Award Data

The recent performance increases in graphics processing units (GPUs) have made graphics cards an attractive platform for implementing computationally intense applications. With their numerous parallel computational pipelines and SIMD architecture, modern GPUs can outperform high-end microprocessors by one to three orders of magnitude, depending on the problem. Most work to date at EM Photonics a ...

ProtoInnovations, LLC (PI) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have formed a partnership to research, develop, and experimentally characterize a suite of robotic controls to significantly improve the safety, mean travel speed, and rough-terrain access of wheeled planetary rovers. In meeting this goal we have been developing algorithms for all-terrain adaptive locomotion which inclu ...

Flight-testing is a crucial component in NASA's mission to research and develop new aeronautical concepts because it allows for verification of simulated and wind-tunnel experiments and exposes previously unforeseen design problems. Video is an invaluable tool for flight-testing, allowing the collection of a wealth of information such as craft position, speed, health, as well as tracking diff ...

In-space valves are required to provide precise mass flow control, wide throttling range and handle rapid on-off control. These requirements can result in significant unsteady, transient effects both on the fluid mass flow rate, as well as the torque required. However, there currently are no analytical or numerical modeling tools that can predict the unsteady/transient performance of these valves; ...

Gradient metal alloy structures possess multi-functional properties that conventional monolithic metal counterparts do not have. Such structures can potentially change the paradigm of material selections and mechanical designs to enable more efficient space vehicles to be built. Existing laser-based additive manufacturing techniques for gradient metal alloy fabrication suffer from the following tw ...

In this proposal, AlphaSense details the development of a novel laser ultrasound visualization system non-destructive evaluations of composite aircraft structures. The key innovations of this proposal include the following: a) Defect detection and identifications based on direct visualizations of the ultrasound propagation characteristics in the testing articles, b) The application of laser genera ...

The barrier to entry creating efficient, scalable applications for heterogeneous supercomputing environments is too high. EM Photonics has found that the majority of the coding and debugging time is not spent defining the problem physics but instead on balancing computation between multiple heterogeneous devices, handling communication of data, and managing distributed memory systems. The time spe ...

Platform Digital proposes to develop a Remote Experience Authoring Language (REAL) that will allow educators, multi-media developers and scientists to create, quickly and easily interactive 3D models from NASA data sets for the study, evaluation and presentation of science in an engaging and fun way. REAL will enable the public to actively explore NASA remote sites via 3D computer game style repre ...

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS's) and in particular intelligent, autonomous rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft have the potential to significantly impact modern society. A few examples of their utility include aerial surveying in difficult-to-access terrain, precision agriculture, package delivery, moviemaking, infrastructure inspection, fire fighting, search and rescue, etc. Recently there has been ...

Current NASA programs, such as Adaptable, Deployable Entry and Placement Technology (ADEPT) and Woven Thermal Protection Systems (WTPS) are looking to fill a gap in ablative TPS for future missions to Venus and Saturn, human missions beyond Lunar, and Mars Sample Return Missions. Both of these programs rely on the use of 3D woven carbon fiber preforms. Therefore, there is a need to be able to pr ...