12,589 research outputs found
MULTIPAC, a multiple pool processor and computer for a spacecraft central data system, phase 2 Final report
MULTIPAC, multiple pool processor and computer for deep space probe central data syste
An Analysis of Heterogeneity in Futuristic Unmanned Vehicle Systems
Recent studies have shown that with appropriate operator decision support and with enough automation aboard
unmanned vehicles, inverting the multiple operators to single-vehicle control paradigm is possible. These studies,
however, have generally focused on homogeneous teams of vehicles, and have not completely addressed either the
manifestation of heterogeneity in vehicle teams, or the effects of heterogeneity on operator capacity. An important
implication of heterogeneity in unmanned vehicle teams is an increase in the diversity of possible team
configurations available for each operator, as well as an increase in the diversity of possible attention allocation
schemes that can be utilized by operators. To this end, this paper introduces a resource allocation framework that
defines the strategies and processes that lead to alternate team configurations. The framework also highlights the
sub-components of operator attention allocation schemes that can impact overall performance when supervising
heterogeneous unmanned vehicle teams. A subsequent discrete event simulation model of a single operator
supervising multiple heterogeneous vehicles and tasks explores operator performance under different heterogeneous
team compositions and varying attention allocation strategies. Results from the discrete event simulation model
show that the change in performance when switching from a homogeneous team to a heterogeneous one is highly
dependent on the change in operator utilization. Heterogeneous teams that result in lower operator utilization can
lead to improved performance under certain operator strategies.Prepared for Charles River Analytic
Audio Decision Support for Supervisory Control of Unmanned Vehicles : Literature Review
Purpose of this literature review:
To survey scholarly articles, books and other sources (dissertations, conference
proceedings) relevant to the use of the audio
supervisory control of unmanned vehicles.Prepared for Charles River Analytic
Fluorescence measurements of expanding strongly-coupled neutral plasmas
We report new detailed density profile measurements in expanding
strongly-coupled neutral plasmas. Using laser-induced fluorescence techniques,
we determine plasma densities in the range of 10^5 to 10^9/cm^3 with a time
resolution limit as small as 7 ns. Strong-coupling in the plasma ions is
inferred directly from the fluorescence signals. Evidence for strong-coupling
at late times is presented, confirming a recent theoretical result.Comment: submitted to PR
Information Requirements for MCM and ISR Missions : PUMA Phase II
This document contains display requirements for Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) control
station displays to be used by unmanned vehicle units in support of heterogeneous
unmanned vehicle missions (such as Special Operations Force (SOF) insertion). The
method used for generating the requirements was that of a Hybrid Cognitive Task
Analysis (CTA)1 which entails describing a scenario overview of a representative
mission, generating event flow diagrams, and depicting decision ladders for the key
decisions identified in the event flow diagrams. These steps are then used together to
generate an informational requirements summary which includes the situational
awareness requirements that are derived from the event flow and display requirements of
the decision ladders. This method was developed in Phase I of the PUMA (Plan
Understanding for Mixed-initiative control of Autonomous systems) project2. In PUMA
I, the mission scenario primarily consisted of Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance (ISR) tasks. For PUMA II, the scenario has been expanded to include
Mine Counter Measures (MCM), Harbor Bottom Image-Mapping (HBI), and Anti-
Terrorism / Force Protection (AT/FP) mission types. There is a specific emphasis on the
MCM and ISR missions to highlight the informational requirement differences between
the two task types. This document incorporates the expanded vehicle and mission type
heterogeneities that are present in PUMA II in order to develop a cohesive set of
informational requirements necessary for such a complex mission.Prepared for Charles River Analytic
Selecting Metrics to Evaluate Human Supervisory Control Applications
The goal of this research is to develop a methodology to select supervisory control metrics. This
methodology is based on cost-benefit analyses and generic metric classes. In the context of this research,
a metric class is defined as the set of metrics that quantify a certain aspect or component of a system.
Generic metric classes are developed because metrics are mission-specific, but metric classes are
generalizable across different missions. Cost-benefit analyses are utilized because each metric set has
advantages, limitations, and costs, thus the added value of different sets for a given context can be
calculated to select the set that maximizes value and minimizes costs. This report summarizes the
findings of the first part of this research effort that has focused on developing a supervisory control metric
taxonomy that defines generic metric classes and categorizes existing metrics. Future research will focus
on applying cost benefit analysis methodologies to metric selection.
