1,446 research outputs found
A NASA/RAE cooperation in the development of a real-time knowledge-based autopilot
As part of a US/UK cooperative aeronautical research program, a joint activity between the NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility and the Royal Aerospace Establishment on knowledge-based systems was established. This joint activity is concerned with tools and techniques for the implementation and validation of real-time knowledge-based systems. The proposed next stage of this research is described, in which some of the problems of implementing and validating a knowledge-based autopilot for a generic high-performance aircraft are investigated
Recent Developments in Cultural Heritage Image Databases: Directions for User-Centered Design
published or submitted for publicatio
Digital manufacturing: what are we able to print?
In a rational exercise, in the present paper it is extrapolated how the development of ICTs (information and communication technologies) and the incipient technological development of additive manufacturing has the potential to change our society. In the following, it is analyzing the evolution of man over physical matter and how this has shaped our society. The main milestones or key stages in history that have marked a transcendental change in the human-machine-environment relationship have been identified and consequently have led us to ask ourselves: What is next, how far are we, and what are we capable of printing? In an attempt to identify the current state of the art, highlighting the possibilities those additive technologies can offerPostprint (published version
Automated flight test management system
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
Expanding the Applicability of FDM-type Technologies Through Materials Development
Currently, the most common form of additive manufacturing is material extrusion 3D
printing (ME3DP) based on fused deposition modeling (FDM®) technology which relies upon a
thermoplastic monofilament as a base material for the fabrication of three dimensional objects.
The dependence on thermoplastics as a feedstock by ME3DP platforms limits the applicability of
this additive manufacturing method. A clear-cut path towards greater applicability is the
introduction of novel materials with diverse physical properties which maintain compatibility
with 3D printing platforms based on FDM® technology. The work in this paper presents efforts
in the development of polymer matrix composites (PMC)s and polymer blends based on
acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC), two thermoplastic materials
commonly used by FDM®-type platforms. Mechanical testing and fractography via scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) were the two main metrics used to characterize these new material
systems. Overcoming barriers to the manufacturing of these novel 3D-printable materials
systems is also presented.Mechanical Engineerin
Digital modelling and stereolithographic production of a Homo Erectus skull
The National Museum of Natural History has been carrying out, over the last several years, a study of hominid fossil skulls, which have been discovered in different regions of the world. The aim of the palaeo‐anthropological study of these skulls is to reconstruct the genealogic tree of the evolution of man and to understand better, the diversity of the homo Erectus species on the different continents. Currently, digital techniques and those of rapid prototyping offer a solution to these problems by allowing the virtual or physical reconstitution of the skulls for scientific study. This paper presents this new perspective for the world of palaeontology
A True AR Authoring Tool for Interactive Virtual Museums
In this work, a new and innovative way of spatial computing that appeared
recently in the bibliography called True Augmented Reality (AR), is employed in
cultural heritage preservation. This innovation could be adapted by the Virtual
Museums of the future to enhance the quality of experience. It emphasises, the
fact that a visitor will not be able to tell, at a first glance, if the
artefact that he/she is looking at is real or not and it is expected to draw
the visitors' interest. True AR is not limited to artefacts but extends even to
buildings or life-sized character simulations of statues. It provides the best
visual quality possible so that the users will not be able to tell the real
objects from the augmented ones. Such applications can be beneficial for future
museums, as with True AR, 3D models of various exhibits, monuments, statues,
characters and buildings can be reconstructed and presented to the visitors in
a realistic and innovative way. We also propose our Virtual Reality Sample
application, a True AR playground featuring basic components and tools for
generating interactive Virtual Museum applications, alongside a 3D
reconstructed character (the priest of Asinou church) facilitating the
storyteller of the augmented experience.Comment: This is a preprint of a chapter for a planned book that was initiated
by "Visual Computing in Cultural Heritage" and that is expected to be
published by Springer. The final book chapter will differ from this preprin
Assessment of VR Technology and its Applications to Engineering Problems
Virtual reality applications are making valuable contributions to the field of product realization. This paper presents an assessment of the hardware and software capabilities of VR technology needed to support a meaningful integration of VR applications in the product life cycle analysis. Several examples of VR applications for the various stages of the product life cycle engineering are presented as case studies. These case studies describe research results, fielded systems, technical issues, and implementation issues in the areas of virtual design, virtual manufacturing, virtual assembly, engineering analysis, visualization of analysis results, and collaborative virtual environments. Current issues and problems related to the creation, use, and implementation of virtual environments for engineering design, analysis, and manufacturing are also discussed
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