Analysis and modeling of information flow and distributed expertise in space-related operations

Evolving space operations requirements and mission planning for long-duration expeditions require detailed examinations and evaluations of information flow dynamics, knowledge-sharing processes, and information technology use in distributed expert networks. This paper describes the work conducted with flight controllers in the Mission Control Center (MCC) of NASA's Johnson Space Center. This MCC work describes the behavior of experts in a distributed supervisory coordination framework, which extends supervisory control/command and control models of human task performance. Findings from this work are helping to develop analysis techniques, information architectures, and system simulation capabilities for knowledge sharing in an expert community. These findings are being applied to improve knowledge-sharing processes applied to a research program in advanced life support for long-duration space flight. Additional simulation work is being developed to create interoperating modules of information flow and novice/expert behavior patterns.     

Expert Algorithmic and Imagistic Problem Solving Strategies in Advanced Chemistry

Abstract

Visualization and imagistic reasoning appear central to expert practice in science; however, expert use of these strategies on authentic tasks has not been examined in detail. This study documents how science experts use both algorithms and imagistic reasoning to solve problems. Using protocol analysis, we report expert chemists' preferential use of algorithms for solving spatial problems and imagistic reasoning for deducing spatial transformations. We observed experts employ algorithms to solve the majority of spatial tasks while reserving imagistic strategies to solve a class of tasks that required translating between representations. Strategy used varied widely among experts and tasks.     

Influence of Map Design,Individual Differences,and Environmental Cues on Wayfinding Performance

This exploratory study investigated the effects of map design, individual differences, and environmental cues on wayfinding performance in an outdoor recreational area. Six maps, with three contour representations and two color codes, were used to determine how map design influences wayfinding. Four individual differences: gender, experience in map usage (experience vs. novice), handedness, and cultural difference (local vs. international), were used to predict wayfinding performance. The study area consisted of a trail park with ten junctions, where three of the junctions had signs, as environmental cues to aid users. Multiple regression analyses and logistic regression analysis were performed to predict the total time of completion, time for decision-making, accuracy of decision-making, and total time deviated from route. Results showed that only cultural difference and signage significantly predicted decisionmaking accuracy, and cultural difference was a significant predictor of total time deviated from route. Design implications for use of cues and wayfinding are discussed. In addition, recommendations for maps, trail networks, and environmental design are provided.     

基于证据理论的航天器异常状态融合监测方法

利用多传感器数据对在轨航天器的状态进行监测时,多源信息具有的不确定性会导致通道间判定的不一致,目前工程上主要采用依靠专家经验进一步分析的方法,人工干预增加了判定结果的主观性,导致监测效率不高。本文针对此类问题提出了一种基于证据理论的融合方法,用以实现自动监测。设计了6种监测异常状态的信度函数,通过比较分析,最终选定根式函数,并根据数据特点进行了分段改进;结合工程需求介绍了参数设定原则。用此方法处理在轨航天器下传的多传感器数据,监测结果与现有人工判定结果相符,融合监测方法的有效性得以验证。     

Rapid model-based inter-disciplinary design of a CubeSat mission

With an increase in the use of small, modular, resource-limited satellites for Earth orbiting applications, the benefit to be had from a model-based architecture that rapidly searches the mission trade-space and identifies near-optimal designs is greater than ever. This work presents an architecture that identifies trends between conflicting objectives (e.g. lifecycle cost and performance) and decision variables (e.g. orbit altitude and inclination) such that informed assessment can be made as to which design/s to take on for further analysis. The models within the architecture exploit analytic methods where possible, in order avoid computationally expensive numerical propagation, and achieve rapid convergence. Two mission cases are studied; the first is an Earth observation satellite and presents a trade-off between ground sample distance and revisit time over a ground target, given altitude as the decision variable. The second is a satellite with a generic scientific payload and shows a more involved trade-off, between data return to a ground station and cost of the mission, given variations in the orbit altitude, inclination and ground station latitude. Results of each case are presented graphically and it is clear that non-intuitive results are captured that would typically be missed using traditional, point-design methods, where only discrete scenarios are examined.     

