Simple Kalman gains for filtering position and velocitymeasurements

An alternate set of equations is given for the exact computation of the Kalman gains under the conditions of no maneuvering input noise and measurements in position and velocity. They are simpler than the standard recursive equations, and are useful in applications where implementation of the standard Kalman filter is not possible due to real-time restrictions. When there is maneuvering input noise, the same gains can still approximate the optimal gains with a very minor degradation in performance, even when some parameters, for example the measurement interval, change during a track. Simulation studies have indicated that there is negligible performance degradation with this method of gain approximation     

A Kalman Filter Based Tracking Scheme with Input Estimation

Beginning with the derivation of a least squares estimator that yields an estimate of the acceleration input vector, this paper first develops a detector for sensing target maneuvers and then develops the combination of the estimator, detector, and a "simple" Kalman filter to form a tracker for maneuvering targets. Finally, some simulation results are presented. A relationship between the actual residuals, assuming target maneuvers, and the theoretical residuals of the "simple" Kalman filter that assumes no maneuvers, is first formulated. The estimator then computes a constant acceleration input vector that best fits that relationship. The result is a least squares estimator of the input vector which can be used to update the "simple" Kalman filter. Since typical targets spend considerable periods of time in the constant course and speed mode, a detector is used to guard against automatic updating of the "simple" Kalman filter. A maneuver is declared, and updating performed, only if the norm of the estimated input vector exceeds a threshold. The tracking sclheme is easy to implement and its capability is illustrated in three tracking examples.     

Geolocation of a known altitude object from TDOA and FDOA measurements

Most satellite systems for locating an object on Earth use only time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements. When there are relative motions between an emitter and receivers, frequency difference of arrival (FDOA) measurements can be used as well. Often, the altitude of an object is known (it is zero, for example) or can be measured with an altimeter. Two sets of geolocation solutions are proposed which exploit the altitude constraint to improve the localization accuracy. One is for TDOAs alone and the other for the combination of TDOA and FDOA measurements. The additional complexity by imposing the constraint is a one-dimensional Newton's search and the rooting of a polynomial. The covariance matrices of the new estimators are derived under a small measurement noise assumption and shown to attain the constrained Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB). When there is a bias error in the assumed altitude, using the altitude constraint will introduce a bias to the solution. Since applying the constraint decreases the variance, there is a tradeoff between variance and bias in the mean square error (MSE). The maximum allowable altitude error such that the constraint solution will remain superior to the unconstraint is given. Simulation results are included to corroborate the theoretical development.     

Comparison of various periodograms for sinusoid detection andfrequency estimation

With the advent of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm, the periodogram and its variants such as the Bartlett's procedure and Welch method, have become very popular for spectral analysis. However, there has not been a thorough comparison of the detection and estimation performances of these methods. Different forms of the periodogram are studied here for single real tone detection and frequency estimation in the presence of white Gaussian noise. The threshold effect in frequency estimation, that is, when the estimation errors become several orders of magnitude greater than the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB), is also investigated. It is shown that the standard periodogram gives the optimum detection performance for a pure tone while the Welch method is the best detector when there is phase instability in the sinusoid. As expected, since the conventional periodogram is a maximum likelihood estimator of frequency, it generally provides the minimum mean square frequency estimation errors     

Challenges for coring deep permafrost on Earth and Mars

A scientific drilling expedition to the High Lake region of Nunavut, Canada, was recently completed with the goals of collecting samples and delineating gradients in salinity, gas composition, pH, pe, and microbial abundance in a 400 m thick permafrost zone and accessing the underlying pristine subpermafrost brine. With a triple-barrel wireline tool and the use of stringent quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) protocols, 200 m of frozen, Archean, mafic volcanic rock was collected from the lower boundary that separates the permafrost layer and subpermafrost saline water. Hot water was used to remove cuttings and prevent the drill rods from freezing in place. No cryopegs were detected during penetration through the permafrost. Coring stopped at the 535 m depth, and the drill water was bailed from the hole while saline water replaced it. Within 24 hours, the borehole iced closed at 125 m depth due to vapor condensation from atmospheric moisture and, initially, warm water leaking through the casing, which blocked further access. Preliminary data suggest that the recovered cores contain viable anaerobic microorganisms that are not contaminants even though isotopic analyses of the saline borehole water suggests that it is a residue of the drilling brine used to remove the ice from the upper, older portion of the borehole. Any proposed coring mission to Mars that seeks to access subpermafrost brine will not only require borehole stability but also a means by which to generate substantial heating along the borehole string to prevent closure of the borehole from condensation of water vapor generated by drilling.     

