The UWB (impulse) radar caper or `punishment of the innocent'

The author describes his experiences chairing a panel to review ultrawideband (UWB), or impulse, radar. The panel's report pointed out the fallacies in the proposals of the extremists pushing the rapid development of such a radar, noted the very good work of the real contributors, and made several recommendations. Pressure from the extremists led to an investigation by the Inspector General of the US Department of Defense of the panel and its members. That investigation found no basis for the allegations and concluded that the panel's report was credible and the panel balanced     

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) Investigation

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is an energetic particle detector designed to measure a broad spectrum of energetic particle radiation. It will make the first-ever direct radiation measurements on the surface of Mars, detecting galactic cosmic rays, solar energetic particles, secondary neutrons, and other secondary particles created both in the atmosphere and in the Martian regolith. The radiation environment on Mars, both past and present, may have implications for habitability and the ability to sustain life. Radiation exposure is also a major concern for future human missions. The RAD instrument combines charged- and neutral-particle detection capability over a wide dynamic range in a compact, low-mass, low-power instrument. These capabilities are required in order to measure all the important components of the radiation environment. RAD consists of the RAD Sensor Head (RSH) and the RAD Electronics Box (REB) integrated together in a small, compact volume. The RSH contains a solid-state detector telescope with three silicon PIN diodes for charged particle detection, a thallium doped Cesium Iodide scintillator, plastic scintillators for neutron detection and anti-coincidence shielding, and the front-end electronics. The REB contains three circuit boards, one with a novel mixed-signal ASIC for processing analog signals and an associated control FPGA, another with a second FPGA to communicate with the rover and perform onboard analysis of science data, and a third board with power supplies and power cycling or “sleep”-control electronics. The latter enables autonomous operation, independent of commands from the rover. RAD is a highly capable and highly configurable instrument that paves the way for future compact energetic particle detectors in space.     

A brief history of UWB antennas

This paper provides an historical overview of ultra-wideband antennas presenting key advances at the root of modern designs.     

Aircraft Stores Interface Manual (ASIM) adopts paperlessinformation technology

During recent years, defense budgets have been cut across all services while the cost of maintaining current standards has risen. The Aircraft Stores Interface Manual (ASIM) Program Office found that maintaining a staff for paper updates was no longer feasible and was tasked by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Air Armament Working Party (AAWP) to digitize the ASIM manuals. Converting this information from paper to electronic media presented several challenges which are discussed. Adopting Paperless Information Technology and replacing “Snail Mail” with the World Wide Web is presented     

A non-contact lie detector using radar vital signs monitor (RVSM)technology

Traditional lie detector testing requires the subject to be physically attached to a variety of sensors. This is impractical for scenarios such as checkpoints where a large number of individuals are entering at a high rate, necessitating the employment of other methods. Currently, checkpoint officers must make a quick decision to determine if an individual is being deceptive, and if, in turn, they should be searched. The remote detection of deception (RDD) concept uses a non-contact sensor to obtain physiological information that can be used to aid the checkpoint officer's decision. Such a device must be able to sense physiological signals from the body that may indicate deception in an unobtrusive and non-contact manner     

High speed plastic networks (HSPN): a new technology for today'sapplications

Decades ago, glass fiber promised to be the future of communications offering large bandwidth, low attenuation, and electromagnetic compatibility. For the long haul applications, this promise has been fulfilled. Today, glass fibers have yielded simple, reliable, and economic means of communicating worldwide. However, when it comes to shorter distances and rugged environments, glass fiber optics has not been the answer. Unforeseen rapid developments in software and display technology have enabled communications in the form of multimedia, E-mail, web pages, and video conferencing. These developments are pushing data rates higher and higher in application environments that are more severe, uncontrolled and require shorter connected intensive links. To achieve desired data rates and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) using copper systems, shielded cable and connectors or parallel links are necessary, driving up cost and complexity. Glass fiber optic systems provide more than adequate bandwidth and superior EMC but cannot offer a cost effective, robust, user-friendly system. Recent developments have poised plastic optical fiber (POF) to fill the physical layer gap. This paper will discuss the recent developments in plastic fiber including appropriate application space, types of plastic optical fiber, ARPA-funded HSPN team, and recent POF developments     

Advanced developments in NiH2 Dependent Pressure Vessel(DPV) cell and battery technology

