76,438 research outputs found
Performance of the Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer with Photoconductive Detector Arrays: An Application for the AKARI Far-Infrared Instrument
We have developed an imaging Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) for
space-based far-infrared astronomical observations. The FTS employs a newly
developed photoconductive detector arrays with a capacitive trans-impedance
amplifier, which makes the FTS a completely unique instrument. The FTS was
installed as a function of the far-infrared instrument (FIS: Far-Infrared
Surveyor) on the Japanese astronomical satellite, AKARI, which was launched on
February 21, 2006 (UT) from the Uchinoura Space Center. The FIS-FTS had been
operated for more than one year before liquid helium ran out on August 26,
2007. The FIS-FTS was operated nearly six hundreds times, which corresponds to
more than one hundred hours of astronomical observations and almost the same
amount of time for calibrations. As expected from laboratory measurements, the
FIS-FTS performed well and has produced a large set of astronomical data for
valuable objects. Meanwhile, it becomes clear that the detector transient
effect is a considerable factor for FTSs with photoconductive detectors. In
this paper, the instrumentation of the FIS-FTS and interesting phenomena
related to FTS using photoconductive detectors are described, and future
applications of this kind of FTS system are discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in PASJ AKARI
special issu
The Flight Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) NASA's first operational robotic system
NASA has completed the preliminary definition phase of the Flight Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) and is now preparing to begin the detailed design and fabrication phase. The FTS will be designed and built by Martin Marietta Astronautics Group in Denver, CO, for the Goddard Space Flight Center, in support of the Space Station Freedom Program. The design concepts for the FTS are discussed, as well as operational scenarios for the assembly, maintenance, servicing and inspection tasks which are being considered for the FTS. The upcoming Development Test Flight (DTF-1) is the first of two shuttle test flights to test FTS operations in the environment of space and to demonstrate the FTS capabilities in performing tasks for Space Station Freedom. Operational planning for DTF-1 is discussed as well as development plans for the operational support of the FTS on the space station
The flight telerobotic servicer and technology transfer
The Flight Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) project at the Goddard Space Flight Center is developing an advanced telerobotic system to assist in and reduce crew extravehicular activity (EVA) for Space Station Freedom (SSF). The FTS will provide a telerobotic capability in the early phases of the SSF program and will be employed for assembly, maintenance, and inspection applications. The current state of space technology and the general nature of the FTS tasks dictate that the FTS be designed with sophisticated teleoperational capabilities for its internal primary operating mode. However, technologies such as advanced computer vision and autonomous planning techniques would greatly enhance the FTS capabilities to perform autonomously in less structured work environments. Another objective of the FTS program is to accelerate technology transfer from research to U.S. industry
A Compact Millimeter-Wavelength Fourier-Transform Spectrometer
We have constructed a Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS) operating between
50 and 330 GHz with minimum volume (355 x260 x64 mm) and weight (13 lbs) while
maximizing optical throughput (100 sr) and optimizing the
spectral resolution (4 GHz). This FTS is designed as a polarizing
Martin-Puplett interferometer with unobstructed input and output in which both
input polarizations undergo interference. The instrument construction is simple
with mirrors milled on the box walls and one motorized stage as the single
moving element. We characterize the performance of the FTS, compare the
measurements to an optical simulation, and discuss features that relate to
details of the FTS design. The simulation is also used to determine the
tolerance of optical alignments for the required specifications. We detail the
FTS mechanical design and provide the control software as well as the analysis
code online.Comment: Submitted to Applied Optics. [Copyright 2019 Optical Society of
America]. Users may use, reuse, and build upon the article, or use the
article for text or data mining, so long as such uses are for non-commercial
purposes and appropriate attribution is maintained. All other rights are
reserve
Research and development activities at the Goddard Space Flight Center for the flight telerobotic servicer project
The Flight Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) is being developed by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) for performing a variety of assembly, servicing, inspection and maintenance tasks on the Space Station. The Project Office at GSFC has tasked the Engineering Directorate to assemble a robotics research and development program which will support the FTS project. The activities center around support for the Development Test Flight (DTF) on the Space Shuttle and investigations of operational problems associated with the FTS on Space Station Freedom. For the DTF, areas such as control algorithms, safety systems, and end-effectors will be developed. For FTS operations, the emphasis will be to develop a dual-arm bi-lateral force-reflecting teleoperator and use it as an FTS Operational Simulator (FTSOS). The simulator will be used to investigate operational techniques, camera configurations, operator interfacing, orbital replacement unit (ORU) designs, end-effector designs, and training techniques. After a series of test activities, reports will be generated for input to the DTF and FTS designs
Fourier spectroscopy and planetary research
The application of Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (FTS) to planetary research is reviewed. The survey includes FTS observations of the sun, all the planets except Uranus and Pluto, the Galilean satellites and Saturn's rings. Instrumentation and scientific results are considered and the prospects and limitations of FTS for planetary research in the forthcoming years are discussed
Calibration of the AKARI Far-Infrared Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer
The Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) onboard the AKARI satellite has a
spectroscopic capability provided by a Fourier transform spectrometer
(FIS-FTS). FIS-FTS is the first space-borne imaging FTS dedicated to
far-infrared astronomical observations. We describe the calibration process of
the FIS-FTS and discuss its accuracy and reliability. The calibration is based
on the observational data of bright astronomical sources as well as two
instrumental sources. We have compared the FIS-FTS spectra with the spectra
obtained from the Long Wavelength Spectrometer (LWS) of the Infrared Space
Observatory (ISO) having a similar spectral coverage. The present calibration
method accurately reproduces the spectra of several solar system objects having
a reliable spectral model. Under this condition the relative uncertainty of the
calibration of the continuum is estimated to be 15% for SW, 10% for
70-85 cm^(-1) of LW, and 20% for 60-70 cm^(-1) of LW; and the absolute
uncertainty is estimated to be +35/-55% for SW, +35/-55% for 70-85 cm^(-1) of
LW, and +40/-60% for 60-70 cm^(-1) of LW. These values are confirmed by
comparison with theoretical models and previous observations by the ISO/LWS.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figure
Lazy localization using the Frozen-Time Smoother
We present a new algorithm for solving the global localization problem called Frozen-Time Smoother (FTS). Time is 'frozen', in the sense that the belief always refers to the same time instant, instead of following a moving target, like Monte Carlo Localization does. This algorithm works in the case in which global localization is formulated as a smoothing problem, and a precise estimate of the incremental motion of the robot is usually available. These assumptions correspond to the case when global localization is used to solve the loop closing problem in SLAM. We compare FTS to two Monte Carlo methods designed with the same assumptions. The experiments suggest that a naive implementation of the FTS is more efficient than an extremely optimized equivalent Monte Carlo solution. Moreover, the FTS has an intrinsic laziness: it does not need frequent updates (scans can be integrated once every many meters) and it can process data in arbitrary order. The source code and datasets are available for download
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