results indicate that there are tradeoffs associated with

An architecture and model for cognitive engineering simulation analysis - Application to advanced aviation automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corker, Kevin M.; Smith, Barry R.

1993-01-01

The process of designing crew stations for large-scale, complex automated systems is made difficult because of the flexibility of roles that the crew can assume, and by the rapid rate at which system designs become fixed. Modern cockpit automation frequently involves multiple layers of control and display technology in which human operators must exercise equipment in augmented, supervisory, and fully automated control modes. In this context, we maintain that effective human-centered design is dependent on adequate models of human/system performance in which representations of the equipment, the human operator(s), and the mission tasks are available to designers for manipulation and modification. The joint Army-NASA Aircrew/Aircraft Integration (A3I) Program, with its attendant Man-machine Integration Design and Analysis System (MIDAS), was initiated to meet this challenge. MIDAS provides designers with a test bed for analyzing human-system integration in an environment in which both cognitive human function and 'intelligent' machine function are described in similar terms. This distributed object-oriented simulation system, its architecture and assumptions, and our experiences from its application in advanced aviation crew stations are described.

NASA Automated Fiber Placement Capabilities: Similar Systems, Complementary Purposes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, K. Chauncey; Jackson, Justin R.; Pelham, Larry I.; Stewart, Brian K.

2015-01-01

New automated fiber placement systems at the NASA Langley Research Center and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center provide state-of-art composites capabilities to these organizations. These systems support basic and applied research at Langley, complementing large-scale manufacturing and technology development at Marshall. These systems each consist of a multi-degree of freedom mobility platform including a commercial robot, a commercial tool changer mechanism, a bespoke automated fiber placement end effector, a linear track, and a rotational tool support structure. In addition, new end effectors with advanced capabilities may be either bought or developed with partners in industry and academia to extend the functionality of these systems. These systems will be used to build large and small composite parts in support of the ongoing NASA Composites for Exploration Upper Stage Project later this year.

Advanced systems engineering and network planning support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walters, David H.; Barrett, Larry K.; Boyd, Ronald; Bazaj, Suresh; Mitchell, Lionel; Brosi, Fred

1990-01-01

The objective of this task was to take a fresh look at the NASA Space Network Control (SNC) element for the Advanced Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (ATDRSS) such that it can be made more efficient and responsive to the user by introducing new concepts and technologies appropriate for the 1997 timeframe. In particular, it was desired to investigate the technologies and concepts employed in similar systems that may be applicable to the SNC. The recommendations resulting from this study include resource partitioning, on-line access to subsets of the SN schedule, fluid scheduling, increased use of demand access on the MA service, automating Inter-System Control functions using monitor by exception, increase automation for distributed data management and distributed work management, viewing SN operational control in terms of the OSI Management framework, and the introduction of automated interface management.

A Fully Automated High-Throughput Flow Cytometry Screening System Enabling Phenotypic Drug Discovery.

PubMed

Joslin, John; Gilligan, James; Anderson, Paul; Garcia, Catherine; Sharif, Orzala; Hampton, Janice; Cohen, Steven; King, Miranda; Zhou, Bin; Jiang, Shumei; Trussell, Christopher; Dunn, Robert; Fathman, John W; Snead, Jennifer L; Boitano, Anthony E; Nguyen, Tommy; Conner, Michael; Cooke, Mike; Harris, Jennifer; Ainscow, Ed; Zhou, Yingyao; Shaw, Chris; Sipes, Dan; Mainquist, James; Lesley, Scott

2018-05-01

The goal of high-throughput screening is to enable screening of compound libraries in an automated manner to identify quality starting points for optimization. This often involves screening a large diversity of compounds in an assay that preserves a connection to the disease pathology. Phenotypic screening is a powerful tool for drug identification, in that assays can be run without prior understanding of the target and with primary cells that closely mimic the therapeutic setting. Advanced automation and high-content imaging have enabled many complex assays, but these are still relatively slow and low throughput. To address this limitation, we have developed an automated workflow that is dedicated to processing complex phenotypic assays for flow cytometry. The system can achieve a throughput of 50,000 wells per day, resulting in a fully automated platform that enables robust phenotypic drug discovery. Over the past 5 years, this screening system has been used for a variety of drug discovery programs, across many disease areas, with many molecules advancing quickly into preclinical development and into the clinic. This report will highlight a diversity of approaches that automated flow cytometry has enabled for phenotypic drug discovery.

Automation and robotics for the Space Station - The influence of the Advanced Technology Advisory Committee

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nunamaker, Robert R.; Willshire, Kelli F.

1988-01-01

The reports of a committee established by Congress to identify specific systems of the Space Station which would advance automation and robotics technologies are reviewed. The history of the committee, its relation to NASA, and the reports which it has released are discussed. The committee's reports recommend the widespread use of automation and robotics for the Space Station, a program for technology development and transfer between industries and research and development communities, and the planned use of robots to service and repair satellites and their payloads which are accessible from the Space Station.

Advanced automated glass cockpit certification: Being wary of human factors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amalberti, Rene; Wilbaux, Florence

1994-01-01

This paper presents some facets of the French experience with human factors in the process of certification of advanced automated cockpits. Three types of difficulties are described: first, the difficulties concerning the hotly debated concept of human error and its non-linear relationship to risk of accident; a typology of errors to be taken into account in the certification process is put forward to respond to this issue. Next, the difficulties connected to the basically gradual and evolving nature of pilot expertise on a given type of aircraft, which contrasts with the immediate and definitive style of certifying systems. The last difficulties to be considered are those related to the goals of certification itself on these new aircraft and the status of findings from human factor analyses (in particular, what should be done with disappointing results, how much can the changes induced by human factors investigation economically affect aircraft design, how many errors do we need to accumulate before we revise the system, what should be remedied when human factor problems are discovered at the certification stage: the machine? pilot training? the rules? or everything?). The growth of advanced-automated glass cockpits has forced the international aeronautical community to pay more attention to human factors during the design phase, the certification phase and pilot training. The recent creation of a human factor desk at the DGAC-SFACT (Official French services) is a direct consequence of this. The paper is divided into three parts. Part one debates human error and its relationship with system design and accident risk. Part two describes difficulties connected to the basically gradual and evolving nature of pilot expertise on a given type of aircraft, which contrasts with the immediate and definitive style of certifying systems. Part three focuses on concrete outcomes of human factors for certification purposes.

Implications of Automation for Operating and Staffing an Advanced Air Traffic Management System

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-08-01

The role of the air traffic controller in future system operations is expected to be substantially affected by the introduction of new automated features. The number of human operators needed to man the system will almost certainly decrease as machin...

Manned spacecraft automation and robotics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, Jon D.

1987-01-01

The Space Station holds promise of being a showcase user and driver of advanced automation and robotics technology. The author addresses the advances in automation and robotics from the Space Shuttle - with its high-reliability redundancy management and fault tolerance design and its remote manipulator system - to the projected knowledge-based systems for monitoring, control, fault diagnosis, planning, and scheduling, and the telerobotic systems of the future Space Station.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom and for the US economy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The progress made by levels 1, 2, and 3 of the Office of Space Station in developing and applying advanced automation and robotics technology is described. Emphasis is placed upon the Space Station Freedom Program responses to specific recommendations made in the Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) progress report 10, the flight telerobotic servicer, and the Advanced Development Program. Assessments are presented for these and other areas as they apply to the advancement of automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom.

Developing and Integrating Advanced Movement Features Improves Automated Classification of Ciliate Species

PubMed Central

Soleymani, Ali; Pennekamp, Frank; Petchey, Owen L.; Weibel, Robert

2015-01-01

Recent advances in tracking technologies such as GPS or video tracking systems describe the movement paths of individuals in unprecedented details and are increasingly used in different fields, including ecology. However, extracting information from raw movement data requires advanced analysis techniques, for instance to infer behaviors expressed during a certain period of the recorded trajectory, or gender or species identity in case data is obtained from remote tracking. In this paper, we address how different movement features affect the ability to automatically classify the species identity, using a dataset of unicellular microbes (i.e., ciliates). Previously, morphological attributes and simple movement metrics, such as speed, were used for classifying ciliate species. Here, we demonstrate that adding advanced movement features, in particular such based on discrete wavelet transform, to morphological features can improve classification. These results may have practical applications in automated monitoring of waste water facilities as well as environmental monitoring of aquatic systems. PMID:26680591

Fuzzy Control/Space Station automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gersh, Mark

1990-01-01

Viewgraphs on fuzzy control/space station automation are presented. Topics covered include: Space Station Freedom (SSF); SSF evolution; factors pointing to automation & robotics (A&R); astronaut office inputs concerning A&R; flight system automation and ground operations applications; transition definition program; and advanced automation software tools.

Advanced E-O test capability for Army Next-Generation Automated Test System (NGATS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Errea, S.; Grigor, J.; King, D. F.; Matis, G.; McHugh, S.; McKechnie, J.; Nehring, B.

2015-05-01

The Future E-O (FEO) program was established to develop a flexible, modular, automated test capability as part of the Next Generation Automatic Test System (NGATS) program to support the test and diagnostic needs of currently fielded U.S. Army electro-optical (E-O) devices, as well as being expandable to address the requirements of future Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force E-O systems. Santa Barbara infrared (SBIR) has designed, fabricated, and delivered three (3) prototype FEO for engineering and logistics evaluation prior to anticipated full-scale production beginning in 2016. In addition to presenting a detailed overview of the FEO system hardware design, features and testing capabilities, the integration of SBIR's EO-IR sensor and laser test software package, IRWindows 4™, into FEO to automate the test execution, data collection and analysis, archiving and reporting of results is also described.

A two-level structure for advanced space power system automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loparo, Kenneth A.; Chankong, Vira

1990-01-01

The tasks to be carried out during the three-year project period are: (1) performing extensive simulation using existing mathematical models to build a specific knowledge base of the operating characteristics of space power systems; (2) carrying out the necessary basic research on hierarchical control structures, real-time quantitative algorithms, and decision-theoretic procedures; (3) developing a two-level automation scheme for fault detection and diagnosis, maintenance and restoration scheduling, and load management; and (4) testing and demonstration. The outlines of the proposed system structure that served as a master plan for this project, work accomplished, concluding remarks, and ideas for future work are also addressed.

Automation and robotics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Montemerlo, Melvin

1988-01-01

The Autonomous Systems focus on the automation of control systems for the Space Station and mission operations. Telerobotics focuses on automation for in-space servicing, assembly, and repair. The Autonomous Systems and Telerobotics each have a planned sequence of integrated demonstrations showing the evolutionary advance of the state-of-the-art. Progress is briefly described for each area of concern.

77 FR 19030 - Automated Commercial Environment Required for the Transmission of Advance Ocean and Rail Cargo...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-29

... electronic data interchange (EDI) system. CBP recently completed the testing of the Automated Commercial..., after a six month transition period, ACE will be the only CBP-approved EDI for submitting required...-approved EDI for transmitting to CBP required advance information for ocean and rail cargo. FOR FURTHER...

Planning and Resource Management in an Intelligent Automated Power Management System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, Robert A.

1991-01-01

Power system management is a process of guiding a power system towards the objective of continuous supply of electrical power to a set of loads. Spacecraft power system management requires planning and scheduling, since electrical power is a scarce resource in space. The automation of power system management for future spacecraft has been recognized as an important R&D goal. Several automation technologies have emerged including the use of expert systems for automating human problem solving capabilities such as rule based expert system for fault diagnosis and load scheduling. It is questionable whether current generation expert system technology is applicable for power system management in space. The objective of the ADEPTS (ADvanced Electrical Power management Techniques for Space systems) is to study new techniques for power management automation. These techniques involve integrating current expert system technology with that of parallel and distributed computing, as well as a distributed, object-oriented approach to software design. The focus of the current study is the integration of new procedures for automatically planning and scheduling loads with procedures for performing fault diagnosis and control. The objective is the concurrent execution of both sets of tasks on separate transputer processors, thus adding parallelism to the overall management process.

The cobas® 6800/8800 System: a new era of automation in molecular diagnostics.

PubMed

Cobb, Bryan; Simon, Christian O; Stramer, Susan L; Body, Barbara; Mitchell, P Shawn; Reisch, Natasa; Stevens, Wendy; Carmona, Sergio; Katz, Louis; Will, Stephen; Liesenfeld, Oliver

2017-02-01

Molecular diagnostics is a key component of laboratory medicine. Here, the authors review key triggers of ever-increasing automation in nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) with a focus on specific automated Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing and platforms such as the recently launched cobas® 6800 and cobas® 8800 Systems. The benefits of such automation for different stakeholders including patients, clinicians, laboratory personnel, hospital administrators, payers, and manufacturers are described. Areas Covered: The authors describe how molecular diagnostics has achieved total laboratory automation over time, rivaling clinical chemistry to significantly improve testing efficiency. Finally, the authors discuss how advances in automation decrease the development time for new tests enabling clinicians to more readily provide test results. Expert Commentary: The advancements described enable complete diagnostic solutions whereby specific test results can be combined with relevant patient data sets to allow healthcare providers to deliver comprehensive clinical recommendations in multiple fields ranging from infectious disease to outbreak management and blood safety solutions.

Air Traffic Control: Status of FAA's Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System Project

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-03-01

Since the early 1980s, FAA's modernization efforts have experienced lengthy : schedule delays and substantial cost overruns. Because of such problems, in : 1994, FAA restructured its acquisition of the Terminal Advanced Automation : System into more ...

Automated reverse engineering of nonlinear dynamical systems.

PubMed

Bongard, Josh; Lipson, Hod

2007-06-12

Complex nonlinear dynamics arise in many fields of science and engineering, but uncovering the underlying differential equations directly from observations poses a challenging task. The ability to symbolically model complex networked systems is key to understanding them, an open problem in many disciplines. Here we introduce for the first time a method that can automatically generate symbolic equations for a nonlinear coupled dynamical system directly from time series data. This method is applicable to any system that can be described using sets of ordinary nonlinear differential equations, and assumes that the (possibly noisy) time series of all variables are observable. Previous automated symbolic modeling approaches of coupled physical systems produced linear models or required a nonlinear model to be provided manually. The advance presented here is made possible by allowing the method to model each (possibly coupled) variable separately, intelligently perturbing and destabilizing the system to extract its less observable characteristics, and automatically simplifying the equations during modeling. We demonstrate this method on four simulated and two real systems spanning mechanics, ecology, and systems biology. Unlike numerical models, symbolic models have explanatory value, suggesting that automated "reverse engineering" approaches for model-free symbolic nonlinear system identification may play an increasing role in our ability to understand progressively more complex systems in the future.

Automated Pilot Advisory System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parks, J. L., Jr.; Haidt, J. G.

1981-01-01

An Automated Pilot Advisory System (APAS) was developed and operationally tested to demonstrate the concept that low cost automated systems can provide air traffic and aviation weather advisory information at high density uncontrolled airports. The system was designed to enhance the see and be seen rule of flight, and pilots who used the system preferred it over the self announcement system presently used at uncontrolled airports.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station and for the US economy, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

In response to Public Law 98-371, dated July 18, 1984, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee has studied automation and robotics for use in the Space Station. The Technical Report, Volume 2, provides background information on automation and robotics technologies and their potential and documents: the relevant aspects of Space Station design; representative examples of automation and robotics; applications; the state of the technology and advances needed; and considerations for technology transfer to U.S. industry and for space commercialization.

Advanced, Analytic, Automated (AAA) Measurement of Engagement during Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Mello, Sidney; Dieterle, Ed; Duckworth, Angela

2017-01-01

It is generally acknowledged that engagement plays a critical role in learning. Unfortunately, the study of engagement has been stymied by a lack of valid and efficient measures. We introduce the advanced, analytic, and automated (AAA) approach to measure engagement at fine-grained temporal resolutions. The AAA measurement approach is grounded in…

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the space station and for the US economy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nunamaker, Robert

1988-01-01

In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on the Space Station. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memo 87566). A further requirement of the law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. This report is the sixth in a series of progress updates and covers the period between October 1, 1987 and March 1, 1988. NASA has accepted the basic recommendations of ATAC for its Space Station efforts. ATAC and NASA agree that the thrust of Congress is to build an advanced automation and robotics technology base that will support an evolutionary Space Station program and serve as a highly visible stimulator affecting the U.S. long-term economy. The progress report identifies the work of NASA and the Space Station study contractors, research in progress, and issues connected with the advancement of automation and robotics technology on the Space Station.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the space station and for the US economy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on the Space Station. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). A further requirement of the Law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. This report is the second in a series of progress updates and covers the period between October 4, 1985, and March 31, l986. NASA has accepted the basic recommendations of ATAC for its Space Station efforts. ATAC and NASA agree that thrust of Congress is to build an advanced automation and robotics technology base that will support an evolutionary Space Station Program and serve as a highly visible stimulator effecting the U.S. long-term economy. The progress report identifies the work of NASA and the Space Station study contractors, research in progress, and issues connected with the advancement of automation and robotics technology on the Space Station.

Automated Training Evaluation (ATE). Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charles, John P.; Johnson, Robert M.

The automation of weapons system training presents the potential for significant savings in training costs in terms of manpower, time, and money. The demonstration of the technical feasibility of automated training through the application of advanced digital computer techniques and advanced training techniques is essential before the application…

Develop Advanced Nonlinear Signal Analysis Topographical Mapping System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jong, Jen-Yi

1997-01-01

During the development of the SSME, a hierarchy of advanced signal analysis techniques for mechanical signature analysis has been developed by NASA and AI Signal Research Inc. (ASRI) to improve the safety and reliability for Space Shuttle operations. These techniques can process and identify intelligent information hidden in a measured signal which is often unidentifiable using conventional signal analysis methods. Currently, due to the highly interactive processing requirements and the volume of dynamic data involved, detailed diagnostic analysis is being performed manually which requires immense man-hours with extensive human interface. To overcome this manual process, NASA implemented this program to develop an Advanced nonlinear signal Analysis Topographical Mapping System (ATMS) to provide automatic/unsupervised engine diagnostic capabilities. The ATMS will utilize a rule-based Clips expert system to supervise a hierarchy of diagnostic signature analysis techniques in the Advanced Signal Analysis Library (ASAL). ASAL will perform automatic signal processing, archiving, and anomaly detection/identification tasks in order to provide an intelligent and fully automated engine diagnostic capability. The ATMS has been successfully developed under this contract. In summary, the program objectives to design, develop, test and conduct performance evaluation for an automated engine diagnostic system have been successfully achieved. Software implementation of the entire ATMS system on MSFC's OISPS computer has been completed. The significance of the ATMS developed under this program is attributed to the fully automated coherence analysis capability for anomaly detection and identification which can greatly enhance the power and reliability of engine diagnostic evaluation. The results have demonstrated that ATMS can significantly save time and man-hours in performing engine test/flight data analysis and performance evaluation of large volumes of dynamic test data.

Space station automation and robotics study. Operator-systems interface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

This is the final report of a Space Station Automation and Robotics Planning Study, which was a joint project of the Boeing Aerospace Company, Boeing Commercial Airplane Company, and Boeing Computer Services Company. The study is in support of the Advanced Technology Advisory Committee established by NASA in accordance with a mandate by the U.S. Congress. Boeing support complements that provided to the NASA Contractor study team by four aerospace contractors, the Stanford Research Institute (SRI), and the California Space Institute. This study identifies automation and robotics (A&R) technologies that can be advanced by requirements levied by the Space Station Program. The methodology used in the study is to establish functional requirements for the operator system interface (OSI), establish the technologies needed to meet these requirements, and to forecast the availability of these technologies. The OSI would perform path planning, tracking and control, object recognition, fault detection and correction, and plan modifications in connection with extravehicular (EV) robot operations.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom and for the US economy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lum, Henry, Jr.

1992-01-01

Described here is the progress made by Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the Space Station Freedom in developing and applying advanced automation and robotics technology. Emphasis was placed on the Space Station Freedom program responses to specific recommendations made in the Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) Progress Report 13, and issues of A&R implementation into the payload operations integration Center at Marshall Space Flight Center. Assessments are presented for these and other areas as they apply to the advancement of automation and robotics technology for Space Station Freedom.

Advanced Manufacturing Systems in Food Processing and Packaging Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shafie Sani, Mohd; Aziz, Faieza Abdul

2013-06-01

In this paper, several advanced manufacturing systems in food processing and packaging industry are reviewed, including: biodegradable smart packaging and Nano composites, advanced automation control system consists of fieldbus technology, distributed control system and food safety inspection features. The main purpose of current technology in food processing and packaging industry is discussed due to major concern on efficiency of the plant process, productivity, quality, as well as safety. These application were chosen because they are robust, flexible, reconfigurable, preserve the quality of the food, and efficient.

Automated Power-Distribution System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ashworth, Barry; Riedesel, Joel; Myers, Chris; Miller, William; Jones, Ellen F.; Freeman, Kenneth; Walsh, Richard; Walls, Bryan K.; Weeks, David J.; Bechtel, Robert T.

1992-01-01

Autonomous power-distribution system includes power-control equipment and automation equipment. System automatically schedules connection of power to loads and reconfigures itself when it detects fault. Potential terrestrial applications include optimization of consumption of power in homes, power supplies for autonomous land vehicles and vessels, and power supplies for automated industrial processes.

Automated Status Notification System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

NASA Lewis Research Center's Automated Status Notification System (ASNS) was born out of need. To prevent "hacker attacks," Lewis' telephone system needed to monitor communications activities 24 hr a day, 7 days a week. With decreasing staff resources, this continuous monitoring had to be automated. By utilizing existing communications hardware, a UNIX workstation, and NAWK (a pattern scanning and processing language), we implemented a continuous monitoring system.

Automated reverse engineering of nonlinear dynamical systems

PubMed Central

Bongard, Josh; Lipson, Hod

2007-01-01

Complex nonlinear dynamics arise in many fields of science and engineering, but uncovering the underlying differential equations directly from observations poses a challenging task. The ability to symbolically model complex networked systems is key to understanding them, an open problem in many disciplines. Here we introduce for the first time a method that can automatically generate symbolic equations for a nonlinear coupled dynamical system directly from time series data. This method is applicable to any system that can be described using sets of ordinary nonlinear differential equations, and assumes that the (possibly noisy) time series of all variables are observable. Previous automated symbolic modeling approaches of coupled physical systems produced linear models or required a nonlinear model to be provided manually. The advance presented here is made possible by allowing the method to model each (possibly coupled) variable separately, intelligently perturbing and destabilizing the system to extract its less observable characteristics, and automatically simplifying the equations during modeling. We demonstrate this method on four simulated and two real systems spanning mechanics, ecology, and systems biology. Unlike numerical models, symbolic models have explanatory value, suggesting that automated “reverse engineering” approaches for model-free symbolic nonlinear system identification may play an increasing role in our ability to understand progressively more complex systems in the future. PMID:17553966

Distraction or cognitive overload? Using modulations of the autonomic nervous system to discriminate the possible negative effects of advanced assistance system.

PubMed

Ruscio, D; Bos, A J; Ciceri, M R

2017-06-01

The interaction with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems has several positive implications for road safety, but also some potential downsides such as mental workload and automation complacency. Malleable attentional resources allocation theory describes two possible processes that can generate workload in interaction with advanced assisting devices. The purpose of the present study is to determine if specific analysis of the different modalities of autonomic control of nervous system can be used to discriminate different potential workload processes generated during assisted-driving tasks and automation complacency situations. Thirty-five drivers were tested in a virtual scenario while using head-up advanced warning assistance system. Repeated MANOVA were used to examine changes in autonomic activity across a combination of different user interactions generated by the advanced assistance system: (1) expected take-over request without anticipatory warning; (2) expected take-over request with two-second anticipatory warning; (3) unexpected take-over request with misleading warning; (4) unexpected take-over request without warning. Results shows that analysis of autonomic modulations can discriminate two different resources allocation processes, related to different behavioral performances. The user's interaction that required divided attention under expected situations produced performance enhancement and reciprocally-coupled parasympathetic inhibition with sympathetic activity. At the same time, supervising interactions that generated automation complacency were described specifically by uncoupled sympathetic activation. Safety implications for automated assistance systems developments are considered. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Opening up Library Automation Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breeding, Marshall

2009-01-01

Throughout the history of library automation, the author has seen a steady advancement toward more open systems. In the early days of library automation, when proprietary systems dominated, the need for standards was paramount since other means of inter-operability and data exchange weren't possible. Today's focus on Application Programming…

Advances in In-Situ Inspection of Automated Fiber Placement Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juarez, Peter D.; Cramer, K. Elliott; Seebo, Jeffrey P.

2016-01-01

The advent of Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) systems have aided the rapid manufacturing of composite aerospace structures. One of the challenges that AFP systems present is the uniformity of the deposited prepreg tape layers, which are prone to laps, gaps, overlaps and twists. The current detection modus operandi involves halting fabrication and performing a time consuming visual inspection of each tape layer. Typical AFP systems use a quartz lamp to heat the base layer to make the surface tacky as it deposits another tape layer. The idea was proposed to use the preheated base layer as a through transmission heat source and to inspect the newly added tape layer using a thermographic camera. As a preliminary study of this concept a laboratory proof of concept device was designed and constructed to simulate the through transmission heat source. Using the proof of concept device, we inspected an AFP-built uncured composite specimen with artificial manufacturing defects. This paper will discuss the results of this preliminary study and the implications involved with deploying a full-scale AFP inspection system.

Semi-automated CCTV surveillance: the effects of system confidence, system accuracy and task complexity on operator vigilance, reliance and workload.

PubMed

Dadashi, N; Stedmon, A W; Pridmore, T P

2013-09-01

Recent advances in computer vision technology have lead to the development of various automatic surveillance systems, however their effectiveness is adversely affected by many factors and they are not completely reliable. This study investigated the potential of a semi-automated surveillance system to reduce CCTV operator workload in both detection and tracking activities. A further focus of interest was the degree of user reliance on the automated system. A simulated prototype was developed which mimicked an automated system that provided different levels of system confidence information. Dependent variable measures were taken for secondary task performance, reliance and subjective workload. When the automatic component of a semi-automatic CCTV surveillance system provided reliable system confidence information to operators, workload significantly decreased and spare mental capacity significantly increased. Providing feedback about system confidence and accuracy appears to be one important way of making the status of the automated component of the surveillance system more 'visible' to users and hence more effective to use. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Efficiency of an Automated Reception and Turnaround Time Management System for the Phlebotomy Room

PubMed Central

Yun, Soon Gyu; Park, Eun Su; Bang, Hae In; Kang, Jung Gu

2016-01-01

Background Recent advances in laboratory information systems have largely been focused on automation. However, the phlebotomy services have not been completely automated. To address this issue, we introduced an automated reception and turnaround time (TAT) management system, for the first time in Korea, whereby the patient's information is transmitted directly to the actual phlebotomy site and the TAT for each phlebotomy step can be monitored at a glance. Methods The GNT5 system (Energium Co., Ltd., Korea) was installed in June 2013. The automated reception and TAT management system has been in operation since February 2014. Integration of the automated reception machine with the GNT5 allowed for direct transmission of laboratory order information to the GNT5 without involving any manual reception step. We used the mean TAT from reception to actual phlebotomy as the parameter for evaluating the efficiency of our system. Results Mean TAT decreased from 5:45 min to 2:42 min after operationalization of the system. The mean number of patients in queue decreased from 2.9 to 1.0. Further, the number of cases taking more than five minutes from reception to phlebotomy, defined as the defect rate, decreased from 20.1% to 9.7%. Conclusions The use of automated reception and TAT management system was associated with a decrease of overall TAT and an improved workflow at the phlebotomy room. PMID:26522759

Efficiency of an automated reception and turnaround time management system for the phlebotomy room.

PubMed

Yun, Soon Gyu; Shin, Jeong Won; Park, Eun Su; Bang, Hae In; Kang, Jung Gu

2016-01-01

Recent advances in laboratory information systems have largely been focused on automation. However, the phlebotomy services have not been completely automated. To address this issue, we introduced an automated reception and turnaround time (TAT) management system, for the first time in Korea, whereby the patient's information is transmitted directly to the actual phlebotomy site and the TAT for each phlebotomy step can be monitored at a glance. The GNT5 system (Energium Co., Ltd., Korea) was installed in June 2013. The automated reception and TAT management system has been in operation since February 2014. Integration of the automated reception machine with the GNT5 allowed for direct transmission of laboratory order information to the GNT5 without involving any manual reception step. We used the mean TAT from reception to actual phlebotomy as the parameter for evaluating the efficiency of our system. Mean TAT decreased from 5:45 min to 2:42 min after operationalization of the system. The mean number of patients in queue decreased from 2.9 to 1.0. Further, the number of cases taking more than five minutes from reception to phlebotomy, defined as the defect rate, decreased from 20.1% to 9.7%. The use of automated reception and TAT management system was associated with a decrease of overall TAT and an improved workflow at the phlebotomy room.

Recent advances in automated protein design and its future challenges.

PubMed

Setiawan, Dani; Brender, Jeffrey; Zhang, Yang

2018-04-25

Protein function is determined by protein structure which is in turn determined by the corresponding protein sequence. If the rules that cause a protein to adopt a particular structure are understood, it should be possible to refine or even redefine the function of a protein by working backwards from the desired structure to the sequence. Automated protein design attempts to calculate the effects of mutations computationally with the goal of more radical or complex transformations than are accessible by experimental techniques. Areas covered: The authors give a brief overview of the recent methodological advances in computer-aided protein design, showing how methodological choices affect final design and how automated protein design can be used to address problems considered beyond traditional protein engineering, including the creation of novel protein scaffolds for drug development. Also, the authors address specifically the future challenges in the development of automated protein design. Expert opinion: Automated protein design holds potential as a protein engineering technique, particularly in cases where screening by combinatorial mutagenesis is problematic. Considering solubility and immunogenicity issues, automated protein design is initially more likely to make an impact as a research tool for exploring basic biology in drug discovery than in the design of protein biologics.

Automated documentation generator for advanced protein crystal growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maddux, Gary A.; Provancha, Anna; Chattam, David

1994-01-01

To achieve an environment less dependent on the flow of paper, automated techniques of data storage and retrieval must be utilized. This software system, 'Automated Payload Experiment Tool,' seeks to provide a knowledge-based, hypertext environment for the development of NASA documentation. Once developed, the final system should be able to guide a Principal Investigator through the documentation process in a more timely and efficient manner, while supplying more accurate information to the NASA payload developer. The current system is designed for the development of the Science Requirements Document (SRD), the Experiment Requirements Document (ERD), the Project Plan, and the Safety Requirements Document.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom and for the U.S. economy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lum, Henry, Jr.