Navigation in outdoor environments as an embodied,social, cultural,and situated experience: An empirical study of orienteering

This study investigated novices' “lived experiences” of navigation within the sport of orienteering from an enactive and phenomenological approach. The objective was to qualitatively characterize elements of task-related situations that were meaningful for orienteers. The results showed that the participants continuously made judgments about the reliability of their estimations about whether they were on “the right route” on the course. When the participants judged that they were only approximately on the right route or were unable to locate themselves, elements of the situation other than map and terrain features became meaningful for them. These results demonstrate that, for novice orienteers, navigation activity must extend beyond navigation as a logical, computational way-finding problem to include embodied, social, cultural and situated dimensions.     

Human interactions during Shuttle/Mir space missions

To improve the interpersonal climate of crewmembers involved with long-duration space missions, it is important to understand the factors affecting their interactions with each other and with members of mission control. This paper will present findings from a recently completed NASA-funded study during the Shuttle/Mir program which evaluated in-group/out-group displacement of negative emotions; changes in tension, cohesion, and leader support over time; and cultural differences. In-flight data were collected from 5 astronauts, 8 cosmonauts, and 42 American and 16 Russian mission control personnel who signed informed consent. Subjects completed a weekly questionnaire that assessed their mood and perception of their work group's interpersonal climate using questions from well-known, standardized measures (Profile of Mood States, Group and Work Environment Scales) and a critical incident log. There was strong evidence for the displacement of tension and dysphoric emotions from crewmembers to mission control personnel and from mission control personnel to management. There was a perceived decrease in commander support during the 2nd half of the missions, and for American crewmembers a novelty effect was found on several subscales during the first few months on-orbit. There were a number of differences between American and Russian responses which suggested that the former were less happy with their interpersonal environment than the latter. Mission control personnel reported more tension and dysphoria than crewmembers, although both groups scored better than other work groups on Earth. Nearly all reported critical incidents came from ground subjects, with Americans and Russians showing important differences in response frequencies.     

Positive psychological effects of space missions

Being in space is a powerful experience that can have an enduring, positive impact on the psychological well-being of astronauts and cosmonauts. We sought to examine the frequency, intensity and distribution of such salutogenic experiences among persons who have flown in space, using a questionnaire we developed based on the scientific literature and first person accounts. All participants reported positive effects of being in space, but the degree of change varied widely, and some experiences were particularly common. Three of our five predicted attitude-behavior relationships were supported by the data. Response patterns did not vary according to demographics or time in space. Cluster analysis yielded two groups of participants. One group was generally more reactive and also placed a higher priority on perceptions of space than did the other group. We conclude that positive experiences are common among space travelers and seem to cluster into meaningful patterns that may be consequential for Mars missions. We consider the possible selection, training, and monitoring issues raised by our findings.     

Wayfinding Performance in and the Spatial Knowledge of a Color-coded Building for Adults and Children

The study reported here investigates the effect color has on the performance in a wayfinding task,the wayfinding strategies used and the acquisition of survey knowledge of a total of sixty participants: twenty second graders,sixth graders, and adults each. All participants had to find their way to a goal in a virtual environment with either a colored or a gray ground. After that,they had to find the shortest way from the start position to the goal in two consecutive trials,to draw a sketch map of the maze,and to mark the position of the goal figure in an overview of the maze. The results showed that color helped all participants to improve their performance in the wayfinding task, influenced the use of some wayfinding strategies but did not improve the acquisition of survey knowledge. Furthermore, there was a developmental achievement from second graders to adults. The results implicate firstly that children and adults similarly rely on the structuring of space through color when navigating through an unfamiliar large-scale environment,and secondly that there is a dissociation between wayfinding behavior and spatial knowledge.     