Five main metric classes have been identified that apply to supervisory control teams composed
of humans and autonomous platforms: mission effectiveness, autonomous platform behavior efficiency,
human behavior efficiency, human behavior precursors, and collaborative metrics. Mission effectiveness
measures how well the mission goals are achieved. Autonomous platform and human behavior efficiency
measure the actions and decisions made by the humans and the automation that compose the team.
Human behavior precursors measure human initial state, including certain attitudes and cognitive
constructs that can be the cause of and drive a given behavior. Collaborative metrics address three
different aspects of collaboration: collaboration between the human and the autonomous platform he is
controlling, collaboration among humans that compose the team, and autonomous collaboration among
platforms. These five metric classes have been populated with metrics and measuring techniques from
the existing literature.
Which specific metrics should be used to evaluate a system will depend on many factors, but as a
rule-of-thumb, we propose that at a minimum, one metric from each class should be used to provide a
multi-dimensional assessment of the human-automation team. To determine what the impact on our
research has been by not following such a principled approach, we evaluated recent large-scale
supervisory control experiments conducted in the MIT Humans and Automation Laboratory. The results
show that prior to adapting this metric classification approach, we were fairly consistent in measuring
mission effectiveness and human behavior through such metrics as reaction times and decision
accuracies. However, despite our supervisory control focus, we were remiss in gathering attention
allocation metrics and collaboration metrics, and we often gathered too many correlated metrics that were
redundant and wasteful. This meta-analysis of our experimental shortcomings reflect those in the general
research population in that we tended to gravitate to popular metrics that are relatively easy to gather,
without a clear understanding of exactly what aspect of the systems we were measuring and how the
various metrics informed an overall research question
Direct excitation of the forbidden clock transition in neutral 174Yb atoms confined to an optical lattice
We report direct single-laser excitation of the strictly forbidden
(6s^2)^1S_0 -(6s6p)^3P_0 clock transition in the even 174Yb isotope confined to
a 1D optical lattice. A small (~1.2 mT) static magnetic field was used to
induce a nonzero electric dipole transition probability between the clock
states at 578.42 nm. Narrow resonance linewidths of 20 Hz (FHWM) with high
contrast were observed, demonstrating a record neutral-atom resonance quality
factor of 2.6x10^13. The previously unknown ac Stark shift-canceling (magic)
wavelength was determined to be 759.35+/-0.02 nm. This method for using the
metrologically superior even isotope can be easily implemented in current Yb
and Sr lattice clocks, and can create new clock possibilities in other alkaline
earth-like atoms such as Mg and Ca.Comment: Submitted to Physics Review Letter
A UAV Mission Hierarchy
In the following sections, each of the primary missions are decomposed into mission planning, management, and replanning segments in order to identify
what the primary functions a human operator will need to perform. The goal is to understand what tasks/functions are common across different UAV
missions and platforms in order to map the generalizability of any particular research project.Prepared for Charles River Analytic
Liver Transplantation to Provide Low-Density-Lipoprotein Receptors and Lower Plasma Cholesterol in a Child with Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia
A six-year-old girl with severe hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis had two defective genes at the low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) receptor locus, as determined by biochemical studies of cultured fibroblasts. One gene, inherited from the mother, produced no LDL receptors; the other gene, inherited from the father, produced a receptor precursor that was not transported to the cell surface and was unable to bind LDL. The patient degraded intravenously administered 125I-LDL at an extremely low rate, indicating that her high plasma LDL-cholesterol level was caused by defective receptor-mediated removal of LDL from plasma. After transplantation of a liver and a heart from a normal donor, the patient's plasma LDL-cholesterol level declined by 81 per cent, from 988 to 184 mg per deciliter. The fractional catabolic rate for intravenously administered 125I-LDL, a measure of functional LDL receptors in vivo, increased by 2.5-fold. Thus, the transplanted liver, with its normal complement of LDL receptors, was able to remove LDL cholesterol from plasma at a nearly normal rate. We conclude that a genetically determined deficiency of LDL receptors can be largely reversed by liver transplantation. These data underscore the importance of hepatic LDL receptors in controlling the plasma level of LDL cholesterol in human beings. (N Engl J Med 1984; 311: 1658–64.). © 1984, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved
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