1992-01-01

In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on Space Station Freedom. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). A further requirement of the law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. This report is the fifteenth in a series of progress updates and covers the period between 27 Feb. - 17 Sep. 1992. The progress made by Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the Space Station Freedom in developing and applying advanced automation and robotics technology is described. Emphasis was placed upon the Space Station Freedom program responses to specific recommendations made in ATAC Progress Report 14. Assessments are presented for these and other areas as they apply to the advancement of automation and robotics technology for Space Station Freedom.

Evaluation of an Automated Keywording System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malone, Linda C.; And Others

1990-01-01

Discussion of automated indexing techniques focuses on ways to statistically document improvements in the development of an automated keywording system over time. The system developed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to automate the storage, categorization, and retrieval of information from military exercises is explained, and performance measures are…

Autonomy, Automation, and Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Philip R.

1987-02-01

Aerospace industry interest in autonomy and automation, given fresh impetus by the national goal of establishing a Space Station, is becoming a major item of research and technology development. The promise of new technology arising from research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has focused much attention on its potential in autonomy and automation. These technologies can improve performance in autonomous control functions that involve planning, scheduling, and fault diagnosis of complex systems. There are, however, many aspects of system and subsystem design in an autonomous system that impact AI applications, but do not directly involve AI technology. Development of a system control architecture, establishment of an operating system within the design, providing command and sensory data collection features appropriate to automated operation, and the use of design analysis tools to support system engineering are specific examples of major design issues. Aspects such as these must also receive attention and technology development support if we are to implement complex autonomous systems within the realistic limitations of mass, power, cost, and available flight-qualified technology that are all-important to a flight project.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the space station Freedom and for the US economy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Creedon, Jeremiah F.

1989-01-01

In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on the Freedom space station. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). A further requirement of the law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. This report is the eighth in a series of progress updates and covers the period between October 1, 1988, and March 31, 1989. NASA has accepted the basic recommendations of ATAC for its Space Station Freedom efforts. ATAC and NASA agree that the thrust of Congress is to build an advanced automation and robotics technology base that will support an evolutionary Space Station Freedom program and serve as a highly visible stimulator, affecting the U.S. long-term economy. The progress report identifies the work of NASA and the Freedom study contractors. It also describes research in progress, and it makes assessments of the advancement of automation and robotics technology on the Freedom space station.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom and for the US economy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on the Freedom space station. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). A further requirement of the law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. This report is the seventh in a series of progress updates and covers the period between April 1, 1988 and September 30, 1988. NASA has accepted the basic recommendations of ATAC for its Space Station Freedom efforts. ATAC and NASA agree that the thrust of Congress is to build an advanced automation and robotics technology base that will support an evolutionary Space Station Freedom program and serve as a highly visible stimulator, affecting the U.S. long-term economy. The progress report identifies the work of NASA and the Freedom study contractors. It also describes research in progress, and it makes assessments of the advancement of automation and robotics technology on the Freedom space station.

Automated Power-Distribution System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomason, Cindy; Anderson, Paul M.; Martin, James A.

1990-01-01

Automated power-distribution system monitors and controls electrical power to modules in network. Handles both 208-V, 20-kHz single-phase alternating current and 120- to 150-V direct current. Power distributed to load modules from power-distribution control units (PDCU's) via subsystem distributors. Ring busses carry power to PDCU's from power source. Needs minimal attention. Detects faults and also protects against them. Potential applications include autonomous land vehicles and automated industrial process systems.

21 CFR 864.5620 - Automated hemoglobin system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Automated hemoglobin system. 864.5620 Section 864....5620 Automated hemoglobin system. (a) Identification. An automated hemoglobin system is a fully... hemoglobin content of human blood. (b) Classification. Class II (performance standards). [45 FR 60601, Sept...

21 CFR 864.5620 - Automated hemoglobin system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Automated hemoglobin system. 864.5620 Section 864....5620 Automated hemoglobin system. (a) Identification. An automated hemoglobin system is a fully... hemoglobin content of human blood. (b) Classification. Class II (performance standards). [45 FR 60601, Sept...

Robotics/Automated Systems Technicians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doty, Charles R.

Major resources exist that can be used to develop or upgrade programs in community colleges and technical institutes that educate robotics/automated systems technicians. The first category of resources is Economic, Social, and Education Issues. The Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) report, "Automation and the Workplace," presents analyses of…

Preliminary Framework for Human-Automation Collaboration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oxstrand, Johanna Helene; Le Blanc, Katya Lee; Spielman, Zachary Alexander

The Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Technologies Program sponsors research, development and deployment activities through its Next Generation Nuclear Plant, Advanced Reactor Concepts, and Advanced Small Modular Reactor (aSMR) Programs to promote safety, technical, economical, and environmental advancements of innovative Generation IV nuclear energy technologies. The Human Automation Collaboration (HAC) Research Project is located under the aSMR Program, which identifies developing advanced instrumentation and controls and human-machine interfaces as one of four key research areas. It is expected that the new nuclear power plant designs will employ technology significantly more advanced than the analog systems in the existing reactor fleetmore » as well as utilizing automation to a greater extent. Moving towards more advanced technology and more automation does not necessary imply more efficient and safer operation of the plant. Instead, a number of concerns about how these technologies will affect human performance and the overall safety of the plant need to be addressed. More specifically, it is important to investigate how the operator and the automation work as a team to ensure effective and safe plant operation, also known as the human-automation collaboration (HAC). The focus of the HAC research is to understand how various characteristics of automation (such as its reliability, processes, and modes) effect an operator’s use and awareness of plant conditions. In other words, the research team investigates how to best design the collaboration between the operators and the automated systems in a manner that has the greatest positive impact on overall plant performance and reliability. This report addresses the Department of Energy milestone M4AT-15IN2302054, Complete Preliminary Framework for Human-Automation Collaboration, by discussing the two phased development of a preliminary HAC framework. The framework developed in the first phase was used

A system-level approach to automation research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrison, F. W.; Orlando, N. E.

1984-01-01

Automation is the application of self-regulating mechanical and electronic devices to processes that can be accomplished with the human organs of perception, decision, and actuation. The successful application of automation to a system process should reduce man/system interaction and the perceived complexity of the system, or should increase affordability, productivity, quality control, and safety. The expense, time constraints, and risk factors associated with extravehicular activities have led the Automation Technology Branch (ATB), as part of the NASA Automation Research and Technology Program, to investigate the use of robots and teleoperators as automation aids in the context of space operations. The ATB program addresses three major areas: (1) basic research in autonomous operations, (2) human factors research on man-machine interfaces with remote systems, and (3) the integration and analysis of automated systems. This paper reviews the current ATB research in the area of robotics and teleoperators.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom and for the U.S. Economy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on Space Station Freedom. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). A further requirement of the law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. This report is the thirteenth in a series of progress updates and covers the period between 14 Feb. - 15 Aug. 1991. The progress made by Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the Space Station Freedom in developing and applying advanced automation and robotics technology is described. Emphasis was placed upon the Space Station Freedom Program responses to specific recommendations made in ATAC Progress Report 12, and issues of A&R implementation into Ground Mission Operations and A&R enhancement of science productivity. Assessments are presented for these and other areas as they apply to the advancement of automation and robotics technology for Space Station Freedom.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom and for the U.S. economy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on Space Station Freedom. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). A further requirement of the law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. This report is the sixteenth in a series of progress updates and covers the period between 15 Sep. 1992 - 16 Mar. 1993. The report describes the progress made by Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the Space Station Freedom in developing and applying advanced automation and robotics technology. Emphasis was placed upon the Space Station Freedom Program responses to specific recommendations made in ATAC Progress Report 15; and includes a status review of Space Station Freedom Launch Processing facilities at Kennedy Space Center. Assessments are presented for these and other areas as they apply to the advancement of automation and robotics technology for Space Station Freedom.

Launch Control System Software Development System Automation Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hwang, Andrew

2017-01-01

The Spaceport Command and Control System (SCCS) is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) launch control system for the Orion capsule and Space Launch System, the next generation manned rocket currently in development. This system requires high quality testing that will measure and test the capabilities of the system. For the past two years, the Exploration and Operations Division at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has assigned a group including interns and full-time engineers to develop automated tests to save the project time and money. The team worked on automating the testing process for the SCCS GUI that would use streamed simulated data from the testing servers to produce data, plots, statuses, etc. to the GUI. The software used to develop automated tests included an automated testing framework and an automation library. The automated testing framework has a tabular-style syntax, which means the functionality of a line of code must have the appropriate number of tabs for the line to function as intended. The header section contains either paths to custom resources or the names of libraries being used. The automation library contains functionality to automate anything that appears on a desired screen with the use of image recognition software to detect and control GUI components. The data section contains any data values strictly created for the current testing file. The body section holds the tests that are being run. The function section can include any number of functions that may be used by the current testing file or any other file that resources it. The resources and body section are required for all test files; the data and function sections can be left empty if the data values and functions being used are from a resourced library or another file. To help equip the automation team with better tools, the Project Lead of the Automated Testing Team, Jason Kapusta, assigned the task to install and train an optical character recognition (OCR

Approaches to automated protein crystal harvesting

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deller, Marc C., E-mail: mdeller@scripps.edu; Rupp, Bernhard, E-mail: mdeller@scripps.edu

Approaches to automated and robot-assisted harvesting of protein crystals are critically reviewed. While no true turn-key solutions for automation of protein crystal harvesting are currently available, systems incorporating advanced robotics and micro-electromechanical systems represent exciting developments with the potential to revolutionize the way in which protein crystals are harvested.

Minimum Control Requirements for Advanced Life Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boulange, Richard; Jones, Harry; Jones, Harry

2002-01-01

Advanced control technologies are not necessary for the safe, reliable and continuous operation of Advanced Life Support (ALS) systems. ALS systems can and are adequately controlled by simple, reliable, low-level methodologies and algorithms. The automation provided by advanced control technologies is claimed to decrease system mass and necessary crew time by reducing buffer size and minimizing crew involvement. In truth, these approaches increase control system complexity without clearly demonstrating an increase in reliability across the ALS system. Unless these systems are as reliable as the hardware they control, there is no savings to be had. A baseline ALS system is presented with the minimal control system required for its continuous safe reliable operation. This baseline control system uses simple algorithms and scheduling methodologies and relies on human intervention only in the event of failure of the redundant backup equipment. This ALS system architecture is designed for reliable operation, with minimal components and minimal control system complexity. The fundamental design precept followed is "If it isn't there, it can't fail".

An Overview of the Automated Dispatch Controller Algorithms in the System Advisor Model (SAM)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DiOrio, Nicholas A

2017-11-22

Three automatic dispatch modes have been added to the battery model within the System Adviser Model. These controllers have been developed to perform peak shaving in an automated fashion, providing users with a way to see the benefit of reduced demand charges without manually programming a complicated dispatch control. A flexible input option allows more advanced interaction with the automated controller. This document will describe the algorithms in detail and present brief results on its use and limitations.

Paperless Procurement: The Impact of Advanced Automation

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-09-01

System. POPS = Paperless Order Processing System; RADMIS = Research and Development Management Information System; SAACONS=Standard Army Automated... order processing system, which then updates the contractor’s production (or delivery) scheduling and contract accounting applications. In return, the...used by the DLA’s POPS. 3-5 into an EDI delivery order and pass it directly to the distributor’s or manufacturer’s order processing system. That

Advanced dosimetry systems for the space transport and space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wailly, L. F.; Schneider, M. F.; Clark, B. C.

1972-01-01

Advanced dosimetry system concepts are described that will provide automated and instantaneous measurement of dose and particle spectra. Systems are proposed for measuring dose rate from cosmic radiation background to greater than 3600 rads/hr. Charged particle spectrometers, both internal and external to the spacecraft, are described for determining mixed field energy spectra and particle fluxes for both real time onboard and ground-based computer evaluation of the radiation hazard. Automated passive dosimetry systems consisting of thermoluminescent dosimeters and activation techniques are proposed for recording the dose levels for twelve or more crew members. This system will allow automatic onboard readout and data storage of the accumulated dose and can be transmitted to ground after readout or data records recovered with each crew rotation.

Automated Ground Umbilical Systems (AGUS) Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gosselin, Armand M.

2007-01-01

All space vehicles require ground umbilical systems for servicing. Servicing requirements can include, but are not limited to, electrical power and control, propellant loading and venting, pneumatic system supply, hazard gas detection and purging as well as systems checkout capabilities. Of the various types of umbilicals, all require several common subsystems. These typically include an alignment system, mating and locking system, fluid connectors, electrical connectors and control !checkout systems. These systems have been designed to various levels of detail based on the needs for manual and/or automation requirements. The Automated Ground Umbilical Systems (AGUS) project is a multi-phase initiative to develop design performance requirements and concepts for launch system umbilicals. The automation aspect minimizes operational time and labor in ground umbilical processing while maintaining reliability. This current phase of the project reviews the design, development, testing and operations of ground umbilicals built for the Saturn, Shuttle, X-33 and Atlas V programs. Based on the design and operations lessons learned from these systems, umbilicals can be optimized for specific applications. The product of this study is a document containing details of existing systems and requirements for future automated umbilical systems with emphasis on design-for-operations (DFO).

Workshop report : joint workshop on liability issues in advanced vehicle control and automated highway systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-02-05

The National Automated Highway System Consortium (NAHSC), ITS America and the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO) co-sponsored a two-day workshop in Washington, DC on February 5-6, 1997 to examine the liability i...

Crew system dynamics - Combining humans and automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connors, Mary

1989-01-01

Some of the human factor issues involved in effectively combining human and automated systems are examined with particular reference to spaceflights. The concepts of the crew system and crew systems dynamics are defined, and the present status of crew systems is summarized. The possibilities and potential problems aasociated with the use of automated systems are discussed, as are unique capabilities and possible errors introduced by human participants. It is emphasized that the true integration of human and automated systems must allow for the characteristics of both.

Automated skid data system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-01-01

The Data Systems and Analysis Section of the Virginia Highway & Transportation Research Council has been involved for sometime in the development of automated information systems for various types of roadway data. One of these systems, and the system...

Automated CPX support system preliminary design phase

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bordeaux, T. A.; Carson, E. T.; Hepburn, C. D.; Shinnick, F. M.

1984-01-01

The development of the Distributed Command and Control System (DCCS) is discussed. The development of an automated C2 system stimulated the development of an automated command post exercise (CPX) support system to provide a more realistic stimulus to DCCS than could be achieved with the existing manual system. An automated CPX system to support corps-level exercise was designed. The effort comprised four tasks: (1) collecting and documenting user requirements; (2) developing a preliminary system design; (3) defining a program plan; and (4) evaluating the suitability of the TRASANA FOURCE computer model.

Performance modeling of automated manufacturing systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanadham, N.; Narahari, Y.

A unified and systematic treatment is presented of modeling methodologies and analysis techniques for performance evaluation of automated manufacturing systems. The book is the first treatment of the mathematical modeling of manufacturing systems. Automated manufacturing systems are surveyed and three principal analytical modeling paradigms are discussed: Markov chains, queues and queueing networks, and Petri nets.

DEVELOPMENT OF OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS FOR ADVANCED SMRs: THE ROLE OF COGNITIVE SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jacques Hugo; David Gertman

Advanced small modular reactors (AdvSMRs) will use advanced digital instrumentation and control systems, and make greater use of automation. These advances not only pose technical and operational challenges, but will inevitably have an effect on the operating and maintenance (O&M) cost of new plants. However, there is much uncertainty about the impact of AdvSMR designs on operational and human factors considerations, such as workload, situation awareness, human reliability, staffing levels, and the appropriate allocation of functions between the crew and various automated plant systems. Existing human factors and systems engineering design standards and methodologies are not current in terms ofmore » human interaction requirements for dynamic automated systems and are no longer suitable for the analysis of evolving operational concepts. New models and guidance for operational concepts for complex socio-technical systems need to adopt a state-of-the-art approach such as Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE) that gives due consideration to the role of personnel. This approach we report on helps to identify and evaluate human challenges related to non-traditional concepts of operations. A framework - defining operational strategies was developed based on the operational analysis of Argonne National Laboratory’s Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II), a small (20MWe) sodium-cooled reactor that was successfully operated for thirty years. Insights from the application of the systematic application of the methodology and its utility are reviewed and arguments for the formal adoption of CSE as a value-added part of the Systems Engineering process are presented.« less

System reliability, performance and trust in adaptable automation.

PubMed

Chavaillaz, Alain; Wastell, David; Sauer, Jürgen

2016-01-01

The present study examined the effects of reduced system reliability on operator performance and automation management in an adaptable automation environment. 39 operators were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups: low (60%), medium (80%), and high (100%) reliability of automation support. The support system provided five incremental levels of automation which operators could freely select according to their needs. After 3 h of training on a simulated process control task (AutoCAMS) in which the automation worked infallibly, operator performance and automation management were measured during a 2.5-h testing session. Trust and workload were also assessed through questionnaires. Results showed that although reduced system reliability resulted in lower levels of trust towards automation, there were no corresponding differences in the operators' reliance on automation. While operators showed overall a noteworthy ability to cope with automation failure, there were, however, decrements in diagnostic speed and prospective memory with lower reliability. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated packing systems: review of industrial implementations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whelan, Paul F.; Batchelor, Bruce G.

1993-08-01

A rich theoretical background to the problems that occur in the automation of material handling can be found in operations research, production engineering, systems engineering and automation, more specifically machine vision, literature. This work has contributed towards the design of intelligent handling systems. This paper will review the application of these automated material handling and packing techniques to industrial problems. The discussion will also highlight the systems integration issues involved in these applications. An outline of one such industrial application, the automated placement of shape templates on to leather hides, is also discussed. The purpose of this system is to arrange shape templates on a leather hide in an efficient manner, so as to minimize the leather waste, before they are automatically cut from the hide. These pieces are used in the furniture and car manufacturing industries for the upholstery of high quality leather chairs and car seats. Currently this type of operation is semi-automated. The paper will outline the problems involved in the full automation of such a procedure.

Advanced Simulation in Undergraduate Pilot Training: Automatic Instructional System. Final Report for the Period March 1971-January 1975.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faconti, Victor; Epps, Robert

The Advanced Simulator for Undergraduate Pilot Training (ASUPT) was designed to investigate the role of simulation in the future Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) program. The Automated Instructional System designed for the ASUPT simulator was described in this report. The development of the Automated Instructional System for ASUPT was based upon…

Laboratory automation in clinical bacteriology: what system to choose?

PubMed

Croxatto, A; Prod'hom, G; Faverjon, F; Rochais, Y; Greub, G

2016-03-01

Automation was introduced many years ago in several diagnostic disciplines such as chemistry, haematology and molecular biology. The first laboratory automation system for clinical bacteriology was released in 2006, and it rapidly proved its value by increasing productivity, allowing a continuous increase in sample volumes despite limited budgets and personnel shortages. Today, two major manufacturers, BD Kiestra and Copan, are commercializing partial or complete laboratory automation systems for bacteriology. The laboratory automation systems are rapidly evolving to provide improved hardware and software solutions to optimize laboratory efficiency. However, the complex parameters of the laboratory and automation systems must be considered to determine the best system for each given laboratory. We address several topics on laboratory automation that may help clinical bacteriologists to understand the particularities and operative modalities of the different systems. We present (a) a comparison of the engineering and technical features of the various elements composing the two different automated systems currently available, (b) the system workflows of partial and complete laboratory automation, which define the basis for laboratory reorganization required to optimize system efficiency, (c) the concept of digital imaging and telebacteriology, (d) the connectivity of laboratory automation to the laboratory information system, (e) the general advantages and disadvantages as well as the expected impacts provided by laboratory automation and (f) the laboratory data required to conduct a workflow assessment to determine the best configuration of an automated system for the laboratory activities and specificities. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

AFTI/F16 Automated Maneuvering Attack System Test Reports/Special Technologies and Outlook.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-07-11

Multiplex Data Bus A-A Air-To-Air A-S Air-to-Surface AFTI Advanced Fighter Technology Integration SYSTEM DESIGN AGL Above-Ground-Level AMAS Automated...Maneuvering Attack System Design requirements for the AFTI/F-16 are driven AMUX Avionics Multiplex Data Bus by realistic air combat scenarios and are...the avionics subsystem IFIM and avionics systems are single-thread, much of the sensed various flight control sensors. Additionally, along with data

Automated Subsystem Control for Life Support System (ASCLSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Block, Roger F.

1987-01-01

The Automated Subsystem Control for Life Support Systems (ASCLSS) program has successfully developed and demonstrated a generic approach to the automation and control of space station subsystems. The automation system features a hierarchical and distributed real-time control architecture which places maximum controls authority at the lowest or process control level which enhances system autonomy. The ASCLSS demonstration system pioneered many automation and control concepts currently being considered in the space station data management system (DMS). Heavy emphasis is placed on controls hardware and software commonality implemented in accepted standards. The approach demonstrates successfully the application of real-time process and accountability with the subsystem or process developer. The ASCLSS system completely automates a space station subsystem (air revitalization group of the ASCLSS) which moves the crew/operator into a role of supervisory control authority. The ASCLSS program developed over 50 lessons learned which will aide future space station developers in the area of automation and controls..

Building Automation Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honeywell, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.

A number of different automation systems for use in monitoring and controlling building equipment are described in this brochure. The system functions include--(1) collection of information, (2) processing and display of data at a central panel, and (3) taking corrective action by sounding alarms, making adjustments, or automatically starting and…

Human-Centered Aviation Automation: Principles and Guidelines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billings, Charles E.

1996-01-01

This document presents principles and guidelines for human-centered automation in aircraft and in the aviation system. Drawing upon operational experience with highly automated aircraft, it describes classes of problems that have occurred in these vehicles, the effects of advanced automation on the human operators of the aviation system, and ways in which these problems may be avoided in the design of future aircraft and air traffic management automation. Many incidents and a few serious accidents suggest that these problems are related to automation complexity, autonomy, coupling, and opacity, or inadequate feedback to operators. An automation philosophy that emphasizes improved communication, coordination and cooperation between the human and machine elements of this complex, distributed system is required to improve the safety and efficiency of aviation operations in the future.

Automated Information System (AIS) Alarm System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hunteman, W.

1997-05-01

The Automated Information Alarm System is a joint effort between Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratory to demonstrate and implement, on a small-to-medium sized local area network, an automated system that detects and automatically responds to attacks that use readily available tools and methodologies. The Alarm System will sense or detect, assess, and respond to suspicious activities that may be detrimental to information on the network or to continued operation of the network. The responses will allow stopping, isolating, or ejecting the suspicious activities. The number of sensors, the sensitivity of the sensors, themore » assessment criteria, and the desired responses may be set by the using organization to meet their local security policies.« less

15 CFR 758.2 - Automated Export System (AES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Automated Export System (AES). 758.2... CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS § 758.2 Automated Export System (AES). The Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Statistics...) electronically using the Automated Export System (AES). In order to use AES, you must apply directly to the...

15 CFR 758.2 - Automated Export System (AES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Automated Export System (AES). 758.2... CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS § 758.2 Automated Export System (AES). The Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Statistics...) electronically using the Automated Export System (AES). In order to use AES, you must apply directly to the...

15 CFR 758.2 - Automated Export System (AES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Automated Export System (AES). 758.2... CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS § 758.2 Automated Export System (AES). The Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Statistics...) electronically using the Automated Export System (AES). In order to use AES, you must apply directly to the...

Pilot interaction with automated airborne decision making systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rouse, W. B.; Chu, Y. Y.; Greenstein, J. S.; Walden, R. S.

1976-01-01

An investigation was made of interaction between a human pilot and automated on-board decision making systems. Research was initiated on the topic of pilot problem solving in automated and semi-automated flight management systems and attempts were made to develop a model of human decision making in a multi-task situation. A study was made of allocation of responsibility between human and computer, and discussed were various pilot performance parameters with varying degrees of automation. Optimal allocation of responsibility between human and computer was considered and some theoretical results found in the literature were presented. The pilot as a problem solver was discussed. Finally the design of displays, controls, procedures, and computer aids for problem solving tasks in automated and semi-automated systems was considered.

Advanced Air Traffic Management Research (Human Factors and Automation): NASA Research Initiatives in Human-Centered Automation Design in Airspace Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corker, Kevin M.; Condon, Gregory W. (Technical Monitor)

1996-01-01

NASA has initiated a significant thrust of research and development focused on providing the flight crew and air traffic managers automation aids to increase capacity in en route and terminal area operations through the use of flexible, more fuel-efficient routing, while improving the level of safety in commercial carrier operations. In that system development, definition of cognitive requirements for integrated multi-operator dynamic aiding systems is fundamental. The core processes of control and the distribution of decision making in that control are undergoing extensive analysis. From our perspective, the human operators and the procedures by which they interact are the fundamental determinants of the safe, efficient, and flexible operation of the system. In that perspective, we have begun to explore what our experience has taught will be the most challenging aspects of designing and integrating human-centered automation in the advanced system. We have performed a full mission simulation looking at the role shift to self-separation on board the aircraft with the rules of the air guiding behavior and the provision of a cockpit display of traffic information and an on-board traffic alert system that seamlessly integrates into the TCAS operations. We have performed and initial investigation of the operational impact of "Dynamic Density" metrics on controller relinquishing and reestablishing full separation authority. (We follow the assumption that responsibility at all times resides with the controller.) This presentation will describe those efforts as well as describe the process by which we will guide the development of error tolerant systems that are sensitive to shifts in operator work load levels and dynamic shifts in the operating point of air traffic management.

Perl Tools for Automating Satellite Ground Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McLean, David; Haar, Therese; McDonald, James

2000-01-01

The freeware scripting language Pert offers many opportunities for automating satellite ground systems for new satellites as well as older, in situ systems. This paper describes a toolkit that has evolved from of the experiences gained by using Pert to automate the ground system for the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) and for automating some of the elements in the Earth Observing System Data and Operations System (EDOS) ground system at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). CGRO is an older ground system that was forced to automate because of fund cuts. Three 8 hour shifts were cut back to one 8 hour shift, 7 days per week. EDOS supports a new mission called Terra, launched December 1999 that requires distribution and tracking of mission-critical reports throughout the world. Both of these ground systems use Pert scripts to process data and display it on the Internet as well as scripts to coordinate many of the other systems that make these ground systems work as a coherent whole. Another task called Automated Multimodal Trend Analysis System (AMTAS) is looking at technology for isolation and recovery of spacecraft problems. This effort has led to prototypes that seek to evaluate various tools and technology that meet at least some of the AMTAS goals. The tools, experiences, and lessons learned by implementing these systems are described here.

Addressing fundamental architectural challenges of an activity-based intelligence and advanced analytics (ABIAA) system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yager, Kevin; Albert, Thomas; Brower, Bernard V.; Pellechia, Matthew F.

2015-06-01

The domain of Geospatial Intelligence Analysis is rapidly shifting toward a new paradigm of Activity Based Intelligence (ABI) and information-based Tipping and Cueing. General requirements for an advanced ABIAA system present significant challenges in architectural design, computing resources, data volumes, workflow efficiency, data mining and analysis algorithms, and database structures. These sophisticated ABI software systems must include advanced algorithms that automatically flag activities of interest in less time and within larger data volumes than can be processed by human analysts. In doing this, they must also maintain the geospatial accuracy necessary for cross-correlation of multi-intelligence data sources. Historically, serial architectural workflows have been employed in ABIAA system design for tasking, collection, processing, exploitation, and dissemination. These simpler architectures may produce implementations that solve short term requirements; however, they have serious limitations that preclude them from being used effectively in an automated ABIAA system with multiple data sources. This paper discusses modern ABIAA architectural considerations providing an overview of an advanced ABIAA system and comparisons to legacy systems. It concludes with a recommended strategy and incremental approach to the research, development, and construction of a fully automated ABIAA system.

Spaceport Command and Control System Automated Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stein, Meriel

2017-01-01

The Spaceport Command and Control System (SCCS) is the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations (NASA) launch control system for the Orion capsule and Space Launch System, the next generation manned rocket currently in development. This large system requires high quality testing that will properly measure the capabilities of the system. Automating the test procedures would save the project time and money. Therefore, the Electrical Engineering Division at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has recruited interns for the past two years to work alongside full-time engineers to develop these automated tests, as well as innovate upon the current automation process.

Spaceport Command and Control System Automation Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hwang, Andrew

2017-01-01

The Spaceport Command and Control System (SCCS) is the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations (NASA) launch control system for the Orion capsule and Space Launch System, the next generation manned rocket currently in development. This large system requires high quality testing that will properly measure the capabilities of the system. Automating the test procedures would save the project time and money. Therefore, the Electrical Engineering Division at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has recruited interns for the past two years to work alongside full-time engineers to develop these automated tests, as well as innovate upon the current automation process.

Fully automated multifunctional ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography system for advanced proteome analyses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Jung Hwa; Hyung, Seok-Won; Mun, Dong-Gi

2012-08-03

A multi-functional liquid chromatography system that performs 1-dimensional, 2-dimensional (strong cation exchange/reverse phase liquid chromatography, or SCX/RPLC) separations, and online phosphopeptides enrichment using a single binary nano-flow pump has been developed. With a simple operation of a function selection valve, which is equipped with a SCX column and a TiO2 (titanium dioxide) column, a fully automated selection of three different experiment modes was achieved. Because the current system uses essentially the same solvent flow paths, the same trap column, and the same separation column for reverse-phase separation of 1D, 2D, and online phosphopeptides enrichment experiments, the elution time information obtainedmore » from these experiments is in excellent agreement, which facilitates correlating peptide information from different experiments.« less

Pointing and control system enabling technology for future automated space missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dahlgren, J. B.

1978-01-01

Future automated space missions present challenging opportunities in the pointing-and-control technology disciplines. The enabling pointing-and-control system technologies for missions from 1985 to the year 2000 were identified and assessed. A generic mission set including Earth orbiter, planetary, and other missions which predominantly drive the pointing-and-control requirements was selected for detailed evaluation. Technology candidates identified were prioritized as planning options for future NASA-OAST advanced development programs. The primary technology thrusts in each candidate program were cited, and advanced development programs in pointing-and-control were recommended for the FY 80 to FY 87 period, based on these technology thrusts.