一种韧性断裂准则中材料常数的计算模型及其应用

为确定符合板材变形规律的韧性断裂准则中的材料常数,基于传统M-K模型框架并进行修正,结合单向拉伸和平面应变试验数据,提出一种新的韧性断裂准则材料常数计算模型。利用MATLAB软件编写该计算模型的算法程序,得到应用于铝镁合金5A06-O板材的不同韧性断裂准则材料常数。同时将CL韧性断裂准则嵌入Abaqus/Explicit显示模块的用户材料子程序VUMAT。在200℃的条件下,对铝镁合金5A06-O板材在热介质胀形和充液热拉深中的断裂行为进行数值模拟,并与相同工艺参数下的试验所得结果作对比。结果表明,热介质胀形高度误差为6.2%,充液热拉深深度误差为8.5%,验证了韧性断裂准则材料常数计算模型的正确性,表明了CL韧性断裂准则在板材充液热成形中的适用性。     

基于修正M-K模型的铝合金板材成形极限图预测

为准确预测AA7075-O铝合金板材的成形极限,将韧性断裂准则和传统M-K模型相结合,提出一种基于韧性断裂准则的修正M-K模型.利用单向拉伸模拟和试验相结合的方法,提取危险单元的应力应变历史并代入C-L韧性断裂准则中,得到材料常数.基于单向拉伸试验所得成形极限点,通过MATLAB编程得到修正M-K模型的初始厚度不均度.在常温下,以单向拉伸、宽板弯曲、液压胀形试验获得AA7075-O铝合金板材的成形极限曲线,与修正M-K模型和传统M-K模型计算得到的理论成形极限曲线进行对比,验证了修正M-K模型的可行性和准确性.      

一种基于飞机强度试验的多路故障检测技术

在全尺寸飞机结构强度试验中,对飞机姿态的实时监测尤为重要.飞机各部位安装的限位开关对飞机各重要部位的变形量进行限制保护,同时反映了飞机姿态、变形量的正常与否.如何快速准确地锁定试验异常部位,为试验人员定位并检查试验异常提供信息,赢得排除故障的时间,是研制多路故障检测装置的初衷.     

四足机器人智能交互控制研究

针对四足机器人在辅助作业背景下,通过远程遥控或地面站控制难以满足人机灵活交互需求的问题,在研究实现四足机器人基本步态控制基础上,结合无线定位和激光雷达感知环境赋予机器人避障和人员跟随功能,采用Openpose姿态识别方法,通过视觉传感器进行人机交互,实现不同姿态对机器人基本运动行为和跟随任务的控制,并基于ROS系统开展不同环境条件下交互识别和控制效果测试,姿态识别速度为20帧/s,理想环境下准确度大于90%,机器人反应时间小于1 s。     

A statistical analysis of substorm associated tail activity

Substorm onset timing is a critical issue in magnetotail dynamics research. Solar wind energy is accumulated in the magnetosphere and the configuration of the magnetosphere evolves toward an unstable state during the growth phase. At some point, the expansion phase begins and the stored energy is released through a variety of processes that return the magnetosphere to a lower energy state. In recovery the various processes die away. Unfortunately, the ground and magnetospheric signatures of onset, i.e. energy release, can be seen both in the growth phase prior to onset and in the expansion phase after onset. Some investigators refer to each of these events as a substorm. Tail observations suggest that most substorms have one event that differentiates the behavior of the tail field and plasma. We refer to this time as the “main substorm onset”. Each substorm associated phenomenon is timed independently and then compared with main substorm onsets. ISEE-2 tail observations are used to examine the tail lobe magnetic conditions associated with substorms because ISEE-2 orbit has a high inclination and frequently observes lobe field. Approximately 70 ∼ 75% of tail lobe B_t and B_z change are associated with the main substorm onset. If the satellite is more than 3 Re above (below) the neutral sheet, 86% (57%) of plasma pressure dropouts are associated with substorms. We interpret our results as evidence that the effect of the growth phase is to drive the magnetosphere towards instability. As it approaches global instability local regions become temporarily unstable but are rapidly quenched. Eventually one of these events develops into the global instability that releases most of the stored energy and returns the magnetosphere to a more stable configuration.