Study of values and interpersonal perception in cosmonauts on board of international space station

The increased heterogeneity of International Space Station (ISS) crews′ composition (in terms of nationality, profession and gender) together with stressful situations, due to space flight, can have a significant impact on group interaction and cohesion, as well as on communications with Mission Control Center (MCC) and the success of the mission as a whole. Culturally related differences in values, goals, and behavioral norms could influence mutual perception and, thus, cohesive group formation. The purpose of onboard “Interaction-Attitudes” experiment is to study the patterns of small group (space crew) behavior in extended space flight. Onboard studies were performed in the course of ISS Missions 19–30 with participation of twelve Russian crewmembers. Experimental schedule included 3 phases: preflight training and Baseline Data Collection; inflight activities once in two weeks; post-flight measurement. We used Personal Self-Perception and Attitudes (PSPA) software for analyzing subjects′ attitudes toward social environment (crewmembers and MCC). It is based on the semantic differential and the repertory grid technique. To study the content of interpersonal perception we used content-analysis with participation of the experts, independently attributing each construct to the 17 semantic categories, which were described in our previous study. The data obtained demonstrated that the system of values and personal attitudes in the majority of participated cosmonauts remained mostly stable under stress-factors of extended space flight. Content-analysis of the important criteria elaborated by the subjects for evaluation of their social environment, showed that the most valuable personal traits for cosmonauts were those that provided the successful fulfillment of professional activity (motivation, intellectual level, knowledge, and self-discipline) and good social relationships (sociability, friendship, and tolerance), as well. Post-flight study of changes in perceptions, related to Real Self-image, did not reveal significant differences between the images of Russian crew-members and representatives from foreign space agencies. A certain difference in perceptions was found in cosmonauts with more integrated system of evaluations: after space flight they perceived foreign participants as “closer” to their Ideal, while Russian crew-members were perceived mostly as “distant” from Ideal Self of these subjects. Perceptions of people from Earth were also more critical. These differences are likely to be manifestations of interpersonal perception stereotypes. Described patterns of changes in perceptions of cosmonauts, who have performed space flight as a part of ISS multinational crew, allow us to suggest the recommendations for development of ISS crew training, in particular, it seems useful to increase the time of joint training for deepening of intercultural interaction.     

Effects of Mental and Manual Rotation Training on Mental and Manual Rotation Performance

Previous research has shown that training can improve mental rotation performance and has found connections between mental and manual rotation. Here we examine how practice in mental or manual (virtual) rotation, affects performance on mental and manual rotation tasks, compared to a control condition. Experiment 1 examined improvement on a mental rotation task following practice in mental or manual rotation. Both mental and manual rotation practice led to more efficient posttest performance. Experiment 2 examined improvement on a manual rotation task. Practice in manual but not mental rotation led to improved performance. Analyses of the manual rotation trajectories revealed no evidence of strategy differences. These results suggest that manual rotation may require additional processes outside of those needed for mental rotation. In terms of training effects, manual rotation training improved both manual and mental rotation performance, whereas mental rotation only significant improved mental rotation performance.     

神经网络专家系统在电源系统诊断中的应用

为了解决卫星这类复杂系统采用单一的智能故障诊断技术的诊断局限性问题,提出一种基于模糊综合评判的神经网络和专家系统相结合的诊断方法。选用改进的BP神经网络,添加动量因子和可变学习速率,并通过计算十个相同结构神经网络输出的标准差获得诊断结果的可信度。采用基于可信度的专家系统不确定性推理,给出了可信度计算方法。采用代数积与代数和模糊算子对两种诊断方法的结果进行综合评判。成功地应用于某卫星电源系统的故障诊断中。结果表明诊断的可信度和诊断的正确率得到提高。     

Learning Routes from Visualizations for Indoor Wayfinding: Presentation Modes and Individual Differences

Abstract

Participants (N = 78) studied a visualization of a route through a complex building and walked that route in the real building without further assistance. Erroneous turns on the route as well as indicators of uncertainty such as hesitations were assessed. Three types of route visualizations were compared: (1) an allocentric, map-based visualization with the route indicated in floor maps, (2) an ordered sequence of pictures of decision points shown from the egocentric perspective, and (3) an animation showing a virtual walk of the route from the egocentric perspective. In addition to the experimental variation, gender differences, differences in visual-spatial abilities and differences in self-reported wayfinding strategies were considered as predictor variables. Wayfinding performance did not differ between allocentric (map) and egocentric (decision point pictures and animation) visualizations. However, wayfinding performance was better with animated than with static egocentric visualizations. Individual differences in the ability to encode visual-spatial information from the visualization played a critical role for route learning. Self-reported sense of direction related to egocentric wayfinding strategies also predicted wayfinding performance. Gender differences were attributable to differences in visual-spatial abilities and egocentric wayfinding strategies. Interactions between visualizations and individual differences were not found. It is concluded that animations of virtual walks are suitable to convey route information in complex buildings. Successful acquisition of route knowledge from maps is possible but might depend on the comprehensibility of the structure of the building.     