An automated data exploitation system for airborne sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hai-Wen; McGurr, Mike

2014-06-01

Advanced wide area persistent surveillance (WAPS) sensor systems on manned or unmanned airborne vehicles are essential for wide-area urban security monitoring in order to protect our people and our warfighter from terrorist attacks. Currently, human (imagery) analysts process huge data collections from full motion video (FMV) for data exploitation and analysis (real-time and forensic), providing slow and inaccurate results. An Automated Data Exploitation System (ADES) is urgently needed. In this paper, we present a recently developed ADES for airborne vehicles under heavy urban background clutter conditions. This system includes four processes: (1) fast image registration, stabilization, and mosaicking; (2) advanced non-linear morphological moving target detection; (3) robust multiple target (vehicles, dismounts, and human) tracking (up to 100 target tracks); and (4) moving or static target/object recognition (super-resolution). Test results with real FMV data indicate that our ADES can reliably detect, track, and recognize multiple vehicles under heavy urban background clutters. Furthermore, our example shows that ADES as a baseline platform can provide capability for vehicle abnormal behavior detection to help imagery analysts quickly trace down potential threats and crimes.

21 CFR 864.5700 - Automated platelet aggregation system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... addition of an aggregating reagent to a platelet-rich plasma. (b) Classification. Class II (performance... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Automated platelet aggregation system. 864.5700... § 864.5700 Automated platelet aggregation system. (a) Identification. An automated platelet aggregation...

21 CFR 864.5700 - Automated platelet aggregation system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... addition of an aggregating reagent to a platelet-rich plasma. (b) Classification. Class II (performance... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Automated platelet aggregation system. 864.5700... § 864.5700 Automated platelet aggregation system. (a) Identification. An automated platelet aggregation...

21 CFR 864.5700 - Automated platelet aggregation system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... addition of an aggregating reagent to a platelet-rich plasma. (b) Classification. Class II (performance... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Automated platelet aggregation system. 864.5700... § 864.5700 Automated platelet aggregation system. (a) Identification. An automated platelet aggregation...

21 CFR 864.5700 - Automated platelet aggregation system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... addition of an aggregating reagent to a platelet-rich plasma. (b) Classification. Class II (performance... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Automated platelet aggregation system. 864.5700... § 864.5700 Automated platelet aggregation system. (a) Identification. An automated platelet aggregation...

21 CFR 864.5700 - Automated platelet aggregation system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... addition of an aggregating reagent to a platelet-rich plasma. (b) Classification. Class II (performance... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Automated platelet aggregation system. 864.5700... § 864.5700 Automated platelet aggregation system. (a) Identification. An automated platelet aggregation...

Prototype space station automation system delivered and demonstrated at NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Block, Roger F.

1987-01-01

The Automated Subsystem Control for Life Support System (ASCLSS) program has successfully developed and demonstrated a generic approach to the automation and control of Space Station subsystems. The hierarchical and distributed real time controls system places the required controls authority at every level of the automation system architecture. As a demonstration of the automation technique, the ASCLSS system automated the Air Revitalization Group (ARG) of the Space Station regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) using real-time, high fidelity simulators of the ARG processess. This automation system represents an early flight prototype and an important test bed for evaluating Space Station controls technology including future application of ADA software in real-time control and the development and demonstration of embedded artificial intelligence and expert systems (AI/ES) in distributed automation and controls systems.

47 CFR 80.54 - Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)-System Licensing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)-System Licensing. 80.54 Section 80.54 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION... § 80.54 Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)—System Licensing. AMTS licensees will be...

47 CFR 80.54 - Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)-System Licensing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)-System Licensing. 80.54 Section 80.54 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION... § 80.54 Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)—System Licensing. AMTS licensees will be...

47 CFR 80.54 - Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)-System Licensing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)-System Licensing. 80.54 Section 80.54 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION... § 80.54 Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)—System Licensing. AMTS licensees will be...

47 CFR 80.54 - Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)-System Licensing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)-System Licensing. 80.54 Section 80.54 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION... § 80.54 Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)—System Licensing. AMTS licensees will be...

47 CFR 80.54 - Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)-System Licensing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)-System Licensing. 80.54 Section 80.54 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION... § 80.54 Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS)—System Licensing. AMTS licensees will be...

Advanced radiology information system.

PubMed

Kolovou, L; Vatousi, M; Lymperopoulos, D; Koukias, M

2005-01-01

The innovative features of an advanced Radiology Information System (RIS) are presented in this paper. The interoperability of RIS with the other Intra-hospital Information Systems that interacts with, dealing with the compatibility and open architecture issues, are accomplished by two novel mechanisms [1]. The first one is the particular message handling system that is applied for the exchange of information, according to the Health Level Seven (HL7) protocol's specifications and serves the transfer of medical and administrative data among the RIS applications and data store unit. The same mechanism allows the secure and HL7-compatible interactions with the Hospital Information System (HIS) too. The second one implements the translation of information between the formats that HL7 and Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) protocols specify, providing the communication between RIS and Picture and Archive Communication System (PACS). The whole structure ensures the automation of the every-day procedures that the ;medical protocol' specifies and provides its services through a friendly and easy to manage graphical user interface.

A HUMAN AUTOMATION INTERACTION CONCEPT FOR A SMALL MODULAR REACTOR CONTROL ROOM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Le Blanc, Katya; Spielman, Zach; Hill, Rachael

Many advanced nuclear power plant (NPP) designs incorporate higher degrees of automation than the existing fleet of NPPs. Automation is being introduced or proposed in NPPs through a wide variety of systems and technologies, such as advanced displays, computer-based procedures, advanced alarm systems, and computerized operator support systems. Additionally, many new reactor concepts, both full scale and small modular reactors, are proposing increased automation and reduced staffing as part of their concept of operations. However, research consistently finds that there is a fundamental tradeoff between system performance with increased automation and reduced human performance. There is a need to addressmore » the question of how to achieve high performance and efficiency of high levels of automation without degrading human performance. One example of a new NPP concept that will utilize greater degrees of automation is the SMR concept from NuScale Power. The NuScale Power design requires 12 modular units to be operated in one single control room, which leads to a need for higher degrees of automation in the control room. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) researchers and NuScale Power human factors and operations staff are working on a collaborative project to address the human performance challenges of increased automation and to determine the principles that lead to optimal performance in highly automated systems. This paper will describe this concept in detail and will describe an experimental test of the concept. The benefits and challenges of the approach will be discussed.« less

Automated imaging system for single molecules

DOEpatents

Schwartz, David Charles; Runnheim, Rodney; Forrest, Daniel

2012-09-18

There is provided a high throughput automated single molecule image collection and processing system that requires minimal initial user input. The unique features embodied in the present disclosure allow automated collection and initial processing of optical images of single molecules and their assemblies. Correct focus may be automatically maintained while images are collected. Uneven illumination in fluorescence microscopy is accounted for, and an overall robust imaging operation is provided yielding individual images prepared for further processing in external systems. Embodiments described herein are useful in studies of any macromolecules such as DNA, RNA, peptides and proteins. The automated image collection and processing system and method of same may be implemented and deployed over a computer network, and may be ergonomically optimized to facilitate user interaction.

Automation of Space Station module power management and distribution system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bechtel, Robert; Weeks, Dave; Walls, Bryan

1990-01-01

Viewgraphs on automation of space station module (SSM) power management and distribution (PMAD) system are presented. Topics covered include: reasons for power system automation; SSM/PMAD approach to automation; SSM/PMAD test bed; SSM/PMAD topology; functional partitioning; SSM/PMAD control; rack level autonomy; FRAMES AI system; and future technology needs for power system automation.

21 CFR 864.5620 - Automated hemoglobin system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Automated hemoglobin system. 864.5620 Section 864.5620 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES HEMATOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY DEVICES Automated and Semi-Automated Hematology Devices § 864...

21 CFR 864.5620 - Automated hemoglobin system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Automated hemoglobin system. 864.5620 Section 864.5620 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES HEMATOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY DEVICES Automated and Semi-Automated Hematology Devices § 864...

21 CFR 864.5620 - Automated hemoglobin system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Automated hemoglobin system. 864.5620 Section 864.5620 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES HEMATOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY DEVICES Automated and Semi-Automated Hematology Devices § 864...

Automated Welding System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bayless, E. O.; Lawless, K. G.; Kurgan, C.; Nunes, A. C.; Graham, B. F.; Hoffman, D.; Jones, C. S.; Shepard, R.

1993-01-01

Fully automated variable-polarity plasma arc VPPA welding system developed at Marshall Space Flight Center. System eliminates defects caused by human error. Integrates many sensors with mathematical model of the weld and computer-controlled welding equipment. Sensors provide real-time information on geometry of weld bead, location of weld joint, and wire-feed entry. Mathematical model relates geometry of weld to critical parameters of welding process.

NextGen Technologies on the FAA's Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Witzberger, Kevin; Swenson, Harry; Martin, Lynne; Lin, Melody; Cheng, Jinn-Hwei

2014-01-01

This paper describes the integration, evaluation, and results from a high-fidelity human-in-the-loop (HITL) simulation of key NASA Air Traffic Management Technology Demonstration - 1 (ATD- 1) technologies implemented in an enhanced version of the FAA's Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) platform. These ATD-1 technologies include: (1) a NASA enhanced version of the FAA's Time-Based Flow Management, (2) a NASA ground-based automation technology known as controller-managed spacing (CMS), and (3) a NASA advanced avionics airborne technology known as flight-deck interval management (FIM). These ATD-1 technologies have been extensively tested in large-scale HITL simulations using general-purpose workstations to study air transportation technologies. These general purpose workstations perform multiple functions and are collectively referred to as the Multi-Aircraft Control System (MACS). Researchers at NASA Ames Research Center and Raytheon collaborated to augment the STARS platform by including CMS and FIM advisory tools to validate the feasibility of integrating these automation enhancements into the current FAA automation infrastructure. NASA Ames acquired three STARS terminal controller workstations, and then integrated the ATD-1 technologies. HITL simulations were conducted to evaluate the ATD-1 technologies when using the STARS platform. These results were compared with the results obtained when the ATD-1 technologies were tested in the MACS environment. Results collected from the numerical data show acceptably minor differences, and, together with the subjective controller questionnaires showing a trend towards preferring STARS, validate the ATD-1/STARS integration.

Automated System Marketplace 1987: Maturity and Competition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walton, Robert A.; Bridge, Frank R.

1988-01-01

This annual review of the library automation marketplace presents profiles of 15 major library automation firms and looks at emerging trends. Seventeen charts and tables provide data on market shares, number and size of installations, hardware availability, operating systems, and interfaces. A directory of 49 automation sources is included. (MES)

22 CFR 120.30 - The Automated Export System (AES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false The Automated Export System (AES). 120.30 Section 120.30 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS § 120.30 The Automated Export System (AES). The Automated Export System (AES) is the Department of...

22 CFR 120.30 - The Automated Export System (AES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false The Automated Export System (AES). 120.30 Section 120.30 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS § 120.30 The Automated Export System (AES). The Automated Export System (AES) is the Department of...

22 CFR 120.30 - The Automated Export System (AES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false The Automated Export System (AES). 120.30 Section 120.30 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS § 120.30 The Automated Export System (AES). The Automated Export System (AES) is the Department of...

22 CFR 120.30 - The Automated Export System (AES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false The Automated Export System (AES). 120.30 Section 120.30 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS § 120.30 The Automated Export System (AES). The Automated Export System (AES) is the Department of...

An automated metrics system to measure and improve the success of laboratory automation implementation.

PubMed

Benn, Neil; Turlais, Fabrice; Clark, Victoria; Jones, Mike; Clulow, Stephen

2007-03-01

The authors describe a system for collecting usage metrics from widely distributed automation systems. An application that records and stores usage data centrally, calculates run times, and charts the data was developed. Data were collected over 20 months from at least 28 workstations. The application was used to plot bar charts of date versus run time for individual workstations, the automation in a specific laboratory, or automation of a specified type. The authors show that revised user training, redeployment of equipment, and running complimentary processes on one workstation can increase the average number of runs by up to 20-fold and run times by up to 450%. Active monitoring of usage leads to more effective use of automation. Usage data could be used to determine whether purchasing particular automation was a good investment.

PC-based automation system streamlines operations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bowman, J.

1995-10-01

The continued emergence of PC-based automation systems in the modern compressor station is driving the need for personnel who have the special skills need to support them. However, the dilemma is that operating budget restraints limit the overall number of people available to operate and maintain compressor stations. An ideal solution is to deploy automation systems which can be easily understood and supported by existing compressor station personnel. This paper reviews such a system developed by Waukesha-Pearce Industries, Inc.

Computer Programs For Automated Welding System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agapakis, John E.

1993-01-01

Computer programs developed for use in controlling automated welding system described in MFS-28578. Together with control computer, computer input and output devices and control sensors and actuators, provide flexible capability for planning and implementation of schemes for automated welding of specific workpieces. Developed according to macro- and task-level programming schemes, which increases productivity and consistency by reducing amount of "teaching" of system by technician. System provides for three-dimensional mathematical modeling of workpieces, work cells, robots, and positioners.

Automated procedures for sizing aerospace vehicle structures /SAVES/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giles, G. L.; Blackburn, C. L.; Dixon, S. C.

1972-01-01

Results from a continuing effort to develop automated methods for structural design are described. A system of computer programs presently under development called SAVES is intended to automate the preliminary structural design of a complete aerospace vehicle. Each step in the automated design process of the SAVES system of programs is discussed, with emphasis placed on use of automated routines for generation of finite-element models. The versatility of these routines is demonstrated by structural models generated for a space shuttle orbiter, an advanced technology transport,n hydrogen fueled Mach 3 transport. Illustrative numerical results are presented for the Mach 3 transport wing.

Automated Acquisition Systems: Keynote Address.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boss, Richard D.

1980-01-01

The 1980s offer libraries numerous automated acquisitions alternatives, including turnkey systems from circulation system vendors and the acquisition subsystems of the bibliographic utilities. Integration of systems from several sources poses the principal problem. (Author/RAA)

Pilot workload, performance and aircraft control automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hart, S. G.; Sheridan, T. B.

1984-01-01

Conceptual and practical issues associated with the design, operation, and performance of advanced systems and the impact of such systems on the human operators are reviewed. The development of highly automated systems is driven by the availability of new technology and the requirement that operators safely and economically perform more and more activities in increasingly difficult and hostile environments. It is noted that the operators workload may become a major area of concern in future design considerations. Little research was done to determine how automation and workload relate to each other, although it is assumed that the abstract, supervisory, or management roles that are performed by operators of highly automated systems will impose increased mental workload. The relationship between performance and workload is discussed in relation to highly complex and automated environments.

Human-Automation Interaction Design for Adaptive Cruise Control Systems of Ground Vehicles.

PubMed

Eom, Hwisoo; Lee, Sang Hun

2015-06-12

A majority of recently developed advanced vehicles have been equipped with various automated driver assistance systems, such as adaptive cruise control (ACC) and lane keeping assistance systems. ACC systems have several operational modes, and drivers can be unaware of the mode in which they are operating. Because mode confusion is a significant human error factor that contributes to traffic accidents, it is necessary to develop user interfaces for ACC systems that can reduce mode confusion. To meet this requirement, this paper presents a new human-automation interaction design methodology in which the compatibility of the machine and interface models is determined using the proposed criteria, and if the models are incompatible, one or both of the models is/are modified to make them compatible. To investigate the effectiveness of our methodology, we designed two new interfaces by separately modifying the machine model and the interface model and then performed driver-in-the-loop experiments. The results showed that modifying the machine model provides a more compact, acceptable, effective, and safe interface than modifying the interface model.

Human-Automation Interaction Design for Adaptive Cruise Control Systems of Ground Vehicles

PubMed Central

Eom, Hwisoo; Lee, Sang Hun

2015-01-01

A majority of recently developed advanced vehicles have been equipped with various automated driver assistance systems, such as adaptive cruise control (ACC) and lane keeping assistance systems. ACC systems have several operational modes, and drivers can be unaware of the mode in which they are operating. Because mode confusion is a significant human error factor that contributes to traffic accidents, it is necessary to develop user interfaces for ACC systems that can reduce mode confusion. To meet this requirement, this paper presents a new human-automation interaction design methodology in which the compatibility of the machine and interface models is determined using the proposed criteria, and if the models are incompatible, one or both of the models is/are modified to make them compatible. To investigate the effectiveness of our methodology, we designed two new interfaces by separately modifying the machine model and the interface model and then performed driver-in-the-loop experiments. The results showed that modifying the machine model provides a more compact, acceptable, effective, and safe interface than modifying the interface model. PMID:26076406

Evaluation of reliability modeling tools for advanced fault tolerant systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, Robert; Scheper, Charlotte

1986-01-01

The Computer Aided Reliability Estimation (CARE III) and Automated Reliability Interactice Estimation System (ARIES 82) reliability tools for application to advanced fault tolerance aerospace systems were evaluated. To determine reliability modeling requirements, the evaluation focused on the Draper Laboratories' Advanced Information Processing System (AIPS) architecture as an example architecture for fault tolerance aerospace systems. Advantages and limitations were identified for each reliability evaluation tool. The CARE III program was designed primarily for analyzing ultrareliable flight control systems. The ARIES 82 program's primary use was to support university research and teaching. Both CARE III and ARIES 82 were not suited for determining the reliability of complex nodal networks of the type used to interconnect processing sites in the AIPS architecture. It was concluded that ARIES was not suitable for modeling advanced fault tolerant systems. It was further concluded that subject to some limitations (the difficulty in modeling systems with unpowered spare modules, systems where equipment maintenance must be considered, systems where failure depends on the sequence in which faults occurred, and systems where multiple faults greater than a double near coincident faults must be considered), CARE III is best suited for evaluating the reliability of advanced tolerant systems for air transport.

Flight control system design factors for applying automated testing techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sitz, Joel R.; Vernon, Todd H.

1990-01-01

Automated validation of flight-critical embedded systems is being done at ARC Dryden Flight Research Facility. The automated testing techniques are being used to perform closed-loop validation of man-rated flight control systems. The principal design features and operational experiences of the X-29 forward-swept-wing aircraft and F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) automated test systems are discussed. Operationally applying automated testing techniques has accentuated flight control system features that either help or hinder the application of these techniques. The paper also discusses flight control system features which foster the use of automated testing techniques.

Effects of an Advanced Reactor’s Design, Use of Automation, and Mission on Human Operators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jeffrey C. Joe; Johanna H. Oxstrand

The roles, functions, and tasks of the human operator in existing light water nuclear power plants (NPPs) are based on sound nuclear and human factors engineering (HFE) principles, are well defined by the plant’s conduct of operations, and have been validated by years of operating experience. However, advanced NPPs whose engineering designs differ from existing light-water reactors (LWRs) will impose changes on the roles, functions, and tasks of the human operators. The plans to increase the use of automation, reduce staffing levels, and add to the mission of these advanced NPPs will also affect the operator’s roles, functions, and tasks.more » We assert that these factors, which do not appear to have received a lot of attention by the design engineers of advanced NPPs relative to the attention given to conceptual design of these reactors, can have significant risk implications for the operators and overall plant safety if not mitigated appropriately. This paper presents a high-level analysis of a specific advanced NPP and how its engineered design, its plan to use greater levels of automation, and its expanded mission have risk significant implications on operator performance and overall plant safety.« less

Automated power distribution system hardware. [for space station power supplies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Paul M.; Martin, James A.; Thomason, Cindy

1989-01-01

An automated power distribution system testbed for the space station common modules has been developed. It incorporates automated control and monitoring of a utility-type power system. Automated power system switchgear, control and sensor hardware requirements, hardware design, test results, and potential applications are discussed. The system is designed so that the automated control and monitoring of the power system is compatible with both a 208-V, 20-kHz single-phase AC system and a high-voltage (120 to 150 V) DC system.

Reaction control system/remote manipulator system automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hiers, Harry K.

1990-01-01

The objectives of this project is to evaluate the capability of the Procedural Reasoning System (PRS) in a typical real-time space shuttle application and to assess its potential for use in the Space Station Freedom. PRS, developed by SRI International, is a result of research in automating the monitoring and control of spacecraft systems. The particular application selected for the present work is the automation of malfunction handling procedures for the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS). The SRMS malfunction procedures will be encoded within the PRS framework, a crew interface appropriate to the RMS application will be developed, and the real-time data interface software developed. The resulting PRS will then be integrated with the high-fidelity On-orbit Simulation of the NASA Johnson Space Center's System Engineering Simulator, and tests under various SRMS fault scenarios will be conducted.

Space Shuttle Main Engine: Advanced Health Monitoring System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singer, Chirs

1999-01-01

The main gola of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Advanced Health Management system is to improve flight safety. To this end the new SSME has robust new components to improve the operating margen and operability. The features of the current SSME health monitoring system, include automated checkouts, closed loop redundant control system, catastropic failure mitigation, fail operational/ fail-safe algorithms, and post flight data and inspection trend analysis. The features of the advanced health monitoring system include: a real time vibration monitor system, a linear engine model, and an optical plume anomaly detection system. Since vibration is a fundamental measure of SSME turbopump health, it stands to reason that monitoring the vibration, will give some idea of the health of the turbopumps. However, how is it possible to avoid shutdown, when it is not necessary. A sensor algorithm has been developed which has been exposed to over 400 test cases in order to evaluate the logic. The optical plume anomaly detection (OPAD) has been developed to be a sensitive monitor of engine wear, erosion, and breakage.

Automated reuseable components system study results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilroy, Kathy

1989-01-01

The Automated Reusable Components System (ARCS) was developed under a Phase 1 Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract for the U.S. Army CECOM. The objectives of the ARCS program were: (1) to investigate issues associated with automated reuse of software components, identify alternative approaches, and select promising technologies, and (2) to develop tools that support component classification and retrieval. The approach followed was to research emerging techniques and experimental applications associated with reusable software libraries, to investigate the more mature information retrieval technologies for applicability, and to investigate the applicability of specialized technologies to improve the effectiveness of a reusable component library. Various classification schemes and retrieval techniques were identified and evaluated for potential application in an automated library system for reusable components. Strategies for library organization and management, component submittal and storage, and component search and retrieval were developed. A prototype ARCS was built to demonstrate the feasibility of automating the reuse process. The prototype was created using a subset of the classification and retrieval techniques that were investigated. The demonstration system was exercised and evaluated using reusable Ada components selected from the public domain. A requirements specification for a production-quality ARCS was also developed.

Evaluation in context: ATC automation in the field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harwood, Kelly; Sanford, Beverly

1994-01-01

The process for incorporating advanced technologies into complex aviation systems is as important as the final product itself. This paper described a process that is currently being applied to the development and assessment of an advanced ATC automation system, CTAS. The key element of the process is field exposure early in the system development cycle. The process deviates from current established practices of system development -- where field testing is an implementation endpoint -- and has been deemed necessary by the FAA for streamlining development and bringing system functions to a level of stability and usefulness. Methods and approaches for field assessment are borrowed from human factors engineering, cognitive engineering, and usability engineering and are tailored for the constraints of an operational ATC environment. To date, the focus has been on the qualitative assessment of the match between TMA capabilities and the context for their use. Capturing the users' experience with the automation tool and understanding tool use in the context of the operational environment is important, not only for developing a tool that is an effective problem-solving instrument but also for defining meaningful operational requirements. Such requirements form the basis for certifying the safety and efficiency of the system. CTAS is the first U.S. advanced ATC automation system of its scope and complexity to undergo this field development and assessment process. With the rapid advances in aviation technologies and our limited understanding of their impact on system performance, it is time we opened our eyes to new possibilities for developing, validating, and ultimately certifying complex aviation systems.

Systems Study of an Automated Fire Weather Data System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nishioka, K.

1974-01-01

A sensor system applicable to an automated weather station was developed. The sensor provides automated fire weather data which correlates with manual readings. The equipment and methods are applied as an aid to the surveillance and protection of wildlands from fire damage. The continuous readings provided by the sensor system make it possible to determine the periods of time that the wilderness areas should be closed to the public to minimize the possibilities of fire.

A Mobile Automated Tomographic Gamma Scanning System - 13231

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kirkpatrick, J.M.; LeBlanc, P.J.; Nakazawa, D.

2013-07-01

Canberra Industries have recently designed and built a new automated Tomographic Gamma Scanning (TGS) system for mobile deployment. The TGS technique combines high-resolution gamma spectroscopy with low spatial resolution 3-dimensional image reconstruction to provide increased accuracy over traditional approaches for the assay of non-uniform source distributions in low-to medium-density, non-heterogeneous matrices. Originally pioneered by R. Estep at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the TGS method has been further developed and commercialized by Canberra Industries in recent years. The present system advances the state of the art on several fronts: it is designed to be housed in a standard cargo transportmore » container for ease of transport, allowing waste characterization at multiple facilities under the purview of a single operator. Conveyor feed, drum rotator, and detector and collimator positioning mechanisms operated by programmable logic control (PLC) allow automated batch mode operation. The variable geometry settings can accommodate a wide range of waste packaging, including but not limited to standard 220 liter drums, 380 liter overpack drums, and smaller 20 liter cans. A 20 mCi Eu-152 transmission source provides attenuation corrections for drum matrices up to 1 g/cm{sup 3} in TGS mode; the system can be operated in Segmented Gamma Scanning (SGS) mode to measure higher density drums. To support TGS assays at higher densities, the source shield is sufficient to house an alternate Co-60 transmission source of higher activity, up to 250 mCi. An automated shutter and attenuator assembly is provided for operating the system with a dual intensity transmission source. The system's 1500 kg capacity rotator turntable can handle heavy containers such as concrete lined 380 liter overpack drums. Finally, data acquisition utilizes Canberra's Broad Energy Germanium (BEGE) detector and Lynx MCA, with 32 k channels, providing better than 0.1 ke

Advanced Automation for Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry-New Opportunities for Real-Time Autonomous Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmer, Peter T.; Wong, C. M.; Salmonson, J. D.; Yost, R. A.; Griffin, T. P.; Yates, N. A.; Lawless, James G. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

The utility of MS/MS for both target compound analysis and the structure elucidation of unknowns has been described in a number of references. A broader acceptance of this technique has not yet been realized as it requires large, complex, and costly instrumentation which has not been competitive with more conventional techniques. Recent advancements in ion trap mass spectrometry promise to change this situation. Although the ion trap's small size, sensitivity, and ability to perform multiple stages of mass spectrometry have made it eminently suitable for on-line, real-time monitoring applications, advance automation techniques are required to make these capabilities more accessible to non-experts. Towards this end we have developed custom software for the design and implementation of MS/MS experiments. This software allows the user to take full advantage of the ion trap's versatility with respect to ionization techniques, scan proxies, and ion accumulation/ejection methods. Additionally, expert system software has been developed for autonomous target compound analysis. This software has been linked to ion trap control software and a commercial data system to bring all of the steps in the analysis cycle under control of the expert system. These software development efforts and their utilization for a number of trace analysis applications will be described.

The Automated Logistics Element Planning System (ALEPS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwaab, Douglas G.

1991-01-01

The design and functions of ALEPS (Automated Logistics Element Planning System) is a computer system that will automate planning and decision support for Space Station Freedom Logistical Elements (LEs) resupply and return operations. ALEPS provides data management, planning, analysis, monitoring, interfacing, and flight certification for support of LE flight load planning activities. The prototype ALEPS algorithm development is described.

Automated Rendezvous and Capture System Development and Simulation for NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roe, Fred D.; Howard, Richard T.; Murphy, Leslie

2004-01-01

The United States does not have an Automated Rendezvous and Capture/Docking (AR and C) capability and is reliant on manned control for rendezvous and docking of orbiting spacecraft. This reliance on the labor intensive manned interface for control of rendezvous and docking vehicles has a significant impact on the cost of the operation of the International Space Station (ISS) and precludes the use of any U.S. expendable launch capabilities for Space Station resupply. The Soviets have the capability to autonomously dock in space, but their system produces a hard docking with excessive force and contact velocity. Automated Rendezvous and Capture/Docking has been identified as a key enabling technology for the Space Launch Initiative (SLI) Program, DARPA Orbital Express and other DOD Programs. The development and implementation of an AR&C capability can significantly enhance system flexibility, improve safety, and lower the cost of maintaining, supplying, and operating the International Space Station. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has conducted pioneering research in the development of an automated rendezvous and capture (or docking) (AR and C) system for U.S. space vehicles. This AR&C system was tested extensively using hardware-in-the-loop simulations in the Flight Robotics Laboratory, and a rendezvous sensor, the Video Guidance Sensor was developed and successfully flown on the Space Shuttle on flights STS-87 and STS-95, proving the concept of a video- based sensor. Further developments in sensor technology and vehicle and target configuration have lead to continued improvements and changes in AR&C system development and simulation. A new Advanced Video Guidance Sensor (AVGS) with target will be utilized on the Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technologies (DART) flight experiment in 2004.

Automation Applications in an Advanced Air Traffic Management System : Volume 1. Summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-08-01

The Advanced Air Traffic Management System (AATMS) program is a long-range investigation of new concepts and techniques for controlling air traffic and providing services to the growing number of commercial, military, and general aviation users of th...

49 CFR 38.173 - Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems... DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) ACCESSIBILITY SPECIFICATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES Other Vehicles and Systems § 38.173 Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems. (a) Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) vehicles and...

49 CFR 38.173 - Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems... DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) ACCESSIBILITY SPECIFICATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES Other Vehicles and Systems § 38.173 Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems. (a) Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) vehicles and...

49 CFR 38.173 - Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems... DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) ACCESSIBILITY SPECIFICATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES Other Vehicles and Systems § 38.173 Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems. (a) Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) vehicles and...

49 CFR 38.173 - Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems... DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) ACCESSIBILITY SPECIFICATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES Other Vehicles and Systems § 38.173 Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems. (a) Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) vehicles and...

49 CFR 38.173 - Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems... DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) ACCESSIBILITY SPECIFICATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES Other Vehicles and Systems § 38.173 Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems. (a) Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) vehicles and...