The Dependent Pressure Vessel (DPV) Nickel-Hydrogen (NiH₂ ) design is being developed by Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. (EPI) as an advanced battery for military and commercial, aerospace and terrestrial applications. The DPV cell design offers high specific energy and energy density as well as reduced cost, while retaining the established Individual Pressure Vessel (IPV) technology flight heritage and database. This advanced DPV design also offers a more efficient mechanical, electrical and thermal cell and battery configuration and a reduced parts count. The DPV battery design promotes compact, minimum volume packaging and weight efficiency, and delivers cost and weight savings with minimal design risks     

社会技术与自然技术的和谐图景

技术是人的本质存在形式。技术范畴已发生本体论上的外延,除自然技术外,还必然涵括社会技术范畴。社会技术的存在毋庸置疑,自学界提出社会技术的概念后,社会技术与自然技术的关系便成为技术哲学研究的崭新视角。和谐技术观是社会技术与自然技术关系之基。社会技术和自然技术在消解与融合、界限、可逆性等诸方面显现出和谐图景。     

Surgery benefits from defense technology: dual use applications ofWright Laboratory Avionics technologies to Computer Assisted MinimallyInvasive Surgery (CAMIS)

Wright Laboratory Avionics Directorate is helping to assemble a team of defense and civilian researchers to transition defense avionics and related technologies to the medical community with the goal of improving the Computer Assisted Minimally invasive Surgery (CAMIS) concept. Key partners include Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI), a not-for-profit state-chartered agency, Cleveland Clinic Foundation hospital, and Picker International, medical equipment manufacturer. The CAMIS concept is in response to the fact that despite technical advances, most excision surgeries are exploratory rather than remedial. As a result, large incisions are required so the surgeon can first search for the “target” tissue and then, more cutting is needed to remove or destroy the “target”. CAMIS is an opportunity to transition defense avionics technologies to help tackle a critical non-defense issue on the national agenda, health care     

粉末烧结法制备Al/Tb0.3Dy0.7Fe1.95磁致伸缩复合材料

采用粉末烧结法制备了Al/Tb0.3Dy0.7Fe1.95磁致伸缩复合材料,研究了烧结温度对烧结体的显微结构、相组成、磁致伸缩、抗压强度等性能的影响.研究结果表明,600 ℃烧结时,烧结体中仍主要存在Al与GMM合金相,烧结获得较理想的相分布状态.随着烧结温度的增加,复合体中非GMM相越来越多,原始相减少.当1200 ℃烧结时,烧结体中主要存在杂相,已几乎没有GMM相.随着烧结温度的增加,复合材料的λs和抗压强度明显下降,烧结温度为600 ℃时,烧结体的λs和抗压强度最大,分别为405×10-6和61.71MPa.其不足是,复合材料仍呈现明显的脆性特征.     

飞机隐身技术

隐身技术广泛应用于新一代军用飞机上,本文分析了隐身飞机所采用的主要隐身技术,如反雷达探测隐身技术和反红外探测隐身技术等。     

FAA扩大指定授权组织对AD符合性替代方法的委任授权

美国联邦航空局(FAA)颁布了两个备忘录,扩大了指定授权组织(ODA)对AD符合性替代方法的批准权限,批准授权是针对某些与非结构项目相关的偏离,并且FAA指派ODA相应的技术部门进行批准工作。本文对此进行了分析。     

ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) Science Ground Segment (SGS)

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) Science Ground Segment (SGS), comprised of payload Instrument Team, ESA and Russian operational centres, is responsible for planning the science operations of the TGO mission and for the generation and archiving of the scientific data products to levels meeting the scientific aims and criteria specified by the ESA Project Scientist as advised by the Science Working Team (SWT). The ExoMars SGS builds extensively upon tools and experience acquired through earlier ESA planetary missions like Mars and Venus Express, and Rosetta, but also is breaking ground in various respects toward the science operations of future missions like BepiColombo or JUICE. A productive interaction with the Russian partners in the mission facilitates broad and effective collaboration. This paper describes the global organisation and operation of the SGS, with reference to its principal systems, interfaces and operational processes.     

Diagnostician on-a-chip (DOC)

This paper describes the principal concepts and initial implementation of an innovative approach for embedding a diagnostic reasoning capability onto a microcontroller. The approach is predicated upon the use of an automated concurrent engineering tool set that is utilized to develop a diagnostic knowledge base which is subsequently incorporated into a microcontroller's diagnostic run-time system. Examples of centralized and distributed architectures utilizing the subject approach are described