Scalable Approach to Uncertainty Quantification and Robust Design of Interconnected Dynamical Systems

Development of robust dynamical systems and networks such as autonomous aircraft systems capable of accomplishing complex missions faces challenges due to the dynamically evolving uncertainties coming from model uncertainties, necessity to operate in a hostile cluttered urban environment, and the distributed and dynamic nature of the communication and computation resources. Model-based robust design is difficult because of the complexity of the hybrid dynamic models including continuous vehicle dynamics, the discrete models of computations and communications, and the size of the problem. We will overview recent advances in methodology and tools to model, analyze, and design robust autonomous aerospace systems operating in uncertain environment, with stress on efficient uncertainty quantification and robust design using the case studies of the mission including model-based target tracking and search, and trajectory planning in uncertain urban environment. To show that the methodology is generally applicable to uncertain dynamical systems, we will also show examples of application of the new methods to efficient uncertainty quantification of energy usage in buildings, and stability assessment of interconnected power networks

Development of canopy vigour maps using UAV for site-specific management during vineyard spraying process

Site-specific management of crops represents an important improvement in terms of efficiency and efficacy of the different labours, and its implementation has experienced a large development in the last decades, especially for field crops. The particular case of the spray application process for what are called “specialty crops” (vineyard, orchard fruits, citrus, olive trees, etc.)FI-DGR grant from Generalitat de Catalunya (2018 FI_B1 00083). Research and improvement of Dosaviña have been developed under LIFE PERFECT project: Pesticide Reduction using Friendly and Environmentally Controlled Technologies (LIFE17 ENV/ES/000205)This research was partially funded by the “Ajuts a les activitats de demostració (operació 01.02.01 de Transferència Tecnològica del Programa de desenvolupament rural de Catalunya 2014-2020)” and an FI-DGR grant from Generalitat de Catalunya (2018 FI_B1 00083). Research and improvement of Dosaviña have been developed under the LIFE PERFECT project: Pesticide Reduction using Friendly and Environmentally Controlled Technologies (LIFE17 ENV/ES/000205).This research was partially funded by the “Ajuts a les activitats de demostració (operació 01.02.01 de Transferència Tecnològica del Programa de desenvolupament rural de Catalunya 2014-2020)” and an FI-DGR grant from Generalitat de Catalunya (2018 FI_B1 00083). Research and improvement of Dosaviña have been developed under LIFE PERFECT project: Pesticide Reduction using Friendly and Environmentally Controlled Technologies (LIFE17 ENV/ES/000205)Postprint (updated version

The NASA SBIR product catalog

The purpose of this catalog is to assist small business firms in making the community aware of products emerging from their efforts in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. It contains descriptions of some products that have advanced into Phase 3 and others that are identified as prospective products. Both lists of products in this catalog are based on information supplied by NASA SBIR contractors in responding to an invitation to be represented in this document. Generally, all products suggested by the small firms were included in order to meet the goals of information exchange for SBIR results. Of the 444 SBIR contractors NASA queried, 137 provided information on 219 products. The catalog presents the product information in the technology areas listed in the table of contents. Within each area, the products are listed in alphabetical order by product name and are given identifying numbers. Also included is an alphabetical listing of the companies that have products described. This listing cross-references the product list and provides information on the business activity of each firm. In addition, there are three indexes: one a list of firms by states, one that lists the products according to NASA Centers that managed the SBIR projects, and one that lists the products by the relevant Technical Topics utilized in NASA's annual program solicitation under which each SBIR project was selected

A Sensitive and Reliable Carbon Monoxide Monitor for Safety-Focused Applications in Coal Mine Using a 2.33-μ\mu m Laser Diode

In this paper, a stable and reliable carbon monoxide (CO) monitoring system with high sensitivity (at sub-ppm level) was designed and demonstrated with particular reference to use in the mining industry, tailoring the design specifically for forecasting spontaneous combustion, a major hazard to miners. An appropriate strong CO absorption line was used to minimize the interferences expected from gases present in ambient air, with several preferred CO absorption lines selected and investigated, therefore choosing a distributed feedback (DFB) laser operating at a wavelength of 2330.18 nm as the excitation source. Through a detailed investigation, a minimum detection limit of ~0.2 ppm and a measurement precision of <50 ppb were achieved with a 1 s averaging time. Further in tests, a long-term continuous monitoring evaluation was carried out, demonstrated the excellent stability and reliability of the developed CO monitor. The results obtained have validated the potential of this design of a CO monitoring system for practical monitoring applications underground to enhance safety in the mining industry

CSI technology validation on an LSS ground experiment facility

The test bed developed at JPL for experimental evaluation of new technologies for the control of large flexible space structures is described. The experiment consists of a flexible spacecraft dynamic simulator, sensors, actuators, a microcomputer, and an advanced programming environment. The test bed has been operational for over a year, and thus far nine experiments were completed or are currently in progress. Several of these experiments were reported at the 1987 CSI conference, and several recent ones are documented in this paper, including high order adaptive control, non-parametric system identification, and mu-synthesis robust control. An aggressive program of experiments is planned for the forseeable future