Automated campaign system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vondran, Gary; Chao, Hui; Lin, Xiaofan; Beyer, Dirk; Joshi, Parag; Atkins, Brian; Obrador, Pere

2006-02-01

To run a targeted campaign involves coordination and management across numerous organizations and complex process flows. Everything from market analytics on customer databases, acquiring content and images, composing the materials, meeting the sponsoring enterprise brand standards, driving through production and fulfillment, and evaluating results; all processes are currently performed by experienced highly trained staff. Presented is a developed solution that not only brings together technologies that automate each process, but also automates the entire flow so that a novice user could easily run a successful campaign from their desktop. This paper presents the technologies, structure, and process flows used to bring this system together. Highlighted will be how the complexity of running a targeted campaign is hidden from the user through technologies, all while providing the benefits of a professionally managed campaign.

49 CFR 213.333 - Automated vehicle inspection systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Automated vehicle inspection systems. 213.333... Higher § 213.333 Automated vehicle inspection systems. (a) For track Class 7, a qualifying Track Geometry Measurement System (TGMS) vehicle shall be operated at least twice within 120 calendar days with not less than...

36 CFR 1192.173 - Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES Other Vehicles and Systems § 1192.173 Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems. (a) Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) vehicles and systems, sometimes called “people movers”, operated in... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Automated guideway transit...

36 CFR 1192.173 - Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES Other Vehicles and Systems § 1192.173 Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems. (a) Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) vehicles and systems, sometimes called “people movers”, operated in... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Automated guideway transit...

36 CFR 1192.173 - Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES Other Vehicles and Systems § 1192.173 Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems. (a) Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) vehicles and systems, sometimes called “people movers”, operated in... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Automated guideway transit...

36 CFR 1192.173 - Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES Other Vehicles and Systems § 1192.173 Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems. (a) Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) vehicles and systems, sometimes called “people movers”, operated in... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Automated guideway transit...

IDAPS (Image Data Automated Processing System) System Description

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-24

This document describes the physical configuration and components used in the image processing system referred to as IDAPS (Image Data Automated ... Processing System). This system was developed by the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM) for Eglin Air Force Base. The system is designed

Implementation and evaluation of an automated dispensing system.

PubMed

Schwarz, H O; Brodowy, B A

1995-04-15

An institution's experience in replacing a traditional unit dose cassette-exchange system with an automated dispensing system is described. A 24-hour unit dose cassette-exchange system was replaced with an automated dispensing system (Pyxis's Medstation Rx) on a 36-bed cardiovascular surgery unit and an 8-bed cardiovascular intensive care unit. Significantly fewer missing doses were reported after Medstation Rx was implemented. No conclusions could be made about the impact of the system on the reporting of medication errors. The time savings for pharmacy associated with the filling, checking, and delivery of new medication orders equated to about 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE). Medstation Rx also saved substantial nursing time for acquisition of controlled substances and for controlled-substance inventory taking at shift changes. A financial analysis showed that Medstation Rx could save the institution about $1 million over five years if all personnel time savings could be translated into FTE reductions. The automated system was given high marks by the nurses in a survey; 80% wanted to keep the system on their unit. Pilot implementation of an automated dispensing system improved the efficiency of drug distribution over that of the traditional unit dose cassette-exchange system.

Advanced data management system architectures testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grant, Terry

1990-01-01

The objective of the Architecture and Tools Testbed is to provide a working, experimental focus to the evolving automation applications for the Space Station Freedom data management system. Emphasis is on defining and refining real-world applications including the following: the validation of user needs; understanding system requirements and capabilities; and extending capabilities. The approach is to provide an open, distributed system of high performance workstations representing both the standard data processors and networks and advanced RISC-based processors and multiprocessor systems. The system provides a base from which to develop and evaluate new performance and risk management concepts and for sharing the results. Participants are given a common view of requirements and capability via: remote login to the testbed; standard, natural user interfaces to simulations and emulations; special attention to user manuals for all software tools; and E-mail communication. The testbed elements which instantiate the approach are briefly described including the workstations, the software simulation and monitoring tools, and performance and fault tolerance experiments.

Evaluation of three automated nucleic acid extraction systems for identification of respiratory viruses in clinical specimens by multiplex real-time PCR.

PubMed

Kim, Yoonjung; Han, Mi-Soon; Kim, Juwon; Kwon, Aerin; Lee, Kyung-A

2014-01-01

A total of 84 nasopharyngeal swab specimens were collected from 84 patients. Viral nucleic acid was extracted by three automated extraction systems: QIAcube (Qiagen, Germany), EZ1 Advanced XL (Qiagen), and MICROLAB Nimbus IVD (Hamilton, USA). Fourteen RNA viruses and two DNA viruses were detected using the Anyplex II RV16 Detection kit (Seegene, Republic of Korea). The EZ1 Advanced XL system demonstrated the best analytical sensitivity for all the three viral strains. The nucleic acids extracted by EZ1 Advanced XL showed higher positive rates for virus detection than the others. Meanwhile, the MICROLAB Nimbus IVD system was comprised of fully automated steps from nucleic extraction to PCR setup function that could reduce human errors. For the nucleic acids recovered from nasopharyngeal swab specimens, the QIAcube system showed the fewest false negative results and the best concordance rate, and it may be more suitable for detecting various viruses including RNA and DNA virus strains. Each system showed different sensitivity and specificity for detection of certain viral pathogens and demonstrated different characteristics such as turnaround time and sample capacity. Therefore, these factors should be considered when new nucleic acid extraction systems are introduced to the laboratory.

Advanced Biotelemetry Systems for Space Life Sciences: PH Telemetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, John W.; Somps, Chris; Ricks, Robert; Kim, Lynn; Connolly, John P. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

The SENSORS 2000! (S2K!) program at NASA's Ames Research Center is currently developing a biotelemetry system for monitoring pH and temperature in unrestrained subjects. This activity is part of a broader scope effort to provide an Advanced Biotelemetry System (ABTS) for use in future space life sciences research. Many anticipated research endeavors will require biomedical and biochemical sensors and related instrumentation to make continuous inflight measurements in a variable-gravity environment. Since crew time is limited, automated data acquisition, data processing, data storage, and subject health monitoring are required. An automated biochemical and physiological data acquisition system based on non invasive or implantable biotelemetry technology will meet these requirements. The ABTS will ultimately acquire a variety of physiological measurands including temperature, biopotentials (e.g. ECG, EEG, EMG, EOG), blood pressure, flow and dimensions, as well as chemical and biological parameters including pH. Development activities are planned in evolutionary, leveraged steps. Near-term activities include 1) development of a dual channel pH/temperature telemetry system, and 2) development of a low bandwidth, 4-channel telemetry system, that measures temperature, heart rate, pressure, and pH. This abstract describes the pH/temperature telemeter.

Automated Rendezvous and Capture System Development and Simulation for NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roe, Fred D.; Howard, Richard T.; Murphy, Leslie

2004-01-01

The United States does not have an Automated Rendezvous and Capture Docking (AR&C) capability and is reliant on manned control for rendezvous and docking of orbiting spacecraft. T h i s reliance on the labor intensive manned interface for control of rendezvous and docking vehicles has a significant impact on the cost of the operation of the International Space Station (ISS) and precludes the use of any U.S. expendable launch capabilities for Space Station resupply. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has conducted pioneering research in the development of an automated rendezvous and capture (or docking) (AR&C) system for U.S. space vehicles. This A M C system was tested extensively using hardware-in-the-loop simulations in the Flight Robotics Laboratory, and a rendezvous sensor, the Video Guidance Sensor was developed and successfully flown on the Space Shuttle on flights STS-87 and STS-95, proving the concept of a video- based sensor. Further developments in sensor technology and vehicle and target configuration have lead to continued improvements and changes in AR&C system development and simulation. A new Advanced Video Guidance Sensor (AVGS) with target will be utilized as the primary navigation sensor on the Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technologies (DART) flight experiment in 2004. Realtime closed-loop simulations will be performed to validate the improved AR&C systems prior to flight.

Automated Platform Management System Scheduling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hull, Larry G.

1990-01-01

The Platform Management System was established to coordinate the operation of platform systems and instruments. The management functions are split between ground and space components. Since platforms are to be out of contact with the ground more than the manned base, the on-board functions are required to be more autonomous than those of the manned base. Under this concept, automated replanning and rescheduling, including on-board real-time schedule maintenance and schedule repair, are required to effectively and efficiently meet Space Station Freedom mission goals. In a FY88 study, we developed several promising alternatives for automated platform planning and scheduling. We recommended both a specific alternative and a phased approach to automated platform resource scheduling. Our recommended alternative was based upon use of exactly the same scheduling engine in both ground and space components of the platform management system. Our phased approach recommendation was based upon evolutionary development of the platform. In the past year, we developed platform scheduler requirements and implemented a rapid prototype of a baseline platform scheduler. Presently we are rehosting this platform scheduler rapid prototype and integrating the scheduler prototype into two Goddard Space Flight Center testbeds, as the ground scheduler in the Scheduling Concepts, Architectures, and Networks Testbed and as the on-board scheduler in the Platform Management System Testbed. Using these testbeds, we will investigate rescheduling issues, evaluate operational performance and enhance the platform scheduler prototype to demonstrate our evolutionary approach to automated platform scheduling. The work described in this paper was performed prior to Space Station Freedom rephasing, transfer of platform responsibility to Code E, and other recently discussed changes. We neither speculate on these changes nor attempt to predict the impact of the final decisions. As a consequence some of our

Automated RTOP Management System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayes, P.

1984-01-01

The structure of NASA's Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology electronic information system network from 1983 to 1985 is illustrated. The RTOP automated system takes advantage of existing hardware, software, and expertise, and provides: (1) computerized cover sheet and resources forms; (2) electronic signature and transmission; (3) a data-based information system; (4) graphics; (5) intercenter communications; (6) management information; and (7) text editing. The system is coordinated with Headquarters efforts in codes R,E, and T.

Human factors of advanced technology (glass cockpit) transport aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiener, Earl L.

1989-01-01

A three-year study of airline crews at two U.S. airlines who were flying an advanced technology aircraft, the Boeing 757 is discussed. The opinions and experiences of these pilots as they view the advanced, automated features of this aircraft, and contrast them with previous models they have flown are discussed. Training for advanced automation; (2) cockpit errors and error reduction; (3) management of cockpit workload; and (4) general attitudes toward cockpit automation are emphasized. The limitations of the air traffic control (ATC) system on the ability to utilize the advanced features of the new aircraft are discussed. In general the pilots are enthusiastic about flying an advanced technology aircraft, but they express mixed feelings about the impact of automation on workload, crew errors, and ability to manage the flight.

Automated Cryocooler Monitor and Control System Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Britchcliffe, Michael J.; Conroy, Bruce L.; Anderson, Paul E.; Wilson, Ahmad

2011-01-01

This software is used in an automated cryogenic control system developed to monitor and control the operation of small-scale cryocoolers. The system was designed to automate the cryogenically cooled low-noise amplifier system described in "Automated Cryocooler Monitor and Control System" (NPO-47246), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 35, No. 5 (May 2011), page 7a. The software contains algorithms necessary to convert non-linear output voltages from the cryogenic diode-type thermometers and vacuum pressure and helium pressure sensors, to temperature and pressure units. The control function algorithms use the monitor data to control the cooler power, vacuum solenoid, vacuum pump, and electrical warm-up heaters. The control algorithms are based on a rule-based system that activates the required device based on the operating mode. The external interface is Web-based. It acts as a Web server, providing pages for monitor, control, and configuration. No client software from the external user is required.

Partial Automated Alignment and Integration System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelley, Gary Wayne (Inventor)

2014-01-01

The present invention is a Partial Automated Alignment and Integration System (PAAIS) used to automate the alignment and integration of space vehicle components. A PAAIS includes ground support apparatuses, a track assembly with a plurality of energy-emitting components and an energy-receiving component containing a plurality of energy-receiving surfaces. Communication components and processors allow communication and feedback through PAAIS.

The automated system for prevention of industrial-caused diseases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varnavsky, A. N.

2017-01-01

The paper presents the automated system intended to prevent industrial-caused diseases of workers, the basis of which is represented by algorithms of preventing several negative functional conditions (stress, monotony). The emergence of such state shall be determined based on an analysis of bioelectric signals, in particular, skin-galvanic reactions. Proceeding from the dynamics of the functional state, the automated system offers to perform an optimized set of measures to restore the health of the worker. Implementation of an automated system is presented in Visual Programming system LabVIEW.

Aviation safety and automation technology for subsonic transports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albers, James A.

1991-01-01

Discussed here are aviation safety human factors and air traffic control (ATC) automation research conducted at the NASA Ames Research Center. Research results are given in the areas of flight deck and ATC automations, displays and warning systems, crew coordination, and crew fatigue and jet lag. Accident investigation and an incident reporting system that is used to guide the human factors research is discussed. A design philosophy for human-centered automation is given, along with an evaluation of automation on advanced technology transports. Intelligent error tolerant systems such as electronic checklists are discussed along with design guidelines for reducing procedure errors. The data on evaluation of Crew Resource Management (CRM) training indicates highly significant positive changes in appropriate flight deck behavior and more effective use of available resources for crew members receiving the training.

A Description of the Phase I Automated Terminal Services Concept

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-11-01

SYSTEM FIGURE 1-2: ATS COST ELEMENTS (THOUSANDS, PER SITE ) 1-4 FIGURE 2-1: ELEMENTS FOR AUTOMATED TERMINAL SERVICE 2-2 FIGURE 2-2: ARTIST’S CONCEPTION...OF AN AUTOMATED 2-7 TERMINAL SERVICES SITE FIGURE 3-1: AUTOMATED TERMINAL SERVICES 3-3 FIGURE 3-2: ATS SERVICE REGIONS 3-5 FIGURE 3-3: RECOMMENDED...are developed (e.g., advanced control and DABS data link functions). Software and hardwa’re retrofits could be done at particular sites as system

21 CFR 864.9300 - Automated Coombs test systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Blood and Blood Products § 864.9300 Automated Coombs test systems. (a) Identification. An automated Coombs test system is a device used to detect and identify antibodies in patient sera or antibodies bound to red cells. The Coombs test is used for the diagnosis of hemolytic disease of the newborn, and...

21 CFR 864.9300 - Automated Coombs test systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Blood and Blood Products § 864.9300 Automated Coombs test systems. (a) Identification. An automated Coombs test system is a device used to detect and identify antibodies in patient sera or antibodies bound to red cells. The Coombs test is used for the diagnosis of hemolytic disease of the newborn, and...

21 CFR 864.9300 - Automated Coombs test systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Blood and Blood Products § 864.9300 Automated Coombs test systems. (a) Identification. An automated Coombs test system is a device used to detect and identify antibodies in patient sera or antibodies bound to red cells. The Coombs test is used for the diagnosis of hemolytic disease of the newborn, and...

21 CFR 864.9300 - Automated Coombs test systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Blood and Blood Products § 864.9300 Automated Coombs test systems. (a) Identification. An automated Coombs test system is a device used to detect and identify antibodies in patient sera or antibodies bound to red cells. The Coombs test is used for the diagnosis of hemolytic disease of the newborn, and...

21 CFR 864.9300 - Automated Coombs test systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Blood and Blood Products § 864.9300 Automated Coombs test systems. (a) Identification. An automated Coombs test system is a device used to detect and identify antibodies in patient sera or antibodies bound to red cells. The Coombs test is used for the diagnosis of hemolytic disease of the newborn, and...

An Intelligent Systems Approach to Automated Object Recognition: A Preliminary Study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maddox, Brian G.; Swadley, Casey L.

2002-01-01

Attempts at fully automated object recognition systems have met with varying levels of success over the years. However, none of the systems have achieved high enough accuracy rates to be run unattended. One of the reasons for this may be that they are designed from the computer's point of view and rely mainly on image-processing methods. A better solution to this problem may be to make use of modern advances in computational intelligence and distributed processing to try to mimic how the human brain is thought to recognize objects. As humans combine cognitive processes with detection techniques, such a system would combine traditional image-processing techniques with computer-based intelligence to determine the identity of various objects in a scene.

Automated iodine monitor system. [for aqueous solutions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The feasibility of a direct spectrophotometric measurement of iodine in water was established. An iodine colorimeter, was built to demonstrate the practicality of this technique. The specificity of this method was verified when applied to an on-line system where a reference solution cannot be used, and a preliminary design is presented for an automated iodine measuring and controlling system meeting the desired specifications. An Automated iodine monitor/controller system based on this preliminary design was built, tested, and delivered to the Johnson Space Center.

Automation of cutting and drilling of composite components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, Charles W.

1991-01-01

The task was to develop a preliminary plan for an automated system for the cutting and drilling of advanced aerospace composite components. The goal was to automate the production of these components, but the technology developed can be readily extended to other systems. There is an excellent opportunity for developing a state of the art automated system for the cutting and drilling of large composite components at NASA-Marshall. Most of the major system components are in place: the robot, the water jet pump, and the off-line programming system. The drilling system and the part location system are the only major components that need to be developed. Also, another water jet nozzle and a small amount of high pressure plumbing need to be purchased from, and installed.

Automated Car Park Management System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fabros, J. P.; Tabañag, D.; Espra, A.; Gerasta, O. J.

2015-06-01

This study aims to develop a prototype for an Automated Car Park Management System that will increase the quality of service of parking lots through the integration of a smart system that assists motorist in finding vacant parking lot. The research was based on implementing an operating system and a monitoring system for parking system without the use of manpower. This will include Parking Guidance and Information System concept which will efficiently assist motorists and ensures the safety of the vehicles and the valuables inside the vehicle. For monitoring, Optical Character Recognition was employed to monitor and put into list all the cars entering the parking area. All parking events in this system are visible via MATLAB GUI which contain time-in, time-out, time consumed information and also the lot number where the car parks. To put into reality, this system has a payment method, and it comes via a coin slot operation to control the exit gate. The Automated Car Park Management System was successfully built by utilizing microcontrollers specifically one PIC18f4550 and two PIC16F84s and one PIC16F628A.

Automated parking garage system model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collins, E. R., Jr.

1975-01-01

A one-twenty-fifth scale model of the key components of an automated parking garage system is described. The design of the model required transferring a vehicle from an entry level, vertically (+Z, -Z), to a storage location at any one of four storage positions (+X, -X, +Y, +Y, -Y) on the storage levels. There are three primary subsystems: (1) a screw jack to provide the vertical motion of the elevator, (2) a cam-driven track-switching device to provide X to Y motion, and (3) a transfer cart to provide horizontal travel and a small amount to vertical motion for transfer to the storage location. Motive power is provided by dc permanent magnet gear motors, one each for the elevator and track switching device and two for the transfer cart drive system (one driving the cart horizontally and the other providing the vertical transfer). The control system, through the use of a microprocessor, provides complete automation through a feedback system which utilizes sensing devices.

An Automated, High-Throughput System for GISAXS and GIWAXS Measurements of Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaible, Eric; Jimenez, Jessica; Church, Matthew; Lim, Eunhee; Stewart, Polite; Hexemer, Alexander

Grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) are important techniques for characterizing thin films. In order to meet rapidly increasing demand, the SAXSWAXS beamline at the Advanced Light Source (beamline 7.3.3) has implemented a fully automated, high-throughput system to conduct SAXS, GISAXS and GIWAXS measurements. An automated robot arm transfers samples from a holding tray to a measurement stage. Intelligent software aligns each sample in turn, and measures each according to user-defined specifications. Users mail in trays of samples on individually barcoded pucks, and can download and view their data remotely. Data will be pipelined to the NERSC supercomputing facility, and will be available to users via a web portal that facilitates highly parallelized analysis.

Recent Developments in Advanced Automated Post-Processing at AMOS

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

Borelli KJS Consulting Lisa Thompson Air Force Research Laboratory ABSTRACT A new automated post-processing system has been developed to...the existing algorithms in addition to the development of new data processing features. 6. REFERENCES 1 Matson, C.L., Beckner, C.C., Borelli , K

Assessment of Operational Automated Guideway Systems - Airtrans (Phase II)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-01-01

This study, Phase II, completes the assessment of AIRTRANS, the automated guideway system located at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. The Phase I assessment report: "Assessment of Operational Automated Guideway Systems--AIRTRANS (Phase I)" (PB-261 339)...

Application of advanced technology to space automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schappell, R. T.; Polhemus, J. T.; Lowrie, J. W.; Hughes, C. A.; Stephens, J. R.; Chang, C. Y.

1979-01-01

Automated operations in space provide the key to optimized mission design and data acquisition at minimum cost for the future. The results of this study strongly accentuate this statement and should provide further incentive for immediate development of specific automtion technology as defined herein. Essential automation technology requirements were identified for future programs. The study was undertaken to address the future role of automation in the space program, the potential benefits to be derived, and the technology efforts that should be directed toward obtaining these benefits.

Space station automation: the role of robotics and artificial intelligence (Invited Paper)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, W. T.; Firschein, O.

1985-12-01

Automation of the space station is necessary to make more effective use of the crew, to carry out repairs that are impractical or dangerous, and to monitor and control the many space station subsystems. Intelligent robotics and expert systems play a strong role in automation, and both disciplines are highly dependent on a common artificial intelligence (Al) technology base. The AI technology base provides the reasoning and planning capabilities needed in robotic tasks, such as perception of the environment and planning a path to a goal, and in expert systems tasks, such as control of subsystems and maintenance of equipment. This paper describes automation concepts for the space station, the specific robotic and expert systems required to attain this automation, and the research and development required. It also presents an evolutionary development plan that leads to fully automatic mobile robots for servicing satellites. Finally, we indicate the sequence of demonstrations and the research and development needed to confirm the automation capabilities. We emphasize that advanced robotics requires AI, and that to advance, AI needs the "real-world" problems provided by robotics.

Automated clinical system for chromosome analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castleman, K. R.; Friedan, H. J.; Johnson, E. T.; Rennie, P. A.; Wall, R. J. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

An automatic chromosome analysis system is provided wherein a suitably prepared slide with chromosome spreads thereon is placed on the stage of an automated microscope. The automated microscope stage is computer operated to move the slide to enable detection of chromosome spreads on the slide. The X and Y location of each chromosome spread that is detected is stored. The computer measures the chromosomes in a spread, classifies them by group or by type and also prepares a digital karyotype image. The computer system can also prepare a patient report summarizing the result of the analysis and listing suspected abnormalities.

Analyzing Automated Instructional Systems: Metaphors from Related Design Professions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jonassen, David H.; Wilson, Brent G.

Noting that automation has had an impact on virtually every manufacturing and information operation in the world, including instructional design (ID), this paper suggests three basic metaphors for automating instructional design activities: (1) computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems; (2) expert system advisor systems; and (3)…

Automated systems to identify relevant documents in product risk management

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Product risk management involves critical assessment of the risks and benefits of health products circulating in the market. One of the important sources of safety information is the primary literature, especially for newer products which regulatory authorities have relatively little experience with. Although the primary literature provides vast and diverse information, only a small proportion of which is useful for product risk assessment work. Hence, the aim of this study is to explore the possibility of using text mining to automate the identification of useful articles, which will reduce the time taken for literature search and hence improving work efficiency. In this study, term-frequency inverse document-frequency values were computed for predictors extracted from the titles and abstracts of articles related to three tumour necrosis factors-alpha blockers. A general automated system was developed using only general predictors and was tested for its generalizability using articles related to four other drug classes. Several specific automated systems were developed using both general and specific predictors and training sets of different sizes in order to determine the minimum number of articles required for developing such systems. Results The general automated system had an area under the curve value of 0.731 and was able to rank 34.6% and 46.2% of the total number of 'useful' articles among the first 10% and 20% of the articles presented to the evaluators when tested on the generalizability set. However, its use may be limited by the subjective definition of useful articles. For the specific automated system, it was found that only 20 articles were required to develop a specific automated system with a prediction performance (AUC 0.748) that was better than that of general automated system. Conclusions Specific automated systems can be developed rapidly and avoid problems caused by subjective definition of useful articles. Thus the efficiency of

The Atmospheric Data Acquisition And Interpolation Process For Center-TRACON Automation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jardin, M. R.; Erzberger, H.; Denery, Dallas G. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

The Center-TRACON Automation System (CTAS), an advanced new air traffic automation program, requires knowledge of spatial and temporal atmospheric conditions such as the wind speed and direction, the temperature and the pressure in order to accurately predict aircraft trajectories. Real-time atmospheric data is available in a grid format so that CTAS must interpolate between the grid points to estimate the atmospheric parameter values. The atmospheric data grid is generally not in the same coordinate system as that used by CTAS so that coordinate conversions are required. Both the interpolation and coordinate conversion processes can introduce errors into the atmospheric data and reduce interpolation accuracy. More accurate algorithms may be computationally expensive or may require a prohibitively large amount of data storage capacity so that trade-offs must be made between accuracy and the available computational and data storage resources. The atmospheric data acquisition and processing employed by CTAS will be outlined in this report. The effects of atmospheric data processing on CTAS trajectory prediction will also be analyzed, and several examples of the trajectory prediction process will be given.

Maintenance of Automated Library Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epstein, Susan Baerg

1983-01-01

Discussion of the maintenance of both the software and hardware in an automated library system highlights maintenance by the vendor, contracts and costs, the maintenance log, downtime, and planning for trouble. (EJS)

Automation and validation of DNA-banking systems.

PubMed

Thornton, Melissa; Gladwin, Amanda; Payne, Robin; Moore, Rachael; Cresswell, Carl; McKechnie, Douglas; Kelly, Steve; March, Ruth

2005-10-15

DNA banking is one of the central capabilities on which modern genetic research rests. The DNA-banking system plays an essential role in the flow of genetic data from patients and genetics researchers to the application of genetic research in the clinic. Until relatively recently, large collections of DNA samples were not common in human genetics. Now, collections of hundreds of thousands of samples are common in academic institutions and private companies. Automation of DNA banking can dramatically increase throughput, eliminate manual errors and improve the productivity of genetics research. An increased emphasis on pharmacogenetics and personalized medicine has highlighted the need for genetics laboratories to operate within the principles of a recognized quality system such as good laboratory practice (GLP). Automated systems are suitable for such laboratories but require a level of validation that might be unfamiliar to many genetics researchers. In this article, we use the AstraZeneca automated DNA archive and reformatting system (DART) as a case study of how such a system can be successfully developed and validated within the principles of GLP.

Automated intelligent video surveillance system for ships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Hai; Nguyen, Hieu; Ramu, Prakash; Raju, Chaitanya; Liu, Xiaoqing; Yadegar, Jacob

2009-05-01

To protect naval and commercial ships from attack by terrorists and pirates, it is important to have automatic surveillance systems able to detect, identify, track and alert the crew on small watercrafts that might pursue malicious intentions, while ruling out non-threat entities. Radar systems have limitations on the minimum detectable range and lack high-level classification power. In this paper, we present an innovative Automated Intelligent Video Surveillance System for Ships (AIVS3) as a vision-based solution for ship security. Capitalizing on advanced computer vision algorithms and practical machine learning methodologies, the developed AIVS3 is not only capable of efficiently and robustly detecting, classifying, and tracking various maritime targets, but also able to fuse heterogeneous target information to interpret scene activities, associate targets with levels of threat, and issue the corresponding alerts/recommendations to the man-in- the-loop (MITL). AIVS3 has been tested in various maritime scenarios and shown accurate and effective threat detection performance. By reducing the reliance on human eyes to monitor cluttered scenes, AIVS3 will save the manpower while increasing the accuracy in detection and identification of asymmetric attacks for ship protection.

Extended System Operations Studies for Automated Guideway Transit Systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-02-01

The objectives of the System Operations Studies (SOS) of the Automated Guideway Transit Technology (AGTT) program was to develop models for the analysis of system operations, to evaluate AGT system performance and cost, and to establish guidelines fo...

Biomek Cell Workstation: A Variable System for Automated Cell Cultivation.

PubMed

Lehmann, R; Severitt, J C; Roddelkopf, T; Junginger, S; Thurow, K

2016-06-01

Automated cell cultivation is an important tool for simplifying routine laboratory work. Automated methods are independent of skill levels and daily constitution of laboratory staff in combination with a constant quality and performance of the methods. The Biomek Cell Workstation was configured as a flexible and compatible system. The modified Biomek Cell Workstation enables the cultivation of adherent and suspension cells. Until now, no commercially available systems enabled the automated handling of both types of cells in one system. In particular, the automated cultivation of suspension cells in this form has not been published. The cell counts and viabilities were nonsignificantly decreased for cells cultivated in AutoFlasks in automated handling. The proliferation of manual and automated bioscreening by the WST-1 assay showed a nonsignificant lower proliferation of automatically disseminated cells associated with a mostly lower standard error. The disseminated suspension cell lines showed different pronounced proliferations in descending order, starting with Jurkat cells followed by SEM, Molt4, and RS4 cells having the lowest proliferation. In this respect, we successfully disseminated and screened suspension cells in an automated way. The automated cultivation and dissemination of a variety of suspension cells can replace the manual method. © 2015 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

Space power subsystem automation technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graves, J. R. (Compiler)

1982-01-01

The technology issues involved in power subsystem automation and the reasonable objectives to be sought in such a program were discussed. The complexities, uncertainties, and alternatives of power subsystem automation, along with the advantages from both an economic and a technological perspective were considered. Whereas most spacecraft power subsystems now use certain automated functions, the idea of complete autonomy for long periods of time is almost inconceivable. Thus, it seems prudent that the technology program for power subsystem automation be based upon a growth scenario which should provide a structured framework of deliberate steps to enable the evolution of space power subsystems from the current practice of limited autonomy to a greater use of automation with each step being justified on a cost/benefit basis. Each accomplishment should move toward the objectives of decreased requirement for ground control, increased system reliability through onboard management, and ultimately lower energy cost through longer life systems that require fewer resources to operate and maintain. This approach seems well-suited to the evolution of more sophisticated algorithms and eventually perhaps even the use of some sort of artificial intelligence. Multi-hundred kilowatt systems of the future will probably require an advanced level of autonomy if they are to be affordable and manageable.

Automated detection of retinal disease.

