Infusion Technology Stories
Below you will find Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of all published CICT Infusion stories and, when available, links to other sites and papers or presentations for more information on these featured technologies.
Recent Publications
Robonaut Provides Hands-On Assistance in Space (200KB)
To realize the President's Vision for Space Exploration, astronauts and robots will work together as partners in space. "Robonaut," the first humanoid robot to use hand-held power tools, is designed to perform many tasks in space that would otherwise endanger astronauts.
Detecting DNA with Carbon Nanotube Arrays (172KB)
In this age of biological weapons and other environmental contaminants, it's critical to detect a pathogen or pathogen-caused disease when it first appears. Biochips based on carbon nanotube arrays could be a thousand times more sensitive than today's electrochemical biosensors and eliminate the costly and bulky equipment currently required to analyze small samples of blood or tissue.
Mars Rovers Land Right on the DIMES (170KB)
The 300-million-mile "holes in one" achieved by the Mars rovers in 2004 were magnificent achievements, assisted by the Descent Image Motion Estimation Subsystem (DIMES). On the next mission to Mars, NASA scientists want to enable a rover to autonomously choose its own landing site safely and precisely in hazardous terrain, even under windy conditions.
Visualizing Complex Ecosystems (220KB)
"Virtual Ecosystem" mines extensive wildlife tracking data and integrates it with dynamic models of seasonal climate and landscape change at Yellowstone National Park to provide a virtual 3-D animation of how wildlife and weather interact over time in this complex ecosystem. The software can help policy makers decide management strategies for wildlife and also show millions of tourists how they themselves affect wildlife in the park.
A Collaborative Computer for the Mars Team (110KB)
The interactive MERBoard enables hundreds of scientists and engineers on the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission to collaborate more effectively in translating scientific goals into instructions for the rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
If I Only Had a Brain—Modeling AI for Robots (161KB)
The KIV brain model's amazing ability to simulate the human brain's navigational abilities could enable robots to autonomously adapt to changing environments in space.
Additional Info: http://cnd.memphis.edu/sodas/publications.html
An Agile Tool for Modeling Human Performances (112KB)
The new Constraint–based Optimal Reasoning Engine makes it easier to model and predict the performance of humans interacting with complex systems, speeding the development of new computer and robot interfaces.
Additional Info: http://hci.arc.nasa.gov/
SemanticOrganizer Brings Teams Together (243KB)
This innovative knowledge management tool enables work teams distributed across several locations to easily integrate, store, access, annotate, and collaboratively work with project information over the Web. It is currently implemented as ScienceOrganizer and InvestigationOrganizer applications.
Additional Info: http://sciencedesk.arc.nasa.gov/organizer, http://io.arc.nasa.gov/about/index.html
Nanotubes May Break Through "Chip Wall" (106KB)
Carbon nanotube (CNT) research is leading the way to smaller, faster computers, networks, and sensors. By conducting higher currents and enabling more layers than conventional metal interconnects, CNT interconnects make possible a breakthrough to even smaller silicon chips.
Additional Info: Bottom-up Approach for Carbon Nanotube Interconnects
How Spacecraft Will Communicate "on the Fly" (160KB)
The Hi-DSN ad-hoc network infrastructure connects different kinds of spacecraft, supporting high-rate communications for mobile nodes.
Additional Info: http://scp.grc.nasa.gov/portfolio/is/index.html
Bio-inspired Computing for Robots (180KB)
Living creatures may provide algorithms to enable active sensing and control systems in robots so that they can "feel" their way in unknown environments.
Using Proteins to Build Nanocomputers (255KB)
The basic building blocks of life may be harnessed to build computers and sensors on the nanoscale.
Additional Info: Ordered Nanoparticle Arrays Formed on Engineered Chaperonin Protein Templates (PDF, 2.2MB)
A One-Stop Web Application for the Mars Team (115KB)
The Mars Exploration Rover Collaborative Information Portal (MERCIP) provides all 240 team members with a window to all mission events, with support for automatic updates, data sharing, and collaboration.
Additional Info: Collaborative Information Portal: MER and Beyond (PDF, 1.1MB)
Getting the Most from the Twin Mars Rovers (185KB)
The MAPGEN mixed–initiative planner provides critical support to the operations team that decides what the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, will do each day.
Graphic: MAPGEN Screenshot (60KB GIF, will open in new window)
Additional Info: MAPGEN: Mixed Initiative Planning and Scheduling for the Mars ‘03 MER Mission (PDF, 140KB)
“Personal Rover” Inspires Youth to Explore (185KB)
Low–cost mobile science rovers are inspiring young people to learn more about science, robotics, and NASA’s 2004 mission to Mars.
Additional Info: http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~personalrover/
Modeling Robot and Crew Interaction (171KB)
The Brahms language enables NASA to simulate how multiple “agents”—including humans, robots, and software agents—can work together effectively on future missions.
Additional Info: http://www.Agentisolutions.com/about.htm
Accelerating the Design of Space Vehicles (190KB)
The AeroDB system enables spacecraft designers to quickly fill a design space or trajectory by executing hundreds to thousands of CFD runs rapidly on the NASA Grid.
Additional Info: Automated CFD Parameter Studies on Distributed Parallel Computers (PDF, 970KB)
Transmitting Data from Space at Higher Speeds (164KB)
The 100W Traveling Wave Tube will provide high–rate, high–capacity, direct–to–Earth return links for science data and video from planetary orbiters, such as those destined for Mars.
Additional Info: http://scp.grc.nasa.gov/portfolio/bn/index.html
