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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Gesture-Directed Sensor-Information Fusion Gloves

Current chemical-protection gear for warfighters on the ground inhibits electronic communication via keyboards, cell phones, and remote-control devices. To improve communications capabilities...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

GigE Advanced Imaging Sensor

The Wide-Field Dynamic Range (WFDR) camera is a high-sensitivity, wide-field-of-regard sensor of importance to future military surveillance and survivability systems. It is intended to be used in harsh, noisy...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Power for Micro Autonomous Systems

The Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) Collaborative Technology Alliance (CTA) has been initiated to spur basic research in small autonomous robots, particularly in four main areas: Microsystem...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Indoor Navigation for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

This research proposed the use of inexpensive, lightweight range sensors for indoor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation. Two potential range sensors were tested for suitability and error...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Modular, Portable, and Reconfigurable Wireless Sensing System

A modular, portable, reconfigurable wireless sensor system monitors and records environmental conditions in an aircraft cabin. By designing a sensor system that can be easily...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Characterizing Turbulent Wind Flow Near a Wind Barrier Using Sonic Anemometers

The Holloman High Speed Test Track (HHSTT) facility at Holloman Air Force Base (HAFB), NM, has a test section of 1.8 km that contains an artificial rain field...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Frangible Polymer Circuit Acts as Tamper Sensor

Originally begun as an investigation to detect attempts to tap into an electrical cable, the emergence of modern encryption hardware rendered impractical attempts to protect communication media...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Advanced Lithium Ion Systems for Military Vehicles

The higher energy and power density of Li-Ion battery technology offers a significant reduction in the weight and volume for hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) battery systems compared to lead acid and nickel metal hydride technologies. Saft’s High Power Li-ion battery technology has demonstrated...

Briefs
Physical Sciences

Reducing Thicknesses of PbZrₓTi₁₋ₓO₃ Films in Capacitors

A document describes experiments performed to determine effects of reducing the thicknesses of films of lead zirconate titanate (PbZrxTi1-xO3, wherein 0<x<1) used as ferroelectric dielectric layers in some capacitors. The fabrication of...

Briefs
Physical Sciences

Detector Module for Testing Silicon Carbide Semiconductor Devices

Long-term stress testing of silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor devices is required to determine suitability for power electronics applications. During testing, preventable...

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Briefs
Sensors/Data Acquisition

MEMS-Based Optical Limiter

Protecting optical sensors and detectors against excessive input signals is not only important for dealing with unintentional overloads, but also central for protecting sensors against intentional high-intensity...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Measurement of Transient Heat Flux and Surface Temperature Using Embedded Temperature Sensors

A report describes approximate solutions for surface temperature and heat flux for two embedded temperature sensors. The solutions were verified and the range of validity was established using several methods including comparisons with an exact...

Briefs
Physical Sciences

Imaging and Spectral Measurements of Explosions

A document describes experiments performed to investigate rates of delivery of energy onto targets from different explosive formulations. The experiments were designed to measure relative positions of blast fireballs and leading shock fronts; determine whether different explosive formulations...

Briefs
Sensors/Data Acquisition

Tightly Coupled INS, GPS, and Imaging Sensors for Precision Geolocation

To address the issue of poor georegistration performance for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), navigation and target-location accuracy improvements achievable by tightly integrating an image-based feature-tracking algorithm with Global Positioning System (GPS) and a...

Briefs
Physical Sciences

Considerations of Aeroacoustics in Turbojet-Engine Testing

A study of the aeroacoustics of a turbojet-engine test cell has been performed as one step in the development of a computational aeroacoustics capability (CAA) that could provide...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Miniature Rotorcraft Flight Control Stabilization System

Autonomous rotorcraft provide improved capability in performing military missions such as reconnaissance, targeting, border patrol, and environmental sensing. A common difficulty in...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Studies of Dynamic Fracture in Brittle Materials

A program of research spanning several years ending in November 2005 was dedicated primarily to formulation and analysis of canonical boundary- value problems in mathematical modeling of dynamic fracture in brittle materials. The sub-topics within the broad topic of dynamic fracture in brittle...

Briefs
Physical Sciences

Acceleration Strain Transducer Containing Cantilever Flaps

A recently invented acceleration strain transducer is based on the principle of a conventional spring-and-mass acceleration transducer combined with a linear strain sensor that...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Simulation of Airflow Through a Test Chamber

A computational-simulation study of the flow of air through a thermo-anemometer chamber was performed to resolve what originally seemed to be an anomaly in the measurement data obtained by use of...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Synthesizing Pseudo-Finer-Resolution MODIS Data Products

A document discusses a methodology for synthesizing finerresolution data products from outputs of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites. Typical MODIS ocean color data have 1-km resolution, but those in five wavelength...

Briefs
Sensors/Data Acquisition

Characterization of a MEMS Directional Sound Sensor

There is a wide range of potential military applications in which ambiguity in bearing occurs with respect to sound. For example, autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could employ a...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Two-Camera Imaging System for Kinematic Measurements

A high-speed imaging system has been devised as a noninvasive means of collecting data on the kinematics of working models of developmental underwater or aerial vehicles that would utilize...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Advanced Concepts for Space Access

A paper summarizes commonly proposed advanced launch concepts, including both concepts that employ propellant and propellant-less concepts. A wide range of advanced launch concepts have been proposed in an effort to revolutionize space access through either a significant reduction in launch costs or significant...

Briefs
Physical Sciences

Nanostructured Ferromagnetic-Wire/Insulator Composites

A research and development effort now in progress is focused on nano-structured ferromagnetic- wire/insulator composite materials to be used as the magnetic-core materials of sensors for...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Robot Vision System for Precise Object Retrieval in Unmanned Systems

Automating large-scale material handling systems that involve picking up or retrieving items via cranes or robot arms can yield big benefits, particularly in harsh or...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Thermal Technology System Acquires Heat Data to Count People

The Flowslide, developed by Royal Boon Edam Group Holding BV, is a combination of a revolving door and curved sliding panels, installed at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris. The...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Perspective on Research in Laser Propulsion

A document summarizes the history of research on laser propulsion, starting with the first publication of the laser-propulsion concept in the year 1969, proceeding through studies of laser propulsion within the broader context of advanced propulsion systems in general, and culminating in...

Briefs
Physical Sciences

Time-Coding of Asynchronous Data Transmissions

A method for providing a time code for multiple streams of simultaneously received data has been developed in order to allow reconstruction of the data after asynchronous transfer. It is often...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Digital-Image Data Acquisition System for Turbulent Mixing and Combustion

An equipment and instrumentation system for high-speed digital image data acquisition and processing includes components for Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF), flame-speed, and ignition and extinction measurements of laminar flames at variable pressure; tracking...