PubMed

Helmchen, Lorens A; Lehmann, Harold P; Abràmoff, Michael D

2014-11-01

Nearly 4 in 10 Americans with diabetes currently fail to undergo recommended annual retinal exams, resulting in tens of thousands of cases of blindness that could have been prevented. Advances in automated retinal disease detection could greatly reduce the burden of labor-intensive dilated retinal examinations by ophthalmologists and optometrists and deliver diagnostic services at lower cost. As the current availability of ophthalmologists and optometrists is inadequate to screen all patients at risk every year, automated screening systems deployed in primary care settings and even in patients' homes could fill the current gap in supply. Expanding screens to all patients at risk by switching to automated detection systems would in turn yield significantly higher rates of detecting and treating diabetic retinopathy per dilated retinal examination. Fewer diabetic patients would develop complications such as blindness, while ophthalmologists could focus on more complex cases.

36 CFR § 1192.173 - Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES Other Vehicles and Systems § 1192.173 Automated guideway transit vehicles and systems. (a) Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) vehicles and systems, sometimes called “people movers”, operated in... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2013-07-01 2012-07-01 true Automated guideway transit...

Validation of an automated colony counting system for group A Streptococcus.

PubMed

Frost, H R; Tsoi, S K; Baker, C A; Laho, D; Sanderson-Smith, M L; Steer, A C; Smeesters, P R

2016-02-08

The practice of counting bacterial colony forming units on agar plates has long been used as a method to estimate the concentration of live bacteria in culture. However, due to the laborious and potentially error prone nature of this measurement technique, an alternative method is desirable. Recent technologic advancements have facilitated the development of automated colony counting systems, which reduce errors introduced during the manual counting process and recording of information. An additional benefit is the significant reduction in time taken to analyse colony counting data. Whilst automated counting procedures have been validated for a number of microorganisms, the process has not been successful for all bacteria due to the requirement for a relatively high contrast between bacterial colonies and growth medium. The purpose of this study was to validate an automated counting system for use with group A Streptococcus (GAS). Twenty-one different GAS strains, representative of major emm-types, were selected for assessment. In order to introduce the required contrast for automated counting, 2,3,5-triphenyl-2H-tetrazolium chloride (TTC) dye was added to Todd-Hewitt broth with yeast extract (THY) agar. Growth on THY agar with TTC was compared with growth on blood agar and THY agar to ensure the dye was not detrimental to bacterial growth. Automated colony counts using a ProtoCOL 3 instrument were compared with manual counting to confirm accuracy over the stages of the growth cycle (latent, mid-log and stationary phases) and in a number of different assays. The average percentage differences between plating and counting methods were analysed using the Bland-Altman method. A percentage difference of ±10 % was determined as the cut-off for a critical difference between plating and counting methods. All strains measured had an average difference of less than 10 % when plated on THY agar with TTC. This consistency was also observed over all phases of the growth

Towards a characterization of information automation systems on the flight deck

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dudley, Rachel Feddersen

This thesis summarizes research to investigate the characteristics that define information automation systems used on aircraft flight decks and the significant impacts that these characteristics have on pilot performance. Major accomplishments of the work include the development of a set of characteristics that describe information automation systems on the flight deck and an experiment designed to study a subset of these characteristics. Information automation systems on the flight deck are responsible for the collection, processing, analysis, and presentation of data to the flightcrew. These systems pose human factors issues and challenges that must be considered by designers of these systems. Based on a previously developed formal definition of information automation for aircraft flight deck systems, an analysis process was developed and conducted to reach a refined set of information automation characteristics. In this work, characteristics are defined as a set of properties or attributes that describe an information automation system's operation or behavior, which can be used to identify and assess potential human factors issues. Hypotheses were formed for a subset of the characteristics: Automation Visibility, Information Quality, and Display Complexity. An experimental investigation was developed to measure performance impacts related to these characteristics, which showed mixed results of expected and surprising findings, with many interactions. A set of recommendations were then developed based on the experimental observations. Ensuring that the right information is presented to pilots at the right time and in the appropriate manner is the job of flight deck system designers. This work provides a foundation for developing recommendations and guidelines specific to information automation on the flight deck with the goal of improving the design and evaluation of information automation systems before they are implemented.

Computer-Assisted Automated Scoring of Polysomnograms Using the Somnolyzer System

PubMed Central

Punjabi, Naresh M.; Shifa, Naima; Dorffner, Georg; Patil, Susheel; Pien, Grace; Aurora, Rashmi N.

2015-01-01

Study Objectives: Manual scoring of polysomnograms is a time-consuming and tedious process. To expedite the scoring of polysomnograms, several computerized algorithms for automated scoring have been developed. The overarching goal of this study was to determine the validity of the Somnolyzer system, an automated system for scoring polysomnograms. Design: The analysis sample comprised of 97 sleep studies. Each polysomnogram was manually scored by certified technologists from four sleep laboratories and concurrently subjected to automated scoring by the Somnolyzer system. Agreement between manual and automated scoring was examined. Sleep staging and scoring of disordered breathing events was conducted using the 2007 American Academy of Sleep Medicine criteria. Setting: Clinical sleep laboratories. Measurements and Results: A high degree of agreement was noted between manual and automated scoring of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). The average correlation between the manually scored AHI across the four clinical sites was 0.92 (95% confidence interval: 0.90–0.93). Similarly, the average correlation between the manual and Somnolyzer-scored AHI values was 0.93 (95% confidence interval: 0.91–0.96). Thus, interscorer correlation between the manually scored results was no different than that derived from manual and automated scoring. Substantial concordance in the arousal index, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency between manual and automated scoring was also observed. In contrast, differences were noted between manually and automated scored percentages of sleep stages N1, N2, and N3. Conclusion: Automated analysis of polysomnograms using the Somnolyzer system provides results that are comparable to manual scoring for commonly used metrics in sleep medicine. Although differences exist between manual versus automated scoring for specific sleep stages, the level of agreement between manual and automated scoring is not significantly different than that between any two

Automated discovery systems and the inductivist controversy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giza, Piotr

2017-09-01

The paper explores possible influences that some developments in the field of branches of AI, called automated discovery and machine learning systems, might have upon some aspects of the old debate between Francis Bacon's inductivism and Karl Popper's falsificationism. Donald Gillies facetiously calls this controversy 'the duel of two English knights', and claims, after some analysis of historical cases of discovery, that Baconian induction had been used in science very rarely, or not at all, although he argues that the situation has changed with the advent of machine learning systems. (Some clarification of terms machine learning and automated discovery is required here. The key idea of machine learning is that, given data with associated outcomes, software can be trained to make those associations in future cases which typically amounts to inducing some rules from individual cases classified by the experts. Automated discovery (also called machine discovery) deals with uncovering new knowledge that is valuable for human beings, and its key idea is that discovery is like other intellectual tasks and that the general idea of heuristic search in problem spaces applies also to discovery tasks. However, since machine learning systems discover (very low-level) regularities in data, throughout this paper I use the generic term automated discovery for both kinds of systems. I will elaborate on this later on). Gillies's line of argument can be generalised: thanks to automated discovery systems, philosophers of science have at their disposal a new tool for empirically testing their philosophical hypotheses. Accordingly, in the paper, I will address the question, which of the two philosophical conceptions of scientific method is better vindicated in view of the successes and failures of systems developed within three major research programmes in the field: machine learning systems in the Turing tradition, normative theory of scientific discovery formulated by Herbert Simon

Automation in clinical bacteriology: what system to choose?

PubMed

Greub, G; Prod'hom, G

2011-05-01

With increased activity and reduced financial and human resources, there is a need for automation in clinical bacteriology. Initial processing of clinical samples includes repetitive and fastidious steps. These tasks are suitable for automation, and several instruments are now available on the market, including the WASP (Copan), Previ-Isola (BioMerieux), Innova (Becton-Dickinson) and Inoqula (KIESTRA) systems. These new instruments allow efficient and accurate inoculation of samples, including four main steps: (i) selecting the appropriate Petri dish; (ii) inoculating the sample; (iii) spreading the inoculum on agar plates to obtain, upon incubation, well-separated bacterial colonies; and (iv) accurate labelling and sorting of each inoculated media. The challenge for clinical bacteriologists is to determine what is the ideal automated system for their own laboratory. Indeed, different solutions will be preferred, according to the number and variety of samples, and to the types of sample that will be processed with the automated system. The final choice is troublesome, because audits proposed by industrials risk being biased towards the solution proposed by their company, and because these automated systems may not be easily tested on site prior to the final decision, owing to the complexity of computer connections between the laboratory information system and the instrument. This article thus summarizes the main parameters that need to be taken into account for choosing the optimal system, and provides some clues to help clinical bacteriologists to make their choice. © 2011 The Authors. Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2011 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom and for the US economy: Submitted to the United States Congress

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on the Space Station Freedom. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). A further requirement of the law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. This report is the ninth in a series of progress updates and covers the period between February 24, 1989, and July 12, 1989. NASA has accepted the basic recommendation of ATAC for its Space Station Freedom efforts. ATAC and NASA agree that the thrust of Congress is to build an advanced automation and robotics technology base that will support an evolutionary Space Station program and serve as a highly visible stimulator, affecting the U.S. long-term economy. The work of NASA and the Freedom contractors, e.g., Work Packages, as well as the Flight Telerobotic Servicer is identified. Research in progress is also described and assessments of the advancement of automation and robotics technology on the Space Station Freedom are given.

The automation of an inlet mass flow control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Supplee, Frank; Tcheng, Ping; Weisenborn, Michael

1989-01-01

The automation of a closed-loop computer controlled system for the inlet mass flow system (IMFS) developed for a wind tunnel facility at Langley Research Center is presented. This new PC based control system is intended to replace the manual control system presently in use in order to fully automate the plug positioning of the IMFS during wind tunnel testing. Provision is also made for communication between the PC and a host-computer in order to allow total animation of the plug positioning and data acquisition during the complete sequence of predetermined plug locations. As extensive running time is programmed for the IMFS, this new automated system will save both manpower and tunnel running time.

Instrumentation and Automation of Wastewater Collection and Treatment Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roesler, Joseph F.; Cummins, Michael D.

1978-01-01

Presents a literature review of the use of instrumentation and automation of wastewater treatment systems, covering publications of 1976-77. This review includes automatic control systems and cost effectiveness of automation of wastewater treatment. A list of 115 references is also presented. (HM)

[Automated anesthesia record system].

PubMed

Zhu, Tao; Liu, Jin

2005-12-01

Based on Client/Server architecture, a software of automated anesthesia record system running under Windows operation system and networks has been developed and programmed with Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0, Visual Basic 6.0 and SQL Server. The system can deal with patient's information throughout the anesthesia. It can collect and integrate the data from several kinds of medical equipment such as monitor, infusion pump and anesthesia machine automatically and real-time. After that, the system presents the anesthesia sheets automatically. The record system makes the anesthesia record more accurate and integral and can raise the anesthesiologist's working efficiency.

Managing the Implementation of Mission Operations Automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sodano, R.; Crouse, P.; Odendahl, S.; Fatig, M.; McMahon, K.; Lakin, J.

2006-01-01

Reducing the cost of mission operations has necessitated a high level of automation both on spacecraft and ground systems. While automation on spacecraft is implemented during the design phase, ground system automation tends to be implemented during the prime mission operations phase. Experience has shown that this tendency for late automation development can be hindered by several factors: additional hardware and software resources may need to be procured; software must be developed and tested on a non-interference basis with primary operations with limited manpower; and established procedures may not be suited for automation requiring substantial rework. In this paper we will review the experience of successfully automating mission operations for seven on-orbit missions: the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO), the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), Interplanetary Physics Laboratory (WIND), Polar Plasma Laboratory (POLAR), and the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE). We will provide lessons learned in areas such as: spacecraft recorder management, procedure development, lights out commanding from the ground system vs. stored command loads, spacecraft contingency response time, and ground station interfaces. Implementing automation strategies during the mission concept and spacecraft integration and test phase as the most efficient method will be discussed.

21 CFR 864.9175 - Automated blood grouping and antibody test system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Manufacture Blood and Blood Products § 864.9175 Automated blood grouping and antibody test system. (a) Identification. An automated blood grouping and antibody test system is a device used to group erythrocytes (red... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Automated blood grouping and antibody test system...

21 CFR 864.9175 - Automated blood grouping and antibody test system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Manufacture Blood and Blood Products § 864.9175 Automated blood grouping and antibody test system. (a) Identification. An automated blood grouping and antibody test system is a device used to group erythrocytes (red... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Automated blood grouping and antibody test system...

21 CFR 864.9175 - Automated blood grouping and antibody test system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Manufacture Blood and Blood Products § 864.9175 Automated blood grouping and antibody test system. (a) Identification. An automated blood grouping and antibody test system is a device used to group erythrocytes (red... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Automated blood grouping and antibody test system...

21 CFR 864.9175 - Automated blood grouping and antibody test system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Manufacture Blood and Blood Products § 864.9175 Automated blood grouping and antibody test system. (a) Identification. An automated blood grouping and antibody test system is a device used to group erythrocytes (red... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Automated blood grouping and antibody test system...

21 CFR 864.9175 - Automated blood grouping and antibody test system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Manufacture Blood and Blood Products § 864.9175 Automated blood grouping and antibody test system. (a) Identification. An automated blood grouping and antibody test system is a device used to group erythrocytes (red... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Automated blood grouping and antibody test system...

The Successful Development of an Automated Rendezvous and Capture (AR&C) System for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roe, Fred D.; Howard, Richard T.

2003-01-01

During the 1990's, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) conducted pioneering research in the development of an automated rendezvous and capture/docking (AR&C) system for U.S. space vehicles. Development and demonstration of a rendezvous sensor was identified early in the AR&C Program as the critical enabling technology that allows automated proximity operations and docking. A first generation rendezvous sensor, the Video Guidance Sensor (VGS), was developed and successfully flown on STS-87 and STS-95, proving the concept of a video- based sensor. A ground demonstration of the entire system and software was successfully tested. Advances in both video and signal processing technologies and the lessons learned from the two successful flight experiments provided a baseline for the development, by the MSFC, of a new generation of video based rendezvous sensor. The Advanced Video Guidance Sensor (AGS) has greatly increased performance and additional capability for longer-range operation with a new target designed as a direct replacement for existing ISS hemispherical reflectors.

Toward a human-centered aircraft automation philosophy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billings, Charles E.

1989-01-01

The evolution of automation in civil aircraft is examined in order to discern trends in the respective roles and functions of automation technology and the humans who operate these aircraft. The effects of advances in automation technology on crew reaction is considered and it appears that, though automation may well have decreased the frequency of certain types of human errors in flight, it may also have enabled new categories of human errors, some perhaps less obvious and therefore more serious than those it has alleviated. It is suggested that automation could be designed to keep the pilot closer to the control of the vehicle, while providing an array of information management and aiding functions designed to provide the pilot with data regarding flight replanning, degraded system operation, and the operational status and limits of the aircraft, its systems, and the physical and operational environment. The automation would serve as the pilot's assistant, providing and calculating data, watching for the unexpected, and keeping track of resources and their rate of expenditure.

ATALARS Operational Requirements: Automated Tactical Aircraft Launch and Recovery System

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1988-04-01

The Automated Tactical Aircraft Launch and Recovery System (ATALARS) is a fully automated air traffic management system intended for the military service but is also fully compatible with civil air traffic control systems. This report documents a fir...

Comparison of a brain-based adaptive system and a manual adaptable system for invoking automation.

PubMed

Bailey, Nathan R; Scerbo, Mark W; Freeman, Frederick G; Mikulka, Peter J; Scott, Lorissa A

2006-01-01

Two experiments are presented examining adaptive and adaptable methods for invoking automation. Empirical investigations of adaptive automation have focused on methods used to invoke automation or on automation-related performance implications. However, no research has addressed whether performance benefits associated with brain-based systems exceed those in which users have control over task allocations. Participants performed monitoring and resource management tasks as well as a tracking task that shifted between automatic and manual modes. In the first experiment, participants worked with an adaptive system that used their electroencephalographic signals to switch the tracking task between automatic and manual modes. Participants were also divided between high- and low-reliability conditions for the system-monitoring task as well as high- and low-complacency potential. For the second experiment, participants operated an adaptable system that gave them manual control over task allocations. Results indicated increased situation awareness (SA) of gauge instrument settings for individuals high in complacency potential using the adaptive system. In addition, participants who had control over automation performed more poorly on the resource management task and reported higher levels of workload. A comparison between systems also revealed enhanced SA of gauge instrument settings and decreased workload in the adaptive condition. The present results suggest that brain-based adaptive automation systems may enhance perceptual level SA while reducing mental workload relative to systems requiring user-initiated control. Potential applications include automated systems for which operator monitoring performance and high-workload conditions are of concern.

Automated, Miniaturized and Integrated Quality Control-on-Chip (QC-on-a-Chip) for Advanced Cell Therapy Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wartmann, David; Rothbauer, Mario; Kuten, Olga; Barresi, Caterina; Visus, Carmen; Felzmann, Thomas; Ertl, Peter

2015-09-01

The combination of microfabrication-based technologies with cell biology has laid the foundation for the development of advanced in vitro diagnostic systems capable of evaluating cell cultures under defined, reproducible and standardizable measurement conditions. In the present review we describe recent lab-on-a-chip developments for cell analysis and how these methodologies could improve standard quality control in the field of manufacturing cell-based vaccines for clinical purposes. We highlight in particular the regulatory requirements for advanced cell therapy applications using as an example dendritic cell-based cancer vaccines to describe the tangible advantages of microfluidic devices that overcome most of the challenges associated with automation, miniaturization and integration of cell-based assays. As its main advantage lab-on-a-chip technology allows for precise regulation of culturing conditions, while simultaneously monitoring cell relevant parameters using embedded sensory systems. State-of-the-art lab-on-a-chip platforms for in vitro assessment of cell cultures and their potential future applications for cell therapies and cancer immunotherapy are discussed in the present review.

Computer-Assisted Automated Scoring of Polysomnograms Using the Somnolyzer System.

PubMed

Punjabi, Naresh M; Shifa, Naima; Dorffner, Georg; Patil, Susheel; Pien, Grace; Aurora, Rashmi N

2015-10-01

Manual scoring of polysomnograms is a time-consuming and tedious process. To expedite the scoring of polysomnograms, several computerized algorithms for automated scoring have been developed. The overarching goal of this study was to determine the validity of the Somnolyzer system, an automated system for scoring polysomnograms. The analysis sample comprised of 97 sleep studies. Each polysomnogram was manually scored by certified technologists from four sleep laboratories and concurrently subjected to automated scoring by the Somnolyzer system. Agreement between manual and automated scoring was examined. Sleep staging and scoring of disordered breathing events was conducted using the 2007 American Academy of Sleep Medicine criteria. Clinical sleep laboratories. A high degree of agreement was noted between manual and automated scoring of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). The average correlation between the manually scored AHI across the four clinical sites was 0.92 (95% confidence interval: 0.90-0.93). Similarly, the average correlation between the manual and Somnolyzer-scored AHI values was 0.93 (95% confidence interval: 0.91-0.96). Thus, interscorer correlation between the manually scored results was no different than that derived from manual and automated scoring. Substantial concordance in the arousal index, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency between manual and automated scoring was also observed. In contrast, differences were noted between manually and automated scored percentages of sleep stages N1, N2, and N3. Automated analysis of polysomnograms using the Somnolyzer system provides results that are comparable to manual scoring for commonly used metrics in sleep medicine. Although differences exist between manual versus automated scoring for specific sleep stages, the level of agreement between manual and automated scoring is not significantly different than that between any two human scorers. In light of the burden associated with manual scoring, automated

Automated telescope scheduling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, Mark D.

1988-01-01

With the ever increasing level of automation of astronomical telescopes the benefits and feasibility of automated planning and scheduling are becoming more apparent. Improved efficiency and increased overall telescope utilization are the most obvious goals. Automated scheduling at some level has been done for several satellite observatories, but the requirements on these systems were much less stringent than on modern ground or satellite observatories. The scheduling problem is particularly acute for Hubble Space Telescope: virtually all observations must be planned in excruciating detail weeks to months in advance. Space Telescope Science Institute has recently made significant progress on the scheduling problem by exploiting state-of-the-art artificial intelligence software technology. What is especially interesting is that this effort has already yielded software that is well suited to scheduling groundbased telescopes, including the problem of optimizing the coordinated scheduling of more than one telescope.

Inventory management and reagent supply for automated chemistry.

PubMed

Kuzniar, E

1999-08-01

Developments in automated chemistry have kept pace with developments in HTS such that hundreds of thousands of new compounds can be rapidly synthesized in the belief that the greater the number and diversity of compounds that can be screened, the more successful HTS will be. The increasing use of automation for Multiple Parallel Synthesis (MPS) and the move to automated combinatorial library production is placing an overwhelming burden on the management of reagents. Although automation has improved the efficiency of the processes involved in compound synthesis, the bottleneck has shifted to ordering, collating and preparing reagents for automated chemistry resulting in loss of time, materials and momentum. Major efficiencies have already been made in the area of compound management for high throughput screening. Most of these efficiencies have been achieved with sophisticated library management systems using advanced engineering and data handling for the storage, tracking and retrieval of millions of compounds. The Automation Partnership has already provided many of the top pharmaceutical companies with modular automated storage, preparation and retrieval systems to manage compound libraries for high throughput screening. This article describes how these systems may be implemented to solve the specific problems of inventory management and reagent supply for automated chemistry.

The BAARA (Biological AutomAted RAdiotracking) System: A New Approach in Ecological Field Studies

PubMed Central

Řeřucha, Šimon; Bartonička, Tomáš; Jedlička, Petr; Čížek, Martin; Hlouša, Ondřej; Lučan, Radek; Horáček, Ivan

2015-01-01

Radiotracking is an important and often the only possible method to explore specific habits and the behaviour of animals, but it has proven to be very demanding and time-consuming, especially when frequent positioning of a large group is required. Our aim was to address this issue by making the process partially automated, to mitigate the demands and related costs. This paper presents a novel automated tracking system that consists of a network of automated tracking stations deployed within the target area. Each station reads the signals from telemetry transmitters, estimates the bearing and distance of the tagged animals and records their position. The station is capable of tracking a theoretically unlimited number of transmitters on different frequency channels with the period of 5–15 seconds per single channel. An ordinary transmitter that fits within the supported frequency band might be used with BAARA (Biological AutomAted RAdiotracking); an extra option is the use of a custom-programmable transmitter with configurable operational parameters, such as the precise frequency channel or the transmission parameters. This new approach to a tracking system was tested for its applicability in a series of field and laboratory tests. BAARA has been tested within fieldwork explorations of Rousettus aegyptiacus during field trips to Dakhla oasis in Egypt. The results illustrate the novel perspective which automated radiotracking opens for the study of spatial behaviour, particularly in addressing topics in the domain of population ecology. PMID:25714910

Automated road marking recognition system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziyatdinov, R. R.; Shigabiev, R. R.; Talipov, D. N.

2017-09-01

Development of the automated road marking recognition systems in existing and future vehicles control systems is an urgent task. One way to implement such systems is the use of neural networks. To test the possibility of using neural network software has been developed with the use of a single-layer perceptron. The resulting system based on neural network has successfully coped with the task both when driving in the daytime and at night.

Using Publish-Subscribe Messaging for System Status and Automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Danford S.

2015-01-01

The NASA Goddard Mission Services Evolution Center (GMSEC) system is a message-based plug-and-play open system architecture used in many of NASA mission operations centers. This presentation will focus on the use of GMSEC standard messages to report and analyze the status of a system and enable the automation of the system's components. In GMSEC systems, each component reports its status using a keep-alive message and also publishes status and activities as log messages. In addition, the components can accept functional directive messages from the GMSEC message bus. Over the past several years, development teams have found ways to utilize these messages to create innovative display pages and increasingly sophisticated approaches to automation. This presentation will show the flexibility and value of the message-based approach to system awareness and automation.

Automated Coal-Mining System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gangal, M. D.; Isenberg, L.; Lewis, E. V.

1985-01-01

Proposed system offers safety and large return on investment. System, operating by year 2000, employs machines and processes based on proven principles. According to concept, line of parallel machines, connected in groups of four to service modules, attacks face of coal seam. High-pressure water jets and central auger on each machine break face. Jaws scoop up coal chunks, and auger grinds them and forces fragments into slurry-transport system. Slurry pumped through pipeline to point of use. Concept for highly automated coal-mining system increases productivity, makes mining safer, and protects health of mine workers.

System for Computer Automated Typesetting (SCAT) of Computer Authored Texts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keeler, F. Laurence

This description of the System for Automated Typesetting (SCAT), an automated system for typesetting text and inserting special graphic symbols in programmed instructional materials created by the computer aided authoring system AUTHOR, provides an outline of the design architecture of the system and an overview including the component…

Potential benefits and hazards of increased reliance on cockpit automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiener, Earl L.

1990-01-01

A review is presented of the introduction of advanced technology into the modern aircraft cockpit, bringing a new era of cockpit automation, and the opportunity for safe, fuel-efficient, computer-directed flight. It is shown that this advanced technology has also brought a number of problems, not due to equipment failure, but due to problems at the human-automation interface. Consideration is given to the interface, the ATC system, and to company, regulatory, and economic environments, as well as to how they contribute to these new problems.

Highly automated driving, secondary task performance, and driver state.

PubMed

Merat, Natasha; Jamson, A Hamish; Lai, Frank C H; Carsten, Oliver

2012-10-01

A driving simulator study compared the effect of changes in workload on performance in manual and highly automated driving. Changes in driver state were also observed by examining variations in blink patterns. With the addition of a greater number of advanced driver assistance systems in vehicles, the driver's role is likely to alter in the future from an operator in manual driving to a supervisor of highly automated cars. Understanding the implications of such advancements on drivers and road safety is important. A total of 50 participants were recruited for this study and drove the simulator in both manual and highly automated mode. As well as comparing the effect of adjustments in driving-related workload on performance, the effect of a secondary Twenty Questions Task was also investigated. In the absence of the secondary task, drivers' response to critical incidents was similar in manual and highly automated driving conditions. The worst performance was observed when drivers were required to regain control of driving in the automated mode while distracted by the secondary task. Blink frequency patterns were more consistent for manual than automated driving but were generally suppressed during conditions of high workload. Highly automated driving did not have a deleterious effect on driver performance, when attention was not diverted to the distracting secondary task. As the number of systems implemented in cars increases, an understanding of the implications of such automation on drivers' situation awareness, workload, and ability to remain engaged with the driving task is important.

An ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer automation system. Part 3: Program documentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roth, G. S.; Teuschler, J. M.; Budde, W. L.

1982-07-01

The Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrophotometer (UVVIS) automation system accomplishes 'on-line' spectrophotometric quality assurance determinations, report generations, plot generations and data reduction for chlorophyll or color analysis. This system also has the capability to process manually entered data for the analysis of chlorophyll or color. For each program of the UVVIS system, this document contains a program description, flowchart, variable dictionary, code listing, and symbol cross-reference table. Also included are descriptions of file structures and of routines common to all automated analyses. The programs are written in Data General extended BASIC, Revision 4.3, under the RDOS operating systems, Revision 6.2. The BASIC code has been enhanced for real-time data acquisition, which is accomplished by CALLS to assembly language subroutines. Two other related publications are 'An Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrophotometer Automation System - Part I Functional Specifications,' and 'An Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrophotometer Automation System - Part II User's Guide.'

A Demonstration Advanced Avionics System for general aviation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Denery, D. G.; Callas, G. P.; Jackson, C. T.; Berkstresser, B. K.; Hardy, G. H.

1979-01-01

A program initiated within NASA has emphasized the use of a data bus, microprocessors, electronic displays and data entry devices for general aviation. A Demonstration Advanced Avionics System (DAAS) capable of evaluating critical and promising elements of an integrating system that will perform the functions of (1) automated guidance and navigation; (2) flight planning; (3) weight and balance performance computations; (4) monitoring and warning; and (5) storage of normal and emergency check lists and operational limitations is described. Consideration is given to two major parts of the DAAS instrument panel: the integrated data control center and an electronic horizontal situation indicator, and to the system architecture. The system is to be installed in the Ames Research Center's Cessna 402B in the latter part of 1980; engineering flight testing will begin in the first part of 1981.

Modeling Hydraulic Components for Automated FMEA of a Braking System

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-23

Modeling Hydraulic Components for Automated FMEA of a Braking System Peter Struss, Alessandro Fraracci Tech. Univ. of Munich, 85748 Garching...Germany struss@in.tum.de ABSTRACT This paper presents work on model-based automation of failure-modes-and-effects analysis ( FMEA ) applied to...the hydraulic part of a vehicle braking system. We describe the FMEA task and the application problem and outline the foundations for automating the

Feasibility Study for an Automated Library System. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaumont and Associates, Inc.

This study was initiated by the Newfoundland Public Library Services (NPLS) to assess the feasibility of automation for the library services and to determine the viability of an integrated automated library system for the NPLS. The study addresses the needs of NPLS in terms of library automation; benefits to be achieved through the introduction of…

[DNA Extraction from Old Bones by AutoMate Express™ System].

PubMed

Li, B; Lü, Z

2017-08-01

To establish a method for extracting DNA from old bones by AutoMate Express™ system. Bones were grinded into powder by freeze-mill. After extraction by AutoMate Express™, DNA were amplified and genotyped by Identifiler®Plus and MinFiler™ kits. DNA were extracted from 10 old bone samples, which kept in different environments with the postmortem interval from 10 to 20 years, in 3 hours by AutoMate Express™ system. Complete STR typing results were obtained from 8 samples. AutoMate Express™ system can quickly and efficiently extract DNA from old bones, which can be applied in forensic practice. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine

Summary of astronaut inputs on automation and robotics for Space Station Freedom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weeks, David J.

