Aquarius iPhone Application

The Office of the CIO at JPL has developed an iPhone application for the Aquarius/SAC-D mission. The application includes specific information about the science and purpose of the Aquarius satellite and also features daily mission news updates pulled from sources at Goddard Space Flight Center as well as Twitter. The application includes a media and data tab section. The media section displays images from the observatory, viewing construction up to the launch and also includes various videos and recorded diaries from the Aquarius Project Manager. The data tab highlights many of the factors that affect the Earth s ocean and the water cycle. The application leverages the iPhone s accelerometer to move the Aquarius Satellite over the Earth, revealing these factors. Lastly, this application features a countdown timer to the satellite s launch, which is currently counting the days since launch. This application was highly successful in promoting the Aquarius Mission and educating the public about how ocean salinity is paramount to understanding the Earth

Space Images for NASA/JPL

Space Images for NASA/JPL is an Apple iPhone application that allows the general public to access featured images from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). A back-end infrastructure stores, tracks, and retrieves space images from the JPL Photojournal Web server, and catalogs the information into a streamlined rating infrastructure

Evolutionary Computation Applied to the Tuning of MEMS Gyroscopes

We propose a tuning method for MEMS gyroscopes based on evolutionary computation to efficiently increase the sensitivity of MEMS gyroscopes through tuning and, furthermore, to find the optimally tuned configuration for this state of increased sensitivity. The tuning method was tested for the second generation JPL/Boeing Post-resonator MEMS gyroscope using the measurement of the frequency response of the MEMS device in open-loop operation

Tuning of MEMS Devices using Evolutionary Computation and Open-loop Frequency Response

We propose a tuning method for MEMS gyroscopes based on evolutionary computation that has the capacity to efficiently increase the sensitivity of MEMS gyroscopes through tuning and, furthermore, to find the optimally tuned configuration for this state of increased sensitivity. The tuning method was tested for the second generation JPL/Boeing Post-resonator MEMS gyroscope using the measurement of the frequency response of the MEMS device in open-loop operation

Hardware platforms for MEMS gyroscope tuning based on evolutionary computation using open-loop and closed -loop frequency response

We propose a tuning method for MEMS gyroscopes based on evolutionary computation to efficiently increase the sensitivity of MEMS gyroscopes through tuning. The tuning method was tested for the second generation JPL/Boeing Post-resonator MEMS gyroscope using the measurement of the frequency response of the MEMS device in open-loop operation. We also report on the development of a hardware platform for integrated tuning and closed loop operation of MEMS gyroscopes. The control of this device is implemented through a digital design on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The hardware platform easily transitions to an embedded solution that allows for the miniaturization of the system to a single chip

Tuning of MEMS Gyroscope using Evolutionary Algorithm and "Switched Drive-Angle" Method

We propose a tuning method for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) gyroscopes based on evolutionary computation that has the capacity to efficiently increase the sensitivity of MEMS gyroscopes through tuning and, furthermore, to find the optimally tuned configuration for this state of increased sensitivity. We present the results of an experiment to determine the speed and efficiency of an evolutionary algorithm applied to electrostatic tuning of MEMS micro gyros. The MEMS gyro used in this experiment is a pyrex post resonator gyro (PRG) in a closed-loop control system. A measure of the quality of tuning is given by the difference in resonant frequencies, or frequency split, for the two orthogonal rocking axes. The current implementation of the closed-loop platform is able to measure and attain a relative stability in the sub-millihertz range, leading to a reduction of the frequency split to less than 100 mHz