View makes a difference: Presenting human figures from the back or front affects mental spatial transformations of children and adults

Previous research suggested that performance in spatial judgments involving rotated human figures is poorer if these figures are presented from the front than from the back. We further investigated this effect, controlling for visible facial information in front and back view by presenting figures' faces as profile. Children's and adults' judgments were still faster and less error prone if figures were presented from the back. Moreover, reaction times indicated that participants did not mentally rotate figures in front view. Children performed overall more poorly than adults, but there were also qualitative differences suggesting that children are more susceptible to embodiment effects than adults. This study underlines that embodiment may have differential effects in spatial transformation tasks, enhancing or impairing performance.     

卫星控制系统地面实时故障诊断专家系统SCRDES

本文介绍一个可用于卫星地面检测及卫星飞行状态地面监测的实时故障诊断专家系统SCRDES。该系统以卫星姿态控制系统为对象,总结了原理性、结构性知识和专家经验型知识,采用深、浅层知识的混合模型,引入特征量及其动态属性的概念,有效地表达了闭环系统动态特征;采用数据处理与知识处理并行工作的系统结构,实现了在线实时故障诊断。SCRDES是AI和ES技术在航天领域及动态过程领域中应用的新探索。     

待发段火箭倾倒实时监测技术研究与实现

倾倒故障作为火箭待发段的一种故障形式，严重地威胁着航天员的安全。待发段倾倒应急救生的关键在于及时获取准确可靠的箭体姿态与倾倒信息，为指挥员实时提供可靠的逃逸判决依据。本文从应用角度，综合光学与计算机图像处理技术，提出了一种简单而实用的火箭倾倒监测技术，并简要介绍了应用此技术实现的系统主要功能结构与性能特点。本文介绍的技术也可应用于其他需要定位与姿态监视测量的领域。     

基于XML的知识获取工具研究与实现

知识获取(KA)是专家系统研究的重点之一.而知识获取工具是沟通领域专家和知识应用开发人员的桥梁.为了解决专家系统中的知识获取问题,基于XML(eXtensible Markup Language)开发了一种方便的知识获取工具,通过生成知识获取模板来辅助实现知识的获取,领域专家通过该模板表达自己所掌握的领域知识,而开发人员根据该模板建立行为模型.以虚拟战场环境中CGF(Computer Generated Force)实体的行为知识获取为例,说明了基于XML的知识获取工具开发过程,这种方法同样适合于其它领域的知识表达和知识获取.     

Mental Object Rotation and Egocentric Body Transformation: Two Dissociable Processes?

An important question in studies on mental rotation is whether the mental object rotation and the egocentric body transformation rely on dissociable mechanisms. We tested non-dancers and professional dancers as experts in the mental object rotation task (MORT, 3D-cubes used by Shepard & Metzler, 1971) and the mental body transformation task (MBRT, line drawings of human bodies similar to those used by Parsons, 1987). The cubes and body figures were presented in exactly the same rotation conditions; in the picture plane, 0 degree, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, 135 degrees, and 180 degrees, and in combination with a rotation in depth, 0 degree (the stimuli are rotated in the picture plane only) and 180 degrees. We could replicate the linear increase in RT with increasing angle for the cubes whereas the RT for rotated body figures increased for not depth-rotated bodies only (back view). Though, the RTs for inverted body figures were faster when they were rotated in depth (front view) compared to when they were rotated in the picture plane only (back view). This finding suggests that participants use different strategies depending on the perceived orientation of the stimulus. The results indicate impaired performance in the MORT for the experts.