1990-01-01

Astronauts and payload specialists present specific recommendations in the form of an overview that relate to the use of automation and robotics on the Space Station Freedom. The inputs are based on on-orbit operations experience, time requirements for crews, and similar crew-specific knowledge that address the impacts of automation and robotics on productivity. Interview techniques and specific questionnaire results are listed, and the majority of the responses indicate that incorporating automation and robotics to some extent and with human backup can improve productivity. Specific support is found for the use of advanced automation and EVA robotics on the Space Station Freedom and for the use of advanced automation on ground-based stations. Ground-based control of in-flight robotics is required, and Space Station activities and crew tasks should be analyzed to assess the systems engineering approach for incorporating automation and robotics.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the space station and for the US economy: Submitted to the United States Congress May 15, 1987

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on the space station. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). A further requirement of the Law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. This report is the fourth in a series of progress updates and covers the period October 1, 1986 to May 15, 1987. NASA has accepted the basic recommendations of ATAC for its space station efforts. ATAC and NASA agree that the will of Congress is to build an advanced automation and robotics technology base that will support an evolutionary space station program and serve as a highly visible stimulator affecting the long-term U.S. economy. The progress report identifies the work of NASA and the space station study contractors, research in progress, and issues connected with the advancement of automation and robotics technology on the space station.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the space station and for the US economy: Submitted to the United States Congress October 1, 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committer (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on the space station. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). A further requirement of the Law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. This report is the third in a series of progress updates and covers the period between April 1, 1986 and September 30, 1986. NASA has accepted the basic recommendations of ATAC for its space station efforts. ATAC and NASA agree that the will of Congress is to build an advanced automation and robotics technology base that will support an evolutionary space station program and serve as a highly visible stimulater affecting the long-term U.S. economy. The progress report identifies the work of NASA and the space station study contractors, research in progress, and issues connected with the advancement of automation and robotics technology on the space station.

Modeling and deadlock avoidance of automated manufacturing systems with multiple automated guided vehicles.

PubMed

Wu, Naiqi; Zhou, MengChu

2005-12-01

An automated manufacturing system (AMS) contains a number of versatile machines (or workstations), buffers, an automated material handling system (MHS), and is computer-controlled. An effective and flexible alternative for implementing MHS is to use automated guided vehicle (AGV) system. The deadlock issue in AMS is very important in its operation and has extensively been studied. The deadlock problems were separately treated for parts in production and transportation and many techniques were developed for each problem. However, such treatment does not take the advantage of the flexibility offered by multiple AGVs. In general, it is intractable to obtain maximally permissive control policy for either problem. Instead, this paper investigates these two problems in an integrated way. First we model an AGV system and part processing processes by resource-oriented Petri nets, respectively. Then the two models are integrated by using macro transitions. Based on the combined model, a novel control policy for deadlock avoidance is proposed. It is shown to be maximally permissive with computational complexity of O (n2) where n is the number of machines in AMS if the complexity for controlling the part transportation by AGVs is not considered. Thus, the complexity of deadlock avoidance for the whole system is bounded by the complexity in controlling the AGV system. An illustrative example shows its application and power.

Large-Scale Document Automation: The Systems Integration Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalthoff, Robert J.

1985-01-01

Reviews current technologies for electronic imaging and its recording and transmission, including digital recording, optical data disks, automated image-delivery micrographics, high-density-magnetic recording, and new developments in telecommunications and computers. The role of the document automation systems integrator, who will bring these…

Automated drafting system uses computer techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Millenson, D. H.

1966-01-01

Automated drafting system produces schematic and block diagrams from the design engineers freehand sketches. This system codes conventional drafting symbols and their coordinate locations on standard size drawings for entry on tapes that are used to drive a high speed photocomposition machine.

Automated validation of a computer operating system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dervage, M. M.; Milberg, B. A.

1970-01-01

Programs apply selected input/output loads to complex computer operating system and measure performance of that system under such loads. Technique lends itself to checkout of computer software designed to monitor automated complex industrial systems.

Automated Assume-Guarantee Reasoning for Omega-Regular Systems and Specifications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chaki, Sagar; Gurfinkel, Arie

2010-01-01

We develop a learning-based automated Assume-Guarantee (AG) reasoning framework for verifying omega-regular properties of concurrent systems. We study the applicability of non-circular (AGNC) and circular (AG-C) AG proof rules in the context of systems with infinite behaviors. In particular, we show that AG-NC is incomplete when assumptions are restricted to strictly infinite behaviors, while AG-C remains complete. We present a general formalization, called LAG, of the learning based automated AG paradigm. We show how existing approaches for automated AG reasoning are special instances of LAG.We develop two learning algorithms for a class of systems, called infinite regular systems, that combine finite and infinite behaviors. We show that for infinity-regular systems, both AG-NC and AG-C are sound and complete. Finally, we show how to instantiate LAG to do automated AG reasoning for infinite regular, and omega-regular, systems using both AG-NC and AG-C as proof rules

22 CFR 120.30 - The Automated Export System (AES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... DEFINITIONS § 120.30 The Automated Export System (AES). The Automated Export System (AES) is the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, electronic filing of export information. The AES shall serve as the primary...). Also, requests for special reporting may be made by DDTC on a case-by-case basis, (e.g., compliance...

The CADSS design automation system. [computerized design language for small digital systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Franke, E. A.

1973-01-01

This research was designed to implement and extend a previously defined design automation system for the design of small digital structures. A description is included of the higher level language developed to describe systems as a sequence of register transfer operations. The system simulator which is used to determine if the original description is correct is also discussed. The design automation system produces tables describing the state transistions of the system and the operation of all registers. In addition all Boolean equations specifying system operation are minimized and converted to NAND gate structures. Suggestions for further extensions to the system are also given.

The automated system for technological process of spacecraft's waveguide paths soldering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tynchenko, V. S.; Murygin, A. V.; Emilova, O. A.; Bocharov, A. N.; Laptenok, V. D.

2016-11-01

The paper solves the problem of automated process control of space vehicles waveguide paths soldering by means of induction heating. The peculiarities of the induction soldering process are analyzed and necessity of information-control system automation is identified. The developed automated system makes the control of the product heating process, by varying the power supplied to the inductor, on the basis of information about the soldering zone temperature, and stabilizing the temperature in a narrow range above the melting point of the solder but below the melting point of the waveguide. This allows the soldering process automating to improve the quality of the waveguides and eliminate burn-troughs. The article shows a block diagram of a software system consisting of five modules, and describes the main algorithm of its work. Also there is a description of the waveguide paths automated soldering system operation, for explaining the basic functions and limitations of the system. The developed software allows setting of the measurement equipment, setting and changing parameters of the soldering process, as well as view graphs of temperatures recorded by the system. There is shown the results of experimental studies that prove high quality of soldering process control and the system applicability to the tasks of automation.

Acquisition of Real-Time Operation Analytics for an Automated Serial Sectioning System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Madison, Jonathan D.; Underwood, O. D.; Poulter, Gregory A.

Mechanical serial sectioning is a highly repetitive technique employed in metallography for the rendering of 3D reconstructions of microstructure. While alternate techniques such as ultrasonic detection, micro-computed tomography, and focused ion beam milling have progressed much in recent years, few alternatives provide equivalent opportunities for comparatively high resolutions over significantly sized cross-sectional areas and volumes. To that end, the introduction of automated serial sectioning systems has greatly heightened repeatability and increased data collection rates while diminishing opportunity for mishandling and other user-introduced errors. Unfortunately, even among current, state-of-the-art automated serial sectioning systems, challenges in data collection have not been fullymore » eradicated. Therefore, this paper highlights two specific advances to assist in this area; a non-contact laser triangulation method for assessment of material removal rates and a newly developed graphical user interface providing real-time monitoring of experimental progress. Furthermore, both are shown to be helpful in the rapid identification of anomalies and interruptions, while also providing comparable and less error-prone measures of removal rate over the course of these long-term, challenging, and innately destructive characterization experiments.« less

Acquisition of Real-Time Operation Analytics for an Automated Serial Sectioning System

DOE PAGES

Madison, Jonathan D.; Underwood, O. D.; Poulter, Gregory A.; ...

2017-03-22

Mechanical serial sectioning is a highly repetitive technique employed in metallography for the rendering of 3D reconstructions of microstructure. While alternate techniques such as ultrasonic detection, micro-computed tomography, and focused ion beam milling have progressed much in recent years, few alternatives provide equivalent opportunities for comparatively high resolutions over significantly sized cross-sectional areas and volumes. To that end, the introduction of automated serial sectioning systems has greatly heightened repeatability and increased data collection rates while diminishing opportunity for mishandling and other user-introduced errors. Unfortunately, even among current, state-of-the-art automated serial sectioning systems, challenges in data collection have not been fullymore » eradicated. Therefore, this paper highlights two specific advances to assist in this area; a non-contact laser triangulation method for assessment of material removal rates and a newly developed graphical user interface providing real-time monitoring of experimental progress. Furthermore, both are shown to be helpful in the rapid identification of anomalies and interruptions, while also providing comparable and less error-prone measures of removal rate over the course of these long-term, challenging, and innately destructive characterization experiments.« less

Automation effects in a multiloop manual control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hess, R. A.; Mcnally, B. D.

1986-01-01

An experimental and analytical study was undertaken to investigate human interaction with a simple multiloop manual control system in which the human's activity was systematically varied by changing the level of automation. The system simulated was the longitudinal dynamics of a hovering helicopter. The automation-systems-stabilized vehicle responses from attitude to velocity to position and also provided for display automation in the form of a flight director. The control-loop structure resulting from the task definition can be considered a simple stereotype of a hierarchical control system. The experimental study was complemented by an analytical modeling effort which utilized simple crossover models of the human operator. It was shown that such models can be extended to the description of multiloop tasks involving preview and precognitive human operator behavior. The existence of time optimal manual control behavior was established for these tasks and the role which internal models may play in establishing human-machine performance was discussed.

A Comparison of a Brain-Based Adaptive System and a Manual Adaptable System for Invoking Automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, Nathan R.; Scerbo, Mark W.; Freeman, Frederick G.; Mikulka, Peter J.; Scott, Lorissa A.

2004-01-01

Two experiments are presented that examine alternative methods for invoking automation. In each experiment, participants were asked to perform simultaneously a monitoring task and a resource management task as well as a tracking task that changed between automatic and manual modes. The monitoring task required participants to detect failures of an automated system to correct aberrant conditions under either high or low system reliability. Performance on each task was assessed as well as situation awareness and subjective workload. In the first experiment, half of the participants worked with a brain-based system that used their EEG signals to switch the tracking task between automatic and manual modes. The remaining participants were yoked to participants from the adaptive condition and received the same schedule of mode switches, but their EEG had no effect on the automation. Within each group, half of the participants were assigned to either the low or high reliability monitoring task. In addition, within each combination of automation invocation and system reliability, participants were separated into high and low complacency potential groups. The results revealed no significant effects of automation invocation on the performance measures; however, the high complacency individuals demonstrated better situation awareness when working with the adaptive automation system. The second experiment was the same as the first with one important exception. Automation was invoked manually. Thus, half of the participants pressed a button to invoke automation for 10 s. The remaining participants were yoked to participants from the adaptable condition and received the same schedule of mode switches, but they had no control over the automation. The results showed that participants who could invoke automation performed more poorly on the resource management task and reported higher levels of subjective workload. Further, those who invoked automation more frequently performed

Automated Ecological Assessment of Physical Activity: Advancing Direct Observation

PubMed Central

Carlson, Jordan A.; Liu, Bo; Sallis, James F.; Kerr, Jacqueline; Papa, Amy; Dean, Kelsey; Vasconcelos, Nuno M.

2017-01-01

Technological advances provide opportunities for automating direct observations of physical activity, which allow for continuous monitoring and feedback. This pilot study evaluated the initial validity of computer vision algorithms for ecological assessment of physical activity. The sample comprised 6630 seconds per camera (three cameras in total) of video capturing up to nine participants engaged in sitting, standing, walking, and jogging in an open outdoor space while wearing accelerometers. Computer vision algorithms were developed to assess the number and proportion of people in sedentary, light, moderate, and vigorous activity, and group-based metabolic equivalents of tasks (MET)-minutes. Means and standard deviations (SD) of bias/difference values, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) assessed the criterion validity compared to accelerometry separately for each camera. The number and proportion of participants sedentary and in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) had small biases (within 20% of the criterion mean) and the ICCs were excellent (0.82–0.98). Total MET-minutes were slightly underestimated by 9.3–17.1% and the ICCs were good (0.68–0.79). The standard deviations of the bias estimates were moderate-to-large relative to the means. The computer vision algorithms appeared to have acceptable sample-level validity (i.e., across a sample of time intervals) and are promising for automated ecological assessment of activity in open outdoor settings, but further development and testing is needed before such tools can be used in a diverse range of settings. PMID:29194358

Automated Ecological Assessment of Physical Activity: Advancing Direct Observation.

PubMed

Carlson, Jordan A; Liu, Bo; Sallis, James F; Kerr, Jacqueline; Hipp, J Aaron; Staggs, Vincent S; Papa, Amy; Dean, Kelsey; Vasconcelos, Nuno M

2017-12-01

Technological advances provide opportunities for automating direct observations of physical activity, which allow for continuous monitoring and feedback. This pilot study evaluated the initial validity of computer vision algorithms for ecological assessment of physical activity. The sample comprised 6630 seconds per camera (three cameras in total) of video capturing up to nine participants engaged in sitting, standing, walking, and jogging in an open outdoor space while wearing accelerometers. Computer vision algorithms were developed to assess the number and proportion of people in sedentary, light, moderate, and vigorous activity, and group-based metabolic equivalents of tasks (MET)-minutes. Means and standard deviations (SD) of bias/difference values, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) assessed the criterion validity compared to accelerometry separately for each camera. The number and proportion of participants sedentary and in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) had small biases (within 20% of the criterion mean) and the ICCs were excellent (0.82-0.98). Total MET-minutes were slightly underestimated by 9.3-17.1% and the ICCs were good (0.68-0.79). The standard deviations of the bias estimates were moderate-to-large relative to the means. The computer vision algorithms appeared to have acceptable sample-level validity (i.e., across a sample of time intervals) and are promising for automated ecological assessment of activity in open outdoor settings, but further development and testing is needed before such tools can be used in a diverse range of settings.

Laboratory automation: trajectory, technology, and tactics.

PubMed

Markin, R S; Whalen, S A

2000-05-01

modular approach, from a hardware-driven system to process control, from a one-of-a-kind novelty toward a standardized product, and from an in vitro diagnostics novelty to a marketing tool. Multiple vendors are present in the marketplace, many of whom are in vitro diagnostics manufacturers providing an automation solution coupled with their instruments, whereas others are focused automation companies. Automation technology continues to advance, acceptance continues to climb, and payback and cost justification methods are developing.

Lighting Automation Flying an Earthlike Habitat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Toni A.; Kolomenski, Andrei

2017-01-01

Currently, spacecraft lighting systems are not demonstrating innovations in automation due to perceived costs in designing circuitry for the communication and automation of lights. The majority of spacecraft lighting systems employ lamps or zone specific manual switches and dimmers. This type of 'hardwired' solution does not easily convert to automation. With advances in solid state lighting, the potential to enhance a spacecraft habitat is lost if the communication and automation problem is not tackled. If we are to build long duration environments, which provide earth-like habitats, minimize crew time, and optimize spacecraft power reserves, innovation in lighting automation is a must. This project researched the use of the DMX512 communication protocol originally developed for high channel count lighting systems. DMX512 is an internationally governed, industry-accepted, lighting communication protocol with wide industry support. The lighting industry markets a wealth of hardware and software that utilizes DMX512, and there may be incentive to space certify the system. Our goal in this research is to enable the development of automated spacecraft habitats for long duration missions. To transform how spacecraft lighting environments are automated, our project conducted a variety of tests to determine a potential scope of capability. We investigated utilization and application of an industry accepted lighting control protocol, DMX512 by showcasing how the lighting system could help conserve power, assist with lighting countermeasures, and utilize spatial body tracking. We hope evaluation and the demonstrations we built will inspire other NASA engineers, architects and researchers to consider employing DMX512 "smart lighting" capabilities into their system architecture. By using DMX512 we will prove the 'wheel' does not need to be reinvented in terms of smart lighting and future spacecraft can use a standard lighting protocol to produce an effective, optimized and

Lighting Automation - Flying an Earthlike Habitat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Tori A. (Principal Investigator); Kolomenski, Andrei

2017-01-01

Currently, spacecraft lighting systems are not demonstrating innovations in automation due to perceived costs in designing circuitry for the communication and automation of lights. The majority of spacecraft lighting systems employ lamps or zone specific manual switches and dimmers. This type of 'hardwired' solution does not easily convert to automation. With advances in solid state lighting, the potential to enhance a spacecraft habitat is lost if the communication and automation problem is not tackled. If we are to build long duration environments, which provide earth-like habitats, minimize crew time, and optimize spacecraft power reserves, innovation in lighting automation is a must. This project researched the use of the DMX512 communication protocol originally developed for high channel count lighting systems. DMX512 is an internationally governed, industry-accepted, lighting communication protocol with wide industry support. The lighting industry markets a wealth of hardware and software that utilizes DMX512, and there may be incentive to space certify the system. Our goal in this research is to enable the development of automated spacecraft habitats for long duration missions. To transform how spacecraft lighting environments are automated, our project conducted a variety of tests to determine a potential scope of capability. We investigated utilization and application of an industry accepted lighting control protocol, DMX512 by showcasing how the lighting system could help conserve power, assist with lighting countermeasures, and utilize spatial body tracking. We hope evaluation and the demonstrations we built will inspire other NASA engineers, architects and researchers to consider employing DMX512 "smart lighting" capabilities into their system architecture. By using DMX512 we will prove the 'wheel' does not need to be reinvented in terms of smart lighting and future spacecraft can use a standard lighting protocol to produce an effective, optimized and

Implementation of an Automated System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epstein, Susan Baerg

1983-01-01

Discussion of care and planning given to the implementation of an automated library system highlights informing the staff in the early stages, project management, involvement of the entire staff, the control log, time and money, where and when to go online, and implementation consultants. (EJS)

Measuring Performance with Library Automated Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OFarrell, John P.

2000-01-01

Investigates the capability of three library automated systems to generate some of the datasets necessary to form the ISO (International Standards Organization) standard on performance measurement within libraries, based on research in Liverpool John Moores University (United Kingdom). Concludes that the systems are weak in generating the…

[Standardization of operation monitoring and control of the clinical laboratory automation system].

PubMed

Tao, R

2000-10-01

Laboratory automation systems showed up in the 1980s and have been introduced to many clinical laboratories since early 1990s. Meanwhile, it was found that the difference in the specimen tube dimensions, specimen identification formats, specimen carrier transportation equipment architecture, electromechanical interfaces between the analyzers and the automation systems was preventing the systems from being introduced to a wider extent. To standardize the different interfaces and reduce the cost of laboratory automation, NCCLS and JCCLS started establishing standards for laboratory automation in 1996 and 1997 respectively. Operation monitoring and control of the laboratory automation system have been included in their activities, resulting in the publication of an NCCLS proposed standard in 1999.

Wireless energizing system for an automated implantable sensor.

PubMed

Swain, Biswaranjan; Nayak, Praveen P; Kar, Durga P; Bhuyan, Satyanarayan; Mishra, Laxmi P

2016-07-01

The wireless drive of an automated implantable electronic sensor has been explored for health monitoring applications. The proposed system comprises of an automated biomedical sensing system which is energized through resonant inductive coupling. The implantable sensor unit is able to monitor the body temperature parameter and sends back the corresponding telemetry data wirelessly to the data recoding unit. It has been observed that the wireless power delivery system is capable of energizing the automated biomedical implantable electronic sensor placed over a distance of 3 cm from the power transmitter with an energy transfer efficiency of 26% at the operating resonant frequency of 562 kHz. This proposed method ensures real-time monitoring of different human body temperatures around the clock. The monitored temperature data have been compared with a calibrated temperature measurement system to ascertain the accuracy of the proposed system. The investigated technique can also be useful for monitoring other body parameters such as blood pressure, bladder pressure, and physiological signals of the patient in vivo using various implantable sensors.

Wireless energizing system for an automated implantable sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Swain, Biswaranjan; Nayak, Praveen P.; Kar, Durga P.

The wireless drive of an automated implantable electronic sensor has been explored for health monitoring applications. The proposed system comprises of an automated biomedical sensing system which is energized through resonant inductive coupling. The implantable sensor unit is able to monitor the body temperature parameter and sends back the corresponding telemetry data wirelessly to the data recoding unit. It has been observed that the wireless power delivery system is capable of energizing the automated biomedical implantable electronic sensor placed over a distance of 3 cm from the power transmitter with an energy transfer efficiency of 26% at the operating resonantmore » frequency of 562 kHz. This proposed method ensures real-time monitoring of different human body temperatures around the clock. The monitored temperature data have been compared with a calibrated temperature measurement system to ascertain the accuracy of the proposed system. The investigated technique can also be useful for monitoring other body parameters such as blood pressure, bladder pressure, and physiological signals of the patient in vivo using various implantable sensors.« less

Automated Microbiological Detection/Identification System

PubMed Central

Aldridge, C.; Jones, P. W.; Gibson, S.; Lanham, J.; Meyer, M.; Vannest, R.; Charles, R.

1977-01-01

An automated, computerized system, the AutoMicrobic System, has been developed for the detection, enumeration, and identification of bacteria and yeasts in clinical specimens. The biological basis for the system resides in lyophilized, highly selective and specific media enclosed in wells of a disposable plastic cuvette; introduction of a suitable specimen rehydrates and inoculates the media in the wells. An automated optical system monitors, and the computer interprets, changes in the media, with enumeration and identification results automatically obtained in 13 h. Sixteen different selective media were developed and tested with a variety of seeded (simulated) and clinical specimens. The AutoMicrobic System has been extensively tested with urine specimens, using a urine test kit (Identi-Pak) that contains selective media for Escherichia coli, Proteus species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella-Enterobacter species, Serratia species, Citrobacter freundii, group D enterococci, Staphylococcus aureus, and yeasts (Candida species and Torulopsis glabrata). The system has been tested with 3,370 seeded urine specimens and 1,486 clinical urines. Agreement with simultaneous conventional (manual) cultures, at levels of 70,000 colony-forming units per ml (or more), was 92% or better for seeded specimens; clinical specimens yielded results of 93% or better for all organisms except P. aeruginosa, where agreement was 86%. System expansion in progress includes antibiotic susceptibility testing and compatibility with most types of clinical specimens. Images PMID:334798

Using microwave Doppler radar in automated manufacturing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Gregory C.

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, manufacturers worldwide have used automation to improve productivity, gain market share, and meet growing or changing consumer demand for manufactured products. To stimulate further industrial productivity, manufacturers need more advanced automation technologies: "smart" part handling systems, automated assembly machines, CNC machine tools, and industrial robots that use new sensor technologies, advanced control systems, and intelligent decision-making algorithms to "see," "hear," "feel," and "think" at the levels needed to handle complex manufacturing tasks without human intervention. The investigator's dissertation offers three methods that could help make "smart" CNC machine tools and industrial robots possible: (1) A method for detecting acoustic emission using a microwave Doppler radar detector, (2) A method for detecting tool wear on a CNC lathe using a Doppler radar detector, and (3) An online non-contact method for detecting industrial robot position errors using a microwave Doppler radar motion detector. The dissertation studies indicate that microwave Doppler radar could be quite useful in automated manufacturing applications. In particular, the methods developed may help solve two difficult problems that hinder further progress in automating manufacturing processes: (1) Automating metal-cutting operations on CNC machine tools by providing a reliable non-contact method for detecting tool wear, and (2) Fully automating robotic manufacturing tasks by providing a reliable low-cost non-contact method for detecting on-line position errors. In addition, the studies offer a general non-contact method for detecting acoustic emission that may be useful in many other manufacturing and non-manufacturing areas, as well (e.g., monitoring and nondestructively testing structures, materials, manufacturing processes, and devices). By advancing the state of the art in manufacturing automation, the studies may help

Automation or De-automation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorlach, Igor; Wessel, Oliver

2008-09-01

In the global automotive industry, for decades, vehicle manufacturers have continually increased the level of automation of production systems in order to be competitive. However, there is a new trend to decrease the level of automation, especially in final car assembly, for reasons of economy and flexibility. In this research, the final car assembly lines at three production sites of Volkswagen are analysed in order to determine the best level of automation for each, in terms of manufacturing costs, productivity, quality and flexibility. The case study is based on the methodology proposed by the Fraunhofer Institute. The results of the analysis indicate that fully automated assembly systems are not necessarily the best option in terms of cost, productivity and quality combined, which is attributed to high complexity of final car assembly systems; some de-automation is therefore recommended. On the other hand, the analysis shows that low automation can result in poor product quality due to reasons related to plant location, such as inadequate workers' skills, motivation, etc. Hence, the automation strategy should be formulated on the basis of analysis of all relevant aspects of the manufacturing process, such as costs, quality, productivity and flexibility in relation to the local context. A more balanced combination of automated and manual assembly operations provides better utilisation of equipment, reduces production costs and improves throughput.

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom and for the U.S. economy. Submitted to the Congress of the U.S. May 1991

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lum, Henry, Jr.

1991-01-01

In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on Space Station Freedom. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). A further requirement of the law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. The report describes the progress made by Levels 1, 2 and 3 of the Office Space Station in developing and applying advanced automation and robotics technology. Emphasis has been placed upon the Space Station Freedom Program responses to specific recommendations made in ATAC Progress Report 11, the status of the Flight Telerobotic Servicer, and the status of the Advanced Development Program. In addition, an assessment is provided of the automation and robotics status of the Canadian Space Station Program.

Automation and robotics technology for intelligent mining systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welsh, Jeffrey H.

1989-01-01

The U.S. Bureau of Mines is approaching the problems of accidents and efficiency in the mining industry through the application of automation and robotics to mining systems. This technology can increase safety by removing workers from hazardous areas of the mines or from performing hazardous tasks. The short-term goal of the Automation and Robotics program is to develop technology that can be implemented in the form of an autonomous mining machine using current continuous mining machine equipment. In the longer term, the goal is to conduct research that will lead to new intelligent mining systems that capitalize on the capabilities of robotics. The Bureau of Mines Automation and Robotics program has been structured to produce the technology required for the short- and long-term goals. The short-term goal of application of automation and robotics to an existing mining machine, resulting in autonomous operation, is expected to be accomplished within five years. Key technology elements required for an autonomous continuous mining machine are well underway and include machine navigation systems, coal-rock interface detectors, machine condition monitoring, and intelligent computer systems. The Bureau of Mines program is described, including status of key technology elements for an autonomous continuous mining machine, the program schedule, and future work. Although the program is directed toward underground mining, much of the technology being developed may have applications for space systems or mining on the Moon or other planets.

Airborne electronics for automated flight systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graves, G. B., Jr.

1975-01-01

The increasing importance of airborne electronics for use in automated flight systems is briefly reviewed with attention to both basic aircraft control functions and flight management systems for operational use. The requirements for high levels of systems reliability are recognized. Design techniques are discussed and the areas of control systems, computing and communications are considered in terms of key technical problems and trends for their solution.

Framework for Human-Automation Collaboration: Conclusions from Four Studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oxstrand, Johanna; Le Blanc, Katya L.; O'Hara, John

The Human Automation Collaboration (HAC) research project is investigating how advanced technologies that are planned for Advanced Small Modular Reactors (AdvSMR) will affect the performance and the reliability of the plant from a human factors and human performance perspective. The HAC research effort investigates the consequences of allocating functions between the operators and automated systems. More specifically, the research team is addressing how to best design the collaboration between the operators and the automated systems in a manner that has the greatest positive impact on overall plant performance and reliability. Oxstrand et al. (2013 - March) describes the efforts conductedmore » by the researchers to identify the research needs for HAC. The research team reviewed the literature on HAC, developed a model of HAC, and identified gaps in the existing knowledge of human-automation collaboration. As described in Oxstrand et al. (2013 – June), the team then prioritized the research topics identified based on the specific needs in the context of AdvSMR. The prioritization was based on two sources of input: 1) The preliminary functions and tasks, and 2) The model of HAC. As a result, three analytical studies were planned and conduced; 1) Models of Teamwork, 2) Standardized HAC Performance Measurement Battery, and 3) Initiators and Triggering Conditions for Adaptive Automation. Additionally, one field study was also conducted at Idaho Falls Power.« less

Cost-benefit analysis on deployment of automated highway systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

The optimal ranges of traffic flow and capacity will be determined for selected scenarios, in which different proportions of automated and conventional traffic will operate simultaneously in an automated highway system (AHS). It is found that there w...

Assessment of Operational Automated Guideway Systems - Jetrail

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-12-01

The report is an assessment and evaluation of the Braniff International Airlines Jetrail system located at Love Field in Dallas, Texas, the first operational completely automated, demand-responsive, group rapid, intra-airport transportation system. I...

Integrated flexible manufacturing program for manufacturing automation and rapid prototyping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, S. L.; Brown, C. W.; King, M. S.; Simons, W. R.; Zimmerman, J. J.

1993-01-01

The Kansas City Division of Allied Signal Inc., as part of the Integrated Flexible Manufacturing Program (IFMP), is developing an integrated manufacturing environment. Several systems are being developed to produce standards and automation tools for specific activities within the manufacturing environment. The Advanced Manufacturing Development System (AMDS) is concentrating on information standards (STEP) and product data transfer; the Expert Cut Planner system (XCUT) is concentrating on machining operation process planning standards and automation capabilities; the Advanced Numerical Control system (ANC) is concentrating on NC data preparation standards and NC data generation tools; the Inspection Planning and Programming Expert system (IPPEX) is concentrating on inspection process planning, coordinate measuring machine (CMM) inspection standards and CMM part program generation tools; and the Intelligent Scheduling and Planning System (ISAPS) is concentrating on planning and scheduling tools for a flexible manufacturing system environment. All of these projects are working together to address information exchange, standardization, and information sharing to support rapid prototyping in a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) environment.

Fully automated urban traffic system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dobrotin, B. M.; Hansen, G. R.; Peng, T. K. C.; Rennels, D. A.

1977-01-01

The replacement of the driver with an automatic system which could perform the functions of guiding and routing a vehicle with a human's capability of responding to changing traffic demands was discussed. The problem was divided into four technological areas; guidance, routing, computing, and communications. It was determined that the latter three areas being developed independent of any need for fully automated urban traffic. A guidance system that would meet system requirements was not being developed but was technically feasible.

CERES AuTomAted job Loading SYSTem (CATALYST): An automated workflow manager for satellite data production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gleason, J. L.; Hillyer, T. N.; Wilkins, J.

2012-12-01

The CERES Science Team integrates data from 5 CERES instruments onboard the Terra, Aqua and NPP missions. The processing chain fuses CERES observations with data from 19 other unique sources. The addition of CERES Flight Model 5 (FM5) onboard NPP, coupled with ground processing system upgrades further emphasizes the need for an automated job-submission utility to manage multiple processing streams concurrently. The operator-driven, legacy-processing approach relied on manually staging data from magnetic tape to limited spinning disk attached to a shared memory architecture system. The migration of CERES production code to a distributed, cluster computing environment with approximately one petabyte of spinning disk containing all precursor input data products facilitates the development of a CERES-specific, automated workflow manager. In the cluster environment, I/O is the primary system resource in contention across jobs. Therefore, system load can be maximized with a throttling workload manager. This poster discusses a Java and Perl implementation of an automated job management tool tailored for CERES processing.

Home Automation System Based on Intelligent Transducer Enablers.

PubMed

Suárez-Albela, Manuel; Fraga-Lamas, Paula; Fernández-Caramés, Tiago M; Dapena, Adriana; González-López, Miguel

2016-09-28

This paper presents a novel home automation system named HASITE (Home Automation System based on Intelligent Transducer Enablers), which has been specifically designed to identify and configure transducers easily and quickly. These features are especially useful in situations where many transducers are deployed, since their setup becomes a cumbersome task that consumes a significant amount of time and human resources. HASITE simplifies the deployment of a home automation system by using wireless networks and both self-configuration and self-registration protocols. Thanks to the application of these three elements, HASITE is able to add new transducers by just powering them up. According to the tests performed in different realistic scenarios, a transducer is ready to be used in less than 13 s. Moreover, all HASITE functionalities can be accessed through an API, which also allows for the integration of third-party systems. As an example, an Android application based on the API is presented. Remote users can use it to interact with transducers by just using a regular smartphone or a tablet.

Home Automation System Based on Intelligent Transducer Enablers

PubMed Central

Suárez-Albela, Manuel; Fraga-Lamas, Paula; Fernández-Caramés, Tiago M.; Dapena, Adriana; González-López, Miguel

2016-01-01

This paper presents a novel home automation system named HASITE (Home Automation System based on Intelligent Transducer Enablers), which has been specifically designed to identify and configure transducers easily and quickly. These features are especially useful in situations where many transducers are deployed, since their setup becomes a cumbersome task that consumes a significant amount of time and human resources. HASITE simplifies the deployment of a home automation system by using wireless networks and both self-configuration and self-registration protocols. Thanks to the application of these three elements, HASITE is able to add new transducers by just powering them up. According to the tests performed in different realistic scenarios, a transducer is ready to be used in less than 13 s. Moreover, all HASITE functionalities can be accessed through an API, which also allows for the integration of third-party systems. As an example, an Android application based on the API is presented. Remote users can use it to interact with transducers by just using a regular smartphone or a tablet. PMID:27690031

Advanced, Analytic, Automated (AAA) Measurement of Engagement During Learning

PubMed Central

D’Mello, Sidney; Dieterle, Ed; Duckworth, Angela

2017-01-01

It is generally acknowledged that engagement plays a critical role in learning. Unfortunately, the study of engagement has been stymied by a lack of valid and efficient measures. We introduce the advanced, analytic, and automated (AAA) approach to measure engagement at fine-grained temporal resolutions. The AAA measurement approach is grounded in embodied theories of cognition and affect, which advocate a close coupling between thought and action. It uses machine-learned computational models to automatically infer mental states associated with engagement (e.g., interest, flow) from machine-readable behavioral and physiological signals (e.g., facial expressions, eye tracking, click-stream data) and from aspects of the environmental context. We present15 case studies that illustrate the potential of the AAA approach for measuring engagement in digital learning environments. We discuss strengths and weaknesses of the AAA approach, concluding that it has significant promise to catalyze engagement research. PMID:29038607

Advanced, Analytic, Automated (AAA) Measurement of Engagement During Learning.

PubMed

D'Mello, Sidney; Dieterle, Ed; Duckworth, Angela

2017-01-01

It is generally acknowledged that engagement plays a critical role in learning. Unfortunately, the study of engagement has been stymied by a lack of valid and efficient measures. We introduce the advanced, analytic, and automated (AAA) approach to measure engagement at fine-grained temporal resolutions. The AAA measurement approach is grounded in embodied theories of cognition and affect, which advocate a close coupling between thought and action. It uses machine-learned computational models to automatically infer mental states associated with engagement (e.g., interest, flow) from machine-readable behavioral and physiological signals (e.g., facial expressions, eye tracking, click-stream data) and from aspects of the environmental context. We present15 case studies that illustrate the potential of the AAA approach for measuring engagement in digital learning environments. We discuss strengths and weaknesses of the AAA approach, concluding that it has significant promise to catalyze engagement research.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Panel (RPASP) Working Paper: Autonomy and Automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shively, Jay

2017-01-01

A significant level of debate and confusion has surrounded the meaning of the terms "autonomy" and "automation". Automation is a multi-dimensional concept, and we propose that RPAS automation should be described with reference to the specific system and task that has been automated, the context in which the automation functions, and other relevant dimensions. In this paper, we present a definition of "automation". We recommend that autonomy and autonomous operations are out of the scope of the RPAS panel. WG7 proposes to develop, in consultation with other workgroups, a taxonomy of "Levels of Automation" for RPAS.

Prototyping an automated lumber processing system

Treesearch

Powsiri Klinkhachorn; Ravi Kothari; Henry A. Huber; Charles W. McMillin; K. Mukherjee; V. Barnekov

1993-01-01

The Automated Lumber Processing System (ALPS)is a multi-disciplinary continuing effort directed toward increasing the yield obtained from hardwood lumber boards during their process of remanufacture into secondary products (furniture, etc.). ALPS proposes a nondestructive vision system to scan a board for its dimension and the location and expanse of surface defects on...

Automation: the competitive edge for HMOs and other alternative delivery systems.

PubMed

Prussin, J A

1987-12-01

Until recently, many, if not most, Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) were not automated. Moreover, HMOs that were automated tended to be automated only on a limited basis. Recently, however, the highly competitive marketplace within which HMOs and other Alternative Delivery Systems (ADS) exist has required that they operate at a maximum effectiveness and efficiency. Given the complex nature of ADSs, the volume of transactions in ADSs, the large number of members served by ADSs, and the numerous providers who are paid at different rates and on different bases by ADSs, it is impossible for an ADS to operate effectively or efficiently, let alone show optimal performance, without a sophisticated, comprehensive automated system. Reliable automated systems designed specifically to address ADS functions such as enrollment and premium billing, finance and accounting, medical information and patient management, and marketing have recently become available at a reasonable cost.

10 CFR 1017.28 - Processing on Automated Information Systems (AIS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Processing on Automated Information Systems (AIS). 1017.28... UNCLASSIFIED CONTROLLED NUCLEAR INFORMATION Physical Protection Requirements § 1017.28 Processing on Automated Information Systems (AIS). UCNI may be processed or produced on any AIS that complies with the guidance in OMB...

Driver-centred vehicle automation: using network analysis for agent-based modelling of the driver in highly automated driving systems.

PubMed

Banks, Victoria A; Stanton, Neville A

2016-11-01

To the average driver, the concept of automation in driving infers that they can become completely 'hands and feet free'. This is a common misconception, however, one that has been shown through the application of Network Analysis to new Cruise Assist technologies that may feature on our roads by 2020. Through the adoption of a Systems Theoretic approach, this paper introduces the concept of driver-initiated automation which reflects the role of the driver in highly automated driving systems. Using a combination of traditional task analysis and the application of quantitative network metrics, this agent-based modelling paper shows how the role of the driver remains an integral part of the driving system implicating the need for designers to ensure they are provided with the tools necessary to remain actively in-the-loop despite giving increasing opportunities to delegate their control to the automated subsystems. Practitioner Summary: This paper describes and analyses a driver-initiated command and control system of automation using representations afforded by task and social networks to understand how drivers remain actively involved in the task. A network analysis of different driver commands suggests that such a strategy does maintain the driver in the control loop.

Automation in photogrammetry: Recent developments and applications (1972-1976)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thompson, M.M.; Mikhail, E.M.

1976-01-01

An overview of recent developments in the automation of photogrammetry in various countries is presented. Conclusions regarding automated photogrammetry reached at the 1972 Congress in Ottawa are reviewed first as a background for examining the developments of 1972-1976. Applications are described for each country reporting significant developments. Among fifteen conclusions listed are statements concerning: the widespread practice of equipping existing stereoplotters with simple digitizers; the growing tendency to use minicomputers on-line with stereoplotters; the optimization of production of digital terrain models by progressive sampling in stereomodels; the potential of digitization of a photogrammetric model by density correlation on epipolar lines; the capabilities and economic aspects of advanced systems which permit simultaneous production of orthophotos, contours, and digital terrain models; the economy of off-line orthophoto systems; applications of digital image processing; automation by optical techniques; applications of sensors other than photographic imagery, and the role of photogrammetric phases in a completely automated cartographic system. ?? 1976.

Emerging Microtechnologies and Automated Systems for Rapid Bacterial Identification and Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing

PubMed Central

Li, Yiyan; Yang, Xing; Zhao, Weian

2018-01-01

Rapid bacterial identification (ID) and antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) are in great demand due to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria. Conventional culture-based AST methods suffer from a long turnaround time. By necessity, physicians often have to treat patients empirically with antibiotics, which has led to an inappropriate use of antibiotics, an elevated mortality rate and healthcare costs, and antibiotic resistance. Recent advances in miniaturization and automation provide promising solutions for rapid bacterial ID/AST profiling, which will potentially make a significant impact in the clinical management of infectious diseases and antibiotic stewardship in the coming years. In this review, we summarize and analyze representative emerging micro- and nanotechnologies, as well as automated systems for bacterial ID/AST, including both phenotypic (e.g., microfluidic-based bacterial culture, and digital imaging of single cells) and molecular (e.g., multiplex PCR, hybridization probes, nanoparticles, synthetic biology tools, mass spectrometry, and sequencing technologies) methods. We also discuss representative point-of-care (POC) systems that integrate sample processing, fluid handling, and detection for rapid bacterial ID/AST. Finally, we highlight major remaining challenges and discuss potential future endeavors toward improving clinical outcomes with rapid bacterial ID/AST technologies. PMID:28850804

Emerging Microtechnologies and Automated Systems for Rapid Bacterial Identification and Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing.

PubMed

Li, Yiyan; Yang, Xing; Zhao, Weian

2017-12-01

Rapid bacterial identification (ID) and antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) are in great demand due to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria. Conventional culture-based AST methods suffer from a long turnaround time. By necessity, physicians often have to treat patients empirically with antibiotics, which has led to an inappropriate use of antibiotics, an elevated mortality rate and healthcare costs, and antibiotic resistance. Recent advances in miniaturization and automation provide promising solutions for rapid bacterial ID/AST profiling, which will potentially make a significant impact in the clinical management of infectious diseases and antibiotic stewardship in the coming years. In this review, we summarize and analyze representative emerging micro- and nanotechnologies, as well as automated systems for bacterial ID/AST, including both phenotypic (e.g., microfluidic-based bacterial culture, and digital imaging of single cells) and molecular (e.g., multiplex PCR, hybridization probes, nanoparticles, synthetic biology tools, mass spectrometry, and sequencing technologies) methods. We also discuss representative point-of-care (POC) systems that integrate sample processing, fluid handling, and detection for rapid bacterial ID/AST. Finally, we highlight major remaining challenges and discuss potential future endeavors toward improving clinical outcomes with rapid bacterial ID/AST technologies.

Achieving Lights-Out Operation of SMAP Using Ground Data System Automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, Antonio

2013-01-01

The approach used in the SMAP ground data system to provide reliable, automated capabilities to conduct unattended operations has been presented. The impacts of automation on the ground data system architecture were discussed, including the three major automation patterns identified for SMAP and how these patterns address the operations use cases. The architecture and approaches used by SMAP will set the baseline for future JPL Earth Science missions.

Space Station as a vital focus for advancing the technologies of automation and robotics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Varsi, G.; Herman, D. H.

1986-01-01

The application of robotics and automation technologies to the Space Station design is examined. Experiments being conducted in the fields of autonomy and robotics, and the benefits provided by these technologies are discussed. The use of automation and robotics in the operation management, the power system, and telerobot of the Space Station is described.

The effect of system aesthetics on trust, cooperation, satisfaction and annoyance in an imperfect automated system.

PubMed

Weinstock, Alona; Oron-Gilad, Tal; Parmet, Yisrael

2012-01-01

Lack of system reliability has been repeatedly identified as a factor that decreases trust. However, aesthetics has an important role in the development of trust. Most of the research concerning the connection between aesthetics and trust focused on mobile commerce and websites while very little has been done in examining aesthetics in automated systems. This study integrated aesthetics manipulations into an imperfect in-vehicle automation system and focused on the power of aesthetics to decrease the negative effects of errors on trust, satisfaction, annoyance, and human-automation cooperation perceptions. Participants used the navigation system in either 100% or 85% accuracy levels with an aesthetic or non aesthetic system (4 conditions). In both aesthetic and non aesthetic systems, perceptions of trust, satisfaction and human automation cooperation were decreased in the imperfect system compared to the perfect one. However, in the annoyance rating, this trend was found only in the aesthetic system while in the non-aesthetic system no difference was found between the two levels of accuracy. This single effect may indicate upon the possibility that in automated systems aesthetics affects trust and satisfaction more moderately compared to mobile commerce applications and websites. However, more research is needed to assess this assumption.

Medical Information Management System (MIMS): An automated hospital information system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alterescu, S.; Simmons, P. B.; Schwartz, R. A.

1971-01-01

An automated hospital information system that handles all data related to patient-care activities is described. The description is designed to serve as a manual for potential users, nontechnical medical personnel who may use the system. Examples of the system's operation, commentary on the examples, and a complete listing of the system program are included.

Control and automation of the Pegasus multi-point Thomson scattering system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bodner, G. M., E-mail: gbodner@wisc.edu; Bongard, M. W.; Fonck, R. J.

A new control system for the Pegasus Thomson scattering diagnostic has recently been deployed to automate the laser operation, data collection process, and interface with the system-wide Pegasus control code. Automation has been extended to areas outside of data collection, such as manipulation of beamline cameras and remotely controlled turning mirror actuators to enable intra-shot beam alignment. Additionally, the system has been upgraded with a set of fast (∼1 ms) mechanical shutters to mitigate contamination from background light. Modification and automation of the Thomson system have improved both data quality and diagnostic reliability.

Control and automation of the Pegasus multi-point Thomson scattering system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bodner, Grant M.; Bongard, Michael W.; Fonck, Raymond J.

A new control system for the Pegasus Thomson scattering diagnostic has recently been deployed to automate the laser operation, data collection process, and interface with the system-wide Pegasus control code. Automation has been extended to areas outside of data collection, such as manipulation of beamline cameras and remotely controlled turning mirror actuators to enable intra-shot beam alignment. In addition, the system has been upgraded with a set of fast (~1 ms) mechanical shutters to mitigate contamination from background light. Modification and automation of the Thomson system have improved both data quality and diagnostic reliability.

Control and automation of the Pegasus multi-point Thomson scattering system

DOE PAGES

Bodner, Grant M.; Bongard, Michael W.; Fonck, Raymond J.; ...

2016-08-12

A new control system for the Pegasus Thomson scattering diagnostic has recently been deployed to automate the laser operation, data collection process, and interface with the system-wide Pegasus control code. Automation has been extended to areas outside of data collection, such as manipulation of beamline cameras and remotely controlled turning mirror actuators to enable intra-shot beam alignment. In addition, the system has been upgraded with a set of fast (~1 ms) mechanical shutters to mitigate contamination from background light. Modification and automation of the Thomson system have improved both data quality and diagnostic reliability.

Putting Integrated Systems Health Management Capabilities to Work: Development of an Advanced Caution and Warning System for Next-Generation Crewed Spacecraft Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccann, Robert S.; Spirkovska, Lilly; Smith, Irene

2013-01-01

Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) technologies have advanced to the point where they can provide significant automated assistance with real-time fault detection, diagnosis, guided troubleshooting, and failure consequence assessment. To exploit these capabilities in actual operational environments, however, ISHM information must be integrated into operational concepts and associated information displays in ways that enable human operators to process and understand the ISHM system information rapidly and effectively. In this paper, we explore these design issues in the context of an advanced caution and warning system (ACAWS) for next-generation crewed spacecraft missions. User interface concepts for depicting failure diagnoses, failure effects, redundancy loss, "what-if" failure analysis scenarios, and resolution of ambiguity groups are discussed and illustrated.

Aviation Safety: Modeling and Analyzing Complex Interactions between Humans and Automated Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rungta, Neha; Brat, Guillaume; Clancey, William J.; Linde, Charlotte; Raimondi, Franco; Seah, Chin; Shafto, Michael

2013-01-01

The on-going transformation from the current US Air Traffic System (ATS) to the Next Generation Air Traffic System (NextGen) will force the introduction of new automated systems and most likely will cause automation to migrate from ground to air. This will yield new function allocations between humans and automation and therefore change the roles and responsibilities in the ATS. Yet, safety in NextGen is required to be at least as good as in the current system. We therefore need techniques to evaluate the safety of the interactions between humans and automation. We think that current human factor studies and simulation-based techniques will fall short in front of the ATS complexity, and that we need to add more automated techniques to simulations, such as model checking, which offers exhaustive coverage of the non-deterministic behaviors in nominal and off-nominal scenarios. In this work, we present a verification approach based both on simulations and on model checking for evaluating the roles and responsibilities of humans and automation. Models are created using Brahms (a multi-agent framework) and we show that the traditional Brahms simulations can be integrated with automated exploration techniques based on model checking, thus offering a complete exploration of the behavioral space of the scenario. Our formal analysis supports the notion of beliefs and probabilities to reason about human behavior. We demonstrate the technique with the Ueberligen accident since it exemplifies authority problems when receiving conflicting advices from human and automated systems.

A robotic system for automation of logistics functions on the Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, J. C.; Purves, R. B.; Hosier, R. N.; Krein, B. A.

1988-01-01

Spacecraft inventory management is currently performed by the crew and as systems become more complex, increased crew time will be required to perform routine logistics activities. If future spacecraft are to function effectively as research labs and production facilities, the efficient use of crew time as a limited resource for performing mission functions must be employed. The use of automation and robotics technology, such as automated warehouse and materials handling functions, can free the crew from many logistics tasks and provide more efficient use of crew time. Design criteria for a Space Station Automated Logistics Inventory Management System is focused on through the design and demonstration of a mobile two armed terrestrial robot. The system functionally represents a 0 gravity automated inventory management system and the problems associated with operating in such an environment. Features of the system include automated storage and retrieval, item recognition, two armed robotic manipulation, and software control of all inventory item transitions and queries.

KinoHaptics: An Automated, Wearable, Haptic Assisted, Physio-therapeutic System for Post-surgery Rehabilitation and Self-care.

PubMed

Rajanna, Vijay; Vo, Patrick; Barth, Jerry; Mjelde, Matthew; Grey, Trevor; Oduola, Cassandra; Hammond, Tracy

2016-03-01

A carefully planned, structured, and supervised physiotherapy program, following a surgery, is crucial for the successful diagnosis of physical injuries. Nearly 50 % of the surgeries fail due to unsupervised, and erroneous physiotherapy. The demand for a physiotherapist for an extended period is expensive to afford, and sometimes inaccessible. Researchers have tried to leverage the advancements in wearable sensors and motion tracking by building affordable, automated, physio-therapeutic systems that direct a physiotherapy session by providing audio-visual feedback on patient's performance. There are many aspects of automated physiotherapy program which are yet to be addressed by the existing systems: a wide classification of patients' physiological conditions to be diagnosed, multiple demographics of the patients (blind, deaf, etc.), and the need to pursue patients to adopt the system for an extended period for self-care. In our research, we have tried to address these aspects by building a health behavior change support system called KinoHaptics, for post-surgery rehabilitation. KinoHaptics is an automated, wearable, haptic assisted, physio-therapeutic system that can be used by a wide variety of demographics and for various physiological conditions of the patients. The system provides rich and accurate vibro-haptic feedback that can be felt by the user, irrespective of the physiological limitations. KinoHaptics is built to ensure that no injuries are induced during the rehabilitation period. The persuasive nature of the system allows for personal goal-setting, progress tracking, and most importantly life-style compatibility. The system was evaluated under laboratory conditions, involving 14 users. Results show that KinoHaptics is highly convenient to use, and the vibro-haptic feedback is intuitive, accurate, and has shown to prevent accidental injuries. Also, results show that KinoHaptics is persuasive in nature as it supports behavior change and habit building

Design and validation of an automated hydrostatic weighing system.

PubMed

McClenaghan, B A; Rocchio, L

1986-08-01

The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate the validity of an automated technique to assess body density using a computerized hydrostatic weighing system. An existing hydrostatic tank was modified and interfaced with a microcomputer equipped with an analog-to-digital converter. Software was designed to input variables, control the collection of data, calculate selected measurements, and provide a summary of the results of each session. Validity of the data obtained utilizing the automated hydrostatic weighing system was estimated by: evaluating the reliability of the transducer/computer interface to measure objects of known underwater weight; comparing the data against a criterion measure; and determining inter-session subject reliability. Values obtained from the automated system were found to be highly correlated with known underwater weights (r = 0.99, SEE = 0.0060 kg). Data concurrently obtained utilizing the automated system and a manual chart recorder were also found to be highly correlated (r = 0.99, SEE = 0.0606 kg). Inter-session subject reliability was determined utilizing data collected on subjects (N = 16) tested on two occasions approximately 24 h apart. Correlations revealed high relationships between measures of underwater weight (r = 0.99, SEE = 0.1399 kg) and body density (r = 0.98, SEE = 0.00244 g X cm-1). Results indicate that a computerized hydrostatic weighing system is a valid and reliable method for determining underwater weight.

Automated sensor networks to advance ocean science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schofield, O.; Orcutt, J. A.; Arrott, M.; Vernon, F. L.; Peach, C. L.; Meisinger, M.; Krueger, I.; Kleinert, J.; Chao, Y.; Chien, S.; Thompson, D. R.; Chave, A. D.; Balasuriya, A.

2010-12-01

The National Science Foundation has funded the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), which over the next five years will deploy infrastructure to expand scientist’s ability to remotely study the ocean. The deployed infrastructure will be linked by a robust cyberinfrastructure (CI) that will integrate marine observatories into a coherent system-of-systems. OOI is committed to engaging the ocean sciences community during the construction pahse. For the CI, this is being enabled by using a “spiral design strategy” allowing for input throughout the construction phase. In Fall 2009, the OOI CI development team used an existing ocean observing network in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) to test OOI CI software. The objective of this CI test was to aggregate data from ships, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), shore-based radars, and satellites and make it available to five different data-assimilating ocean forecast models. Scientists used these multi-model forecasts to automate future glider missions in order to demonstrate the feasibility of two-way interactivity between the sensor web and predictive models. The CI software coordinated and prioritized the shared resources that allowed for the semi-automated reconfiguration of assett-tasking, and thus enabled an autonomous execution of observation plans for the fixed and mobile observation platforms. Efforts were coordinated through a web portal that provided an access point for the observational data and model forecasts. Researchers could use the CI software in tandem with the web data portal to assess the performance of individual numerical model results, or multi-model ensembles, through real-time comparisons with satellite, shore-based radar, and in situ robotic measurements. The resulting sensor net will enable a new means to explore and study the world’s oceans by providing scientists a responsive network in the world’s oceans that can be accessed via any wireless network.

Automated flight test management system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hewett, M. D.; Tartt, D. M.; Agarwal, A.

1991-01-01

The Phase 1 development of an automated flight test management system (ATMS) as a component of a rapid prototyping flight research facility for artificial intelligence (AI) based flight concepts is discussed. The ATMS provides a flight engineer with a set of tools that assist in flight test planning, monitoring, and simulation. The system is also capable of controlling an aircraft during flight test by performing closed loop guidance functions, range management, and maneuver-quality monitoring. The ATMS is being used as a prototypical system to develop a flight research facility for AI based flight systems concepts at NASA Ames Dryden.

22 CFR 308.10 - Security of records systems-manual and automated.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Security of records systems-manual and automated... Security of records systems—manual and automated. The head of the agency has the responsibility of... destruction of manual and automatic record systems. These security safeguards shall apply to all systems in...

Computer automation for feedback system design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Mathematical techniques and explanations of various steps used by an automated computer program to design feedback systems are summarized. Special attention was given to refining the automatic evaluation suboptimal loop transmission and the translation of time to frequency domain specifications.

Automation Applications in an Advanced Air Traffic Management System : Volume 5B. DELTA Simulation Model - Programmer's Guide.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-08-01

Volume 5 describes the DELTA Simulation Model. It includes all documentation of the DELTA (Determine Effective Levels of Task Automation) computer simulation developed by TRW for use in the Automation Applications Study. Volume 5A includes a user's m...

Automated monitor and control for deep space network subsystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smyth, P.

1989-01-01

The problem of automating monitor and control loops for Deep Space Network (DSN) subsystems is considered and an overview of currently available automation techniques is given. The use of standard numerical models, knowledge-based systems, and neural networks is considered. It is argued that none of these techniques alone possess sufficient generality to deal with the demands imposed by the DSN environment. However, it is shown that schemes that integrate the better aspects of each approach and are referenced to a formal system model show considerable promise, although such an integrated technology is not yet available for implementation. Frequent reference is made to the receiver subsystem since this work was largely motivated by experience in developing an automated monitor and control loop for the advanced receiver.

Assessing drivers' response during automated driver support system failures with non-driving tasks.

PubMed

Shen, Sijun; Neyens, David M

2017-06-01

With the increase in automated driver support systems, drivers are shifting from operating their vehicles to supervising their automation. As a result, it is important to understand how drivers interact with these automated systems and evaluate their effect on driver responses to safety critical events. This study aimed to identify how drivers responded when experiencing a safety critical event in automated vehicles while also engaged in non-driving tasks. In total 48 participants were included in this driving simulator study with two levels of automated driving: (a) driving with no automation and (b) driving with adaptive cruise control (ACC) and lane keeping (LK) systems engaged; and also two levels of a non-driving task (a) watching a movie or (b) no non-driving task. In addition to driving performance measures, non-driving task performance and the mean glance duration for the non-driving task were compared between the two levels of automated driving. Drivers using the automated systems responded worse than those manually driving in terms of reaction time, lane departure duration, and maximum steering wheel angle to an induced lane departure event. These results also found that non-driving tasks further impaired driver responses to a safety critical event in the automated system condition. In the automated driving condition, driver responses to the safety critical events were slower, especially when engaged in a non-driving task. Traditional driver performance variables may not necessarily effectively and accurately evaluate driver responses to events when supervising autonomous vehicle systems. Thus, it is important to develop and use appropriate variables to quantify drivers' performance under these conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

The new Langley Research Center advanced real-time simulation (ARTS) system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crawford, D. J.; Cleveland, J. I., II

1986-01-01

Based on a survey of current local area network technology with special attention paid to high bandwidth and very low transport delay requirements, NASA's Langley Research Center designed a new simulation subsystem using the computer automated measurement and control (CAMAC) network. This required significant modifications to the standard CAMAC system and development of a network switch, a clocking system, new conversion equipment, new consoles, supporting software, etc. This system is referred to as the advanced real-time simulation (ARTS) system. It is presently being built at LaRC. This paper provides a functional and physical description of the hardware and a functional description of the software. The requirements which drove the design are presented as well as present performance figures and status.

Flight control system design factors for applying automated testing techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sitz, Joel R.; Vernon, Todd H.

1990-01-01

The principal design features and operational experiences of the X-29 forward-swept-wing aircraft and F-18 high alpha research vehicle (HARV) automated test systems are discussed. It is noted that operational experiences in developing and using these automated testing techniques have highlighted the need for incorporating target system features to improve testability. Improved target system testability can be accomplished with the addition of nonreal-time and real-time features. Online access to target system implementation details, unobtrusive real-time access to internal user-selectable variables, and proper software instrumentation are all desirable features of the target system. Also, test system and target system design issues must be addressed during the early stages of the target system development. Processing speeds of up to 20 million instructions/s and the development of high-bandwidth reflective memory systems have improved the ability to integrate the target system and test system for the application of automated testing techniques. It is concluded that new methods of designing testability into the target systems are required.

The Automated Aircraft Rework System (AARS): A system integration approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benoit, Michael J.

1994-01-01

The Mercer Engineering Research Center (MERC), under contract to the United States Air Force (USAF) since 1989, has been actively involved in providing the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (WR-ALC) with a robotic workcell designed to perform rework automated defastening and hole location/transfer operations on F-15 wings. This paper describes the activities required to develop and implement this workcell, known as the Automated Aircraft Rework System (AARS). AARS is scheduled to be completely installed and in operation at WR-ALC by September 1994.

About development of automation control systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myshlyaev, L. P.; Wenger, K. G.; Ivushkin, K. A.; Makarov, V. N.

2018-05-01

The shortcomings of approaches to the development of modern control automation systems and ways of their improvement are given: the correct formation of objects for study and optimization; a joint synthesis of control objects and control systems, an increase in the structural diversity of the elements of control systems. Diagrams of control systems with purposefully variable structure of their elements are presented. Structures of control algorithms for an object with a purposefully variable structure are given.

Evaluation of an Automated Touch Typing System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diercks, Caroll J.

1977-01-01

Examines an alternative method for teaching typewriting skills--the Automated Instruction Touch Typing System, an individualized self-paced instructional method using the principles of response conditioning. (Author/RK)

ASPECTS: an automation-assisted SPE method development system.

PubMed

Li, Ming; Chou, Judy; King, Kristopher W; Yang, Liyu

2013-07-01

A typical conventional SPE method development (MD) process usually involves deciding the chemistry of the sorbent and eluent based on information about the analyte; experimentally preparing and trying out various combinations of adsorption chemistry and elution conditions; quantitatively evaluating the various conditions; and comparing quantitative results from all combination of conditions to select the best condition for method qualification. The second and fourth steps have mostly been performed manually until now. We developed an automation-assisted system that expedites the conventional SPE MD process by automating 99% of the second step, and expedites the fourth step by automatically processing the results data and presenting it to the analyst in a user-friendly format. The automation-assisted SPE MD system greatly saves the manual labor in SPE MD work, prevents analyst errors from causing misinterpretation of quantitative results, and shortens data analysis and interpretation time.

Automation and Robotics for Space-Based Systems, 1991

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Robert L., II (Editor)

1992-01-01

The purpose of this in-house workshop was to assess the state-of-the-art of automation and robotics for space operations from an LaRC perspective and to identify areas of opportunity for future research. Over half of the presentations came from the Automation Technology Branch, covering telerobotic control, extravehicular activity (EVA) and intra-vehicular activity (IVA) robotics, hand controllers for teleoperation, sensors, neural networks, and automated structural assembly, all applied to space missions. Other talks covered the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) active damping augmentation, space crane work, modeling, simulation, and control of large, flexible space manipulators, and virtual passive controller designs for space robots.

Automated VMAT planning for postoperative adjuvant treatment of advanced gastric cancer.

PubMed

Sharfo, Abdul Wahab M; Stieler, Florian; Kupfer, Oskar; Heijmen, Ben J M; Dirkx, Maarten L P; Breedveld, Sebastiaan; Wenz, Frederik; Lohr, Frank; Boda-Heggemann, Judit; Buergy, Daniel

2018-04-23

Postoperative/adjuvant radiotherapy of advanced gastric cancer involves a large planning target volume (PTV) with multi-concave shapes which presents a challenge for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) planning. This study investigates the advantages of automated VMAT planning for this site compared to manual VMAT planning by expert planners. For 20 gastric cancer patients in the postoperative/adjuvant setting, dual-arc VMAT plans were generated using fully automated multi-criterial treatment planning (autoVMAT), and compared to manually generated VMAT plans (manVMAT). Both automated and manual plans were created to deliver a median dose of 45 Gy to the PTV using identical planning and segmentation parameters. Plans were evaluated by two expert radiation oncologists for clinical acceptability. AutoVMAT and manVMAT plans were also compared based on dose-volume histogram (DVH) and predicted normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) analysis. Both manVMAT and autoVMAT plans were considered clinically acceptable. Target coverage was similar (manVMAT: 96.6 ± 1.6%, autoVMAT: 97.4 ± 1.0%, p = 0.085). With autoVMAT, median kidney dose was reduced on average by > 25%; (for left kidney from 11.3 ± 2.1 Gy to 8.9 ± 3.5 Gy (p = 0.002); for right kidney from 9.2 ± 2.2 Gy to 6.1 ± 1.3 Gy (p <  0.001)). Median dose to the liver was lower as well (18.8 ± 2.3 Gy vs. 17.1 ± 3.6 Gy, p = 0.048). In addition, Dmax of the spinal cord was significantly reduced (38.3 ± 3.7 Gy vs. 31.6 ± 2.6 Gy, p <  0.001). Substantial improvements in dose conformity and integral dose were achieved with autoVMAT plans (4.2% and 9.1%, respectively; p <  0.001). Due to the better OAR sparing in the autoVMAT plans compared to manVMAT plans, the predicted NTCPs for the left and right kidney and the liver-PTV were significantly reduced by 11.3%, 12.8%, 7%, respectively (p ≤ 0.001). Delivery time and total

Operator adaptation to changes in system reliability under adaptable automation.

PubMed

Chavaillaz, Alain; Sauer, Juergen

2017-09-01

This experiment examined how operators coped with a change in system reliability between training and testing. Forty participants were trained for 3 h on a complex process control simulation modelling six levels of automation (LOA). In training, participants either experienced a high- (100%) or low-reliability system (50%). The impact of training experience on operator behaviour was examined during a 2.5 h testing session, in which participants either experienced a high- (100%) or low-reliability system (60%). The results showed that most operators did not often switch between LOA. Most chose an LOA that relieved them of most tasks but maintained their decision authority. Training experience did not have a strong impact on the outcome measures (e.g. performance, complacency). Low system reliability led to decreased performance and self-confidence. Furthermore, complacency was observed under high system reliability. Overall, the findings suggest benefits of adaptable automation because it accommodates different operator preferences for LOA. Practitioner Summary: The present research shows that operators can adapt to changes in system reliability between training and testing sessions. Furthermore, it provides evidence that each operator has his/her preferred automation level. Since this preference varies strongly between operators, adaptable automation seems to be suitable to accommodate these large differences.

Improving the driver-automation interaction: an approach using automation uncertainty.

PubMed

Beller, Johannes; Heesen, Matthias; Vollrath, Mark

2013-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether communicating automation uncertainty improves the driver-automation interaction. A false system understanding of infallibility may provoke automation misuse and can lead to severe consequences in case of automation failure. The presentation of automation uncertainty may prevent this false system understanding and, as was shown by previous studies, may have numerous benefits. Few studies, however, have clearly shown the potential of communicating uncertainty information in driving. The current study fills this gap. We conducted a driving simulator experiment, varying the presented uncertainty information between participants (no uncertainty information vs. uncertainty information) and the automation reliability (high vs.low) within participants. Participants interacted with a highly automated driving system while engaging in secondary tasks and were required to cooperate with the automation to drive safely. Quantile regressions and multilevel modeling showed that the presentation of uncertainty information increases the time to collision in the case of automation failure. Furthermore, the data indicated improved situation awareness and better knowledge of fallibility for the experimental group. Consequently, the automation with the uncertainty symbol received higher trust ratings and increased acceptance. The presentation of automation uncertaintythrough a symbol improves overall driver-automation cooperation. Most automated systems in driving could benefit from displaying reliability information. This display might improve the acceptance of fallible systems and further enhances driver-automation cooperation.

21 CFR 866.1645 - Fully automated short-term incubation cycle antimicrobial susceptibility system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Fully automated short-term incubation cycle... Diagnostic Devices § 866.1645 Fully automated short-term incubation cycle antimicrobial susceptibility system. (a) Identification. A fully automated short-term incubation cycle antimicrobial susceptibility system...

Comparison and validation of injury risk classifiers for advanced automated crash notification systems.

PubMed

Kusano, Kristofer; Gabler, Hampton C

2014-01-01

The odds of death for a seriously injured crash victim are drastically reduced if he or she received care at a trauma center. Advanced automated crash notification (AACN) algorithms are postcrash safety systems that use data measured by the vehicles during the crash to predict the likelihood of occupants being seriously injured. The accuracy of these models are crucial to the success of an AACN. The objective of this study was to compare the predictive performance of competing injury risk models and algorithms: logistic regression, random forest, AdaBoost, naïve Bayes, support vector machine, and classification k-nearest neighbors. This study compared machine learning algorithms to the widely adopted logistic regression modeling approach. Machine learning algorithms have not been commonly studied in the motor vehicle injury literature. Machine learning algorithms may have higher predictive power than logistic regression, despite the drawback of lacking the ability to perform statistical inference. To evaluate the performance of these algorithms, data on 16,398 vehicles involved in non-rollover collisions were extracted from the NASS-CDS. Vehicles with any occupants having an Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 15 or greater were defined as those requiring victims to be treated at a trauma center. The performance of each model was evaluated using cross-validation. Cross-validation assesses how a model will perform in the future given new data not used for model training. The crash ΔV (change in velocity during the crash), damage side (struck side of the vehicle), seat belt use, vehicle body type, number of events, occupant age, and occupant sex were used as predictors in each model. Logistic regression slightly outperformed the machine learning algorithms based on sensitivity and specificity of the models. Previous studies on AACN risk curves used the same data to train and test the power of the models and as a result had higher sensitivity compared to the cross

Impact of automation on mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Zhang, Yan Victoria; Rockwood, Alan

2015-10-23

Mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography (LC-MS and LC-MS/MS) is an analytical technique that has rapidly grown in popularity in clinical practice. In contrast to traditional technology, mass spectrometry is superior in many respects including resolution, specificity, multiplex capability and has the ability to measure analytes in various matrices. Despite these advantages, LC-MS/MS remains high cost, labor intensive and has limited throughput. This specialized technology requires highly trained personnel and therefore has largely been limited to large institutions, academic organizations and reference laboratories. Advances in automation will be paramount to break through this bottleneck and increase its appeal for routine use. This article reviews these challenges, shares perspectives on essential features for LC-MS/MS total automation and proposes a step-wise and incremental approach to achieve total automation through reducing human intervention, increasing throughput and eventually integrating the LC-MS/MS system into the automated clinical laboratory operations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Self-Contained Automated Vehicle Washing System

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-26

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: The Self Contained Automated Vehicle Washing System is a prototype that offers a reduction in the quantity of water ...supplied to the front lines by recycling wash water used in the cleaning of vehicles as well as capturing debris and other contaminates. The system also...of the warfighter to contaminates in the washing process. The System offers plug and play option for reclamation of the wash water and integration of

System approach to automation and robotization of drivage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zinov’ev, VV; Mayorov, AE; Starodubov, AN; Nikolaev, PI

2018-03-01

The authors consider the system approach to finding ways of no-man drilling and blasting in the face area by means of automation and robotization of operations with a view to reducing injuries in mines. The analysis is carried out in terms of the drilling and blasting technology applied in Makarevskoe Coal Field, Kuznetsk Coal Basin. Within the system-functional approach and using INDEFO procedure, the processes of drilling and blasthole charging are decomposed into related elementary operations. The automation and robotization methods to avoid the presence of miners in the face are found for each operation.

Production planning, production systems for flexible automation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spur, G.; Mertins, K.

1982-09-01

Trends in flexible manufacturing system (FMS) applications are reviewed. Machining systems contain machines which complement each other and can replace each other. Computer controlled storage systems are widespread, with central storage capacity ranging from 20 pallet spaces to 200 magazine spaces. Handling function is fulfilled by pallet chargers in over 75% of FMS's. Data system degree of automation varies considerably. No trends are noted for transport systems.

Wireless ZigBee home automation system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craciunescu, Razvan; Halunga, Simona; Fratu, Octavian

2015-02-01

The home automation system concept existed for many years but in the last decade, due to the rapid development of sensors and wireless technologies, a large number of various such "intelligent homes" have been developed. The purpose of the present paper is to demonstrate the flexibility, reliability and affordability of home automation projects, based on a simple and affordable implementation. A wireless sensing and control system have been developed and tested, having a number of basic functionalities such as switching on/off the light according to ambient lighting and turning on/off the central heating. The system has been built around low power microcontrollers and ZigBee modems for wireless communication, using a set of Vishay 640 thermistor sensors for temperature measurements and Vishay LDR07 photo-resistor for humidity measurements. A trigger is activated when the temperature or light measurements are above/below a given threshold and a command is transmitted to the central unit through the ZigBee radio module. All the data processing is performed by a low power microcontroller both at the sensing device and at the control unit.

Enabling Air Force Satellite Ground System Automation Through Software Engineering

DTIC Science & Technology

US Air Force satellite ground stations require significant manpower to operate due to their fragmented legacy architectures . To improve operating...daily operations, but also the development, maintainability, and the extensibility of such systems. This thesis researches challenges to Air Force...satellite automation: 1) existing architecture of legacy systems, 2) space segment diversity, and 3) unclear definition and scoping of the term, automation

A Portable, Low-Power Analyzer and Automated Soil Flux Chamber System for Measuring Wetland GHG Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nickerson, Nick; Kim-Hak, David; McArthur, Gordon

2017-04-01

Preservation and restoration of wetlands has the potential to help sequester large amounts of carbon due to the naturally high primary productivity and slow turnover of stored soil carbon. However, the anoxic environmental conditions present in wetland soils are also the largest natural contributor to global methane emissions. While it is well known that wetlands are net carbon sinks over long time scales, given the high global warming potential of methane, the short-term balances between C uptake and storage and loss as CO2 and CH4 need to be carefully considered when evaluating the climate effects of land-use change. It is relatively difficult to measure methane emissions from wetlands with currently available techniques given the temporally and spatially sporadic nature of the processes involved (methanogenesis, methane oxidation, ebullition, etc.). For example, using manual soil flux chambers can often only capture a portion of either the spatial or temporal variability, and often have other disadvantages associated with soil atmosphere disturbance during deployment in these relatively compressible wetland soils. Automated chamber systems offer the advantage of collecting high-resolution time series of gaseous fluxes while reducing some human and method induced biases. Additionally, new laser-based analyzers that can be used in situ alongside automated chambers offer a greater minimum detectable flux than can be achieved using alternative methods such as Gas Chromatography. Until recently these types of automated measurements were limited to areas that had good power coverage, as laser based systems were power intensive and could not easily be supplemented with power from field-available sources such as solar. Recent advances in laser technology has reduced the power needed and made these systems less power intensive and more field portable in the process. Here we present data using an automated chamber system coupled to a portable laser based greenhouse gas

The automation of remote vehicle control. [in Mars roving vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paine, G.

1977-01-01

The automation of remote vehicles is becoming necessary to overcome the requirement of having man present as a controller. By removing man, remote vehicles can be operated in areas where the environment is too hostile for man, his reaction times are too slow, time delays are too long, and where his presence is too costly, or where system performance can be improved. This paper addresses the development of automated remote vehicle control for nonspace and space tasks from warehouse vehicles to proposed Mars rovers. The state-of-the-art and the availability of new technology for implementing automated control are reviewed and the major problem areas are outlined. The control strategies are divided into those where the path is planned in advance or constrained, or where the system is a teleoperator, or where automation or robotics have been introduced.

Potential of Laboratory Execution Systems (LESs) to Simplify the Application of Business Process Management Systems (BPMSs) in Laboratory Automation.

PubMed

Neubert, Sebastian; Göde, Bernd; Gu, Xiangyu; Stoll, Norbert; Thurow, Kerstin

2017-04-01

Modern business process management (BPM) is increasingly interesting for laboratory automation. End-to-end workflow automation and improved top-level systems integration for information technology (IT) and automation systems are especially prominent objectives. With the ISO Standard Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) 2.X, a system-independent and interdisciplinary accepted graphical process control notation is provided, allowing process analysis, while also being executable. The transfer of BPM solutions to structured laboratory automation places novel demands, for example, concerning the real-time-critical process and systems integration. The article discusses the potential of laboratory execution systems (LESs) for an easier implementation of the business process management system (BPMS) in hierarchical laboratory automation. In particular, complex application scenarios, including long process chains based on, for example, several distributed automation islands and mobile laboratory robots for a material transport, are difficult to handle in BPMSs. The presented approach deals with the displacement of workflow control tasks into life science specialized LESs, the reduction of numerous different interfaces between BPMSs and subsystems, and the simplification of complex process modelings. Thus, the integration effort for complex laboratory workflows can be significantly reduced for strictly structured automation solutions. An example application, consisting of a mixture of manual and automated subprocesses, is demonstrated by the presented BPMS-LES approach.

47 CFR 80.475 - Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS). 80.475 Section 80.475 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION... Automated Systems § 80.475 Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS). (a...

47 CFR 80.475 - Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS). 80.475 Section 80.475 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION... Automated Systems § 80.475 Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS). (a...

47 CFR 80.475 - Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS). 80.475 Section 80.475 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION... Automated Systems § 80.475 Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS). (a...

47 CFR 80.475 - Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS). 80.475 Section 80.475 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION... Automated Systems § 80.475 Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS). (a...

47 CFR 80.475 - Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS). 80.475 Section 80.475 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION... Automated Systems § 80.475 Scope of service of the Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS). (a...

An Automated Motion Detection and Reward System for Animal Training.

PubMed

Miller, Brad; Lim, Audrey N; Heidbreder, Arnold F; Black, Kevin J

2015-12-04

A variety of approaches has been used to minimize head movement during functional brain imaging studies in awake laboratory animals. Many laboratories expend substantial effort and time training animals to remain essentially motionless during such studies. We could not locate an "off-the-shelf" automated training system that suited our needs.  We developed a time- and labor-saving automated system to train animals to hold still for extended periods of time. The system uses a personal computer and modest external hardware to provide stimulus cues, monitor movement using commercial video surveillance components, and dispense rewards. A custom computer program automatically increases the motionless duration required for rewards based on performance during the training session but allows changes during sessions. This system was used to train cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) for awake neuroimaging studies using positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The automated system saved the trainer substantial time, presented stimuli and rewards in a highly consistent manner, and automatically documented training sessions. We have limited data to prove the training system's success, drawn from the automated records during training sessions, but we believe others may find it useful. The system can be adapted to a range of behavioral training/recording activities for research or commercial applications, and the software is freely available for non-commercial use.

Maximizing Your Investment in Building Automation System Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darnell, Charles

2001-01-01

Discusses how organizational issues and system standardization can be important factors that determine an institution's ability to fully exploit contemporary building automation systems (BAS). Further presented is management strategy for maximizing BAS investments. (GR)

[Establishment of Automation System for Detection of Alcohol in Blood].

PubMed

Tian, L L; Shen, Lei; Xue, J F; Liu, M M; Liang, L J

2017-02-01

To establish an automation system for detection of alcohol content in blood. The determination was performed by automated workstation of extraction-headspace gas chromatography （HS-GC）. The blood collection with negative pressure, sealing time of headspace bottle and sample needle were checked and optimized in the abstraction of automation system. The automatic sampling was compared with the manual sampling. The quantitative data obtained by the automated workstation of extraction-HS-GC for alcohol was stable. The relative differences of two parallel samples were less than 5%. The automated extraction was superior to the manual extraction. A good linear relationship was obtained at the alcohol concentration range of 0.1-3.0 mg/mL （ r ≥0.999） with good repeatability. The method is simple and quick, with more standard experiment process and accurate experimental data. It eliminates the error from the experimenter and has good repeatability, which can be applied to the qualitative and quantitative detections of alcohol in blood. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine

Flexible data registration and automation in semiconductor production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dudde, Ralf; Staudt-Fischbach, Peter; Kraemer, Benedict

1997-08-01

The need for cost reduction and flexibility in semiconductor production will result in a wider application of computer based automation systems. With the setup of a new and advanced CMOS semiconductor line in the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology [ISIT, Itzehoe (D)] a new line information system (LIS) was introduced based on an advanced model for the underlying data structure. This data model was implemented into an ORACLE-RDBMS. A cellworks based system (JOSIS) was used for the integration of the production equipment, communication and automated database bookings and information retrievals. During the ramp up of the production line this new system is used for the fab control. The data model and the cellworks based system integration is explained. This system enables an on-line overview of the work in progress in the fab, lot order history and equipment status and history. Based on this figures improved production and cost monitoring and optimization is possible. First examples of the information gained by this system are presented. The modular set-up of the LIS system will allow easy data exchange with additional software tools like scheduler, different fab control systems like PROMIS and accounting systems like SAP. Modifications necessary for the integration of PROMIS are described.

Linking Automated Systems in North Bay Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruman, Janet

This report addresses alternative means of interconnecting or providing access to the various automated systems within the 17-member North Bay Cooperative Library System (NBC), with emphasis on providing information on the availability of materials for loan, the principal objective of the NBC Telecommunications Project, Year Two. Advantages and…

Automated System for Early Breast Cancer Detection in Mammograms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bankman, Isaac N.; Kim, Dong W.; Christens-Barry, William A.; Weinberg, Irving N.; Gatewood, Olga B.; Brody, William R.

1993-01-01

The increasing demand on mammographic screening for early breast cancer detection, and the subtlety of early breast cancer signs on mammograms, suggest an automated image processing system that can serve as a diagnostic aid in radiology clinics. We present a fully automated algorithm for detecting clusters of microcalcifications that are the most common signs of early, potentially curable breast cancer. By using the contour map of the mammogram, the algorithm circumvents some of the difficulties encountered with standard image processing methods. The clinical implementation of an automated instrument based on this algorithm is also discussed.

Problems in modernization of automation systems at coal preparation plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myshlyaev, L. P.; Lyakhovets, M. V.; Venger, K. G.; Leontiev, I. A.; Makarov, G. V.; Salamatin, A. S.

2018-05-01

The factors influencing the process of modernization (reconstruction) of the automation systems at coal preparation plants are described. Problems such as heterogeneity of existing and developed systems, planning of reconstruction of a technological complex without taking into account modernization of automated systems, commissioning without stopping the existing technological complex, as well as problems of conducting procurement procedures are discussed. The option of stage-by-stage start-up and adjustment works in the conditions of modernization of systems without long stops of the process equipment is offered.

AUTOMATED LITERATURE PROCESSING HANDLING AND ANALYSIS SYSTEM--FIRST GENERATION.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redstone Scientific Information Center, Redstone Arsenal, AL.

THE REPORT PRESENTS A SUMMARY OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIRST GENERATION OF THE AUTOMATED LITERATURE PROCESSING, HANDLING AND ANALYSIS (ALPHA-1) SYSTEM. DESCRIPTIONS OF THE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY OF ALPHA-1 AND THE USE OF THIS AUTOMATED LIBRARY TECHNIQUE ARE PRESENTED. EACH OF THE SUBSYSTEMS AND MODULES NOW IN OPERATION ARE…

Advanced Methodology for Simulation of Complex Flows Using Structured Grid Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinthorsson, Erlendur; Modiano, David

1995-01-01

Detailed simulations of viscous flows in complicated geometries pose a significant challenge to current capabilities of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). To enable routine application of CFD to this class of problems, advanced methodologies are required that employ (a) automated grid generation, (b) adaptivity, (c) accurate discretizations and efficient solvers, and (d) advanced software techniques. Each of these ingredients contributes to increased accuracy, efficiency (in terms of human effort and computer time), and/or reliability of CFD software. In the long run, methodologies employing structured grid systems will remain a viable choice for routine simulation of flows in complex geometries only if genuinely automatic grid generation techniques for structured grids can be developed and if adaptivity is employed more routinely. More research in both these areas is urgently needed.

Automated Reasoning CICT Program/Intelligent Systems Project ATAC-PRT Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, Robert; Smith, Ben

2003-01-01

An overview is presented of the Automated Reasoning CICT Program/Intelligent Systems project. Automated reasoning technology will help NASA missions by increasing the amount of science achieved, ensuring safety of spacecraft and surface explorers, and by enabling more robust mission operations.

Adaptive automation of human-machine system information-processing functions.

PubMed

Kaber, David B; Wright, Melanie C; Prinzel, Lawrence J; Clamann, Michael P

2005-01-01

The goal of this research was to describe the ability of human operators to interact with adaptive automation (AA) applied to various stages of complex systems information processing, defined in a model of human-automation interaction. Forty participants operated a simulation of an air traffic control task. Automated assistance was adaptively applied to information acquisition, information analysis, decision making, and action implementation aspects of the task based on operator workload states, which were measured using a secondary task. The differential effects of the forms of automation were determined and compared with a manual control condition. Results of two 20-min trials of AA or manual control revealed a significant effect of the type of automation on performance, particularly during manual control periods as part of the adaptive conditions. Humans appear to better adapt to AA applied to sensory and psychomotor information-processing functions (action implementation) than to AA applied to cognitive functions (information analysis and decision making), and AA is superior to completely manual control. Potential applications of this research include the design of automation to support air traffic controller information processing.

NASA Systems Autonomy Demonstration Program - A step toward Space Station automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Starks, S. A.; Rundus, D.; Erickson, W. K.; Healey, K. J.

1987-01-01

This paper addresses a multiyear NASA program, the Systems Autonomy Demonstration Program (SADP), whose main objectives include the development, integration, and demonstration of automation technology in Space Station flight and ground support systems. The role of automation in the Space Station is reviewed, and the main players in SADP and their roles are described. The core research and technology being promoted by SADP are discussed, and a planned 1988 milestone demonstration of the automated monitoring, operation, and control of a complete mission operations subsystem is addressed.

Medical ADP Systems: Automated Medical Records Hold Promise to Improve Patient Care

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

automated medical records. The report discusses the potential benefits that automation could make to the quality of patient care and the factors that impede...information systems, but no organization has fully automated one of the most critical types of information, patient medical records. The patient medical record...its review of automated medical records. GAO’s objectives in this study were to identify the (1) benefits of automating patient records and (2) factors

Evaluation of an automated safety surveillance system using risk adjusted sequential probability ratio testing.

PubMed

Matheny, Michael E; Normand, Sharon-Lise T; Gross, Thomas P; Marinac-Dabic, Danica; Loyo-Berrios, Nilsa; Vidi, Venkatesan D; Donnelly, Sharon; Resnic, Frederic S

2011-12-14

Automated adverse outcome surveillance tools and methods have potential utility in quality improvement and medical product surveillance activities. Their use for assessing hospital performance on the basis of patient outcomes has received little attention. We compared risk-adjusted sequential probability ratio testing (RA-SPRT) implemented in an automated tool to Massachusetts public reports of 30-day mortality after isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery. A total of 23,020 isolated adult coronary artery bypass surgery admissions performed in Massachusetts hospitals between January 1, 2002 and September 30, 2007 were retrospectively re-evaluated. The RA-SPRT method was implemented within an automated surveillance tool to identify hospital outliers in yearly increments. We used an overall type I error rate of 0.05, an overall type II error rate of 0.10, and a threshold that signaled if the odds of dying 30-days after surgery was at least twice than expected. Annual hospital outlier status, based on the state-reported classification, was considered the gold standard. An event was defined as at least one occurrence of a higher-than-expected hospital mortality rate during a given year. We examined a total of 83 hospital-year observations. The RA-SPRT method alerted 6 events among three hospitals for 30-day mortality compared with 5 events among two hospitals using the state public reports, yielding a sensitivity of 100% (5/5) and specificity of 98.8% (79/80). The automated RA-SPRT method performed well, detecting all of the true institutional outliers with a small false positive alerting rate. Such a system could provide confidential automated notification to local institutions in advance of public reporting providing opportunities for earlier quality improvement interventions.

A post-processing system for automated rectification and registration of spaceborne SAR imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curlander, John C.; Kwok, Ronald; Pang, Shirley S.

1987-01-01

An automated post-processing system has been developed that interfaces with the raw image output of the operational digital SAR correlator. This system is designed for optimal efficiency by using advanced signal processing hardware and an algorithm that requires no operator interaction, such as the determination of ground control points. The standard output is a geocoded image product (i.e. resampled to a specified map projection). The system is capable of producing multiframe mosaics for large-scale mapping by combining images in both the along-track direction and adjacent cross-track swaths from ascending and descending passes over the same target area. The output products have absolute location uncertainty of less than 50 m and relative distortion (scale factor and skew) of less than 0.1 per cent relative to local variations from the assumed geoid.

The Center/TRACON Automation System (CTAS): A video presentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Steven M.; Freeman, Jeannine

1992-01-01

NASA Ames, working with the FAA, has developed a highly effective set of automation tools for aiding the air traffic controller in traffic management within the terminal area. To effectively demonstrate these tools, the video AAV-1372, entitled 'Center/TRACON Automation System,' was produced. The script to the video is provided along with instructions for its acquisition.

Designing of smart home automation system based on Raspberry Pi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saini, Ravi Prakash; Singh, Bhanu Pratap; Sharma, Mahesh Kumar; Wattanawisuth, Nattapol; Leeprechanon, Nopbhorn

2016-03-01

Locally networked or remotely controlled home automation system becomes a popular paradigm because of the numerous advantages and is suitable for academic research. This paper proposes a method for an implementation of Raspberry Pi based home automation system presented with an android phone access interface. The power consumption profile across the connected load is measured accurately through programming. Users can access the graph of total power consumption with respect to time worldwide using their Dropbox account. An android application has been developed to channelize the monitoring and controlling operation of home appliances remotely. This application facilitates controlling of operating pins of Raspberry Pi by pressing the corresponding key for turning "on" and "off" of any desired appliance. Systems can range from the simple room lighting control to smart microcontroller based hybrid systems incorporating several other additional features. Smart home automation systems are being adopted to achieve flexibility, scalability, security in the sense of data protection through the cloud-based data storage protocol, reliability, energy efficiency, etc.

The rotary zone thermal cycler: A low-power system enabling automated rapid PCR

DOE PAGES

Bartsch, Michael S.; Edwards, Harrison S.; Gas Transmission Systems, Walnut Creek, CA; ...

2015-03-31

In this study, advances in molecular biology, microfluidics, and laboratory automation continue to expand the accessibility and applicability of these methods beyond the confines of conventional, centralized laboratory facilities and into point of use roles in clinical, military, forensic, portable, and field-deployed applications. As a result, there is a growing need to adapt the unit operations of molecular biology such as aliquoting, centrifuging, mixing, and thermal cycling to compact, portable, low-power, and automation-ready formats. Here we present one such adaptation, the rotary zone thermal cycler (RZTC), a novel wheel-based device capable of cycling up to four different fixed-temperature blocks intomore » contact with a stationary 4-microliter capillary-bound sample to realize 1-3 second transitions with steady state heater power of less than 10 W. We further demonstrate the utility of the RZTC for DNA amplification as part of a highly integrated rotary zone PCR (rzPCR) system using low-volume valves and syringe-based fluid handling to automate sample loading and unloading, thermal cycling, and between run cleaning functionalities in a compact, modular form factor. In addition to characterizing the performance of the RZTC and the efficacy of different online cleaning protocols, preliminary results are presented for rapid single-plex PCR, multiplex short tandem repeat (STR) amplification, and second strand cDNA synthesis.« less

The Rotary Zone Thermal Cycler: A Low-Power System Enabling Automated Rapid PCR

PubMed Central

Bartsch, Michael S.; Renzi, Ronald F.; Van de Vreugde, James L.; Kim, Hanyoup; Knight, Daniel L.; Sinha, Anupama; Branda, Steven S.; Patel, Kamlesh D.

2015-01-01

Advances in molecular biology, microfluidics, and laboratory automation continue to expand the accessibility and applicability of these methods beyond the confines of conventional, centralized laboratory facilities and into point of use roles in clinical, military, forensic, and field-deployed applications. As a result, there is a growing need to adapt the unit operations of molecular biology (e.g., aliquoting, centrifuging, mixing, and thermal cycling) to compact, portable, low-power, and automation-ready formats. Here we present one such adaptation, the rotary zone thermal cycler (RZTC), a novel wheel-based device capable of cycling up to four different fixed-temperature blocks into contact with a stationary 4-microliter capillary-bound sample to realize 1-3 second transitions with steady state heater power of less than 10 W. We demonstrate the utility of the RZTC for DNA amplification as part of a highly integrated rotary zone PCR (rzPCR) system that uses low-volume valves and syringe-based fluid handling to automate sample loading and unloading, thermal cycling, and between-run cleaning functionalities in a compact, modular form factor. In addition to characterizing the performance of the RZTC and the efficacy of different online cleaning protocols, we present preliminary results for rapid single-plex PCR, multiplex short tandem repeat (STR) amplification, and second strand cDNA synthesis. PMID:25826708