Tag: independent

NASA’s inflatable ISS habitat could stay in space until 2020

The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module ( BEAM ) was only supposed to stay attached to the ISS for two years. It’s been performing well enough in its technological demonstration, however, that NASA now wants to extend its stint for three more years. Astronauts aboard the ISS installed BEAM in early 2016 as an experiment, with the intention of regularly checking its integrity, conducting radiation shielding experiments and collecting microbial air and surface samples from within its confines. The results of those tests prove that the module is tough enough to survive the harsh conditions of outer space for far longer than its original lifespan. While Bigelow Aerospace ultimately wants its expandable habitat to serve as living quarters, it’s way too early to expect astronauts to live inside the module. BEAM will instead serve as storage space to hold up to 130 cargo transfer bags used to transport supplies from a spacecraft to the station. Its new role will free up space inside the ISS for more experiments. It will also allow NASA to learn more about modular habitats’ structural integrity, thermal stability and resistance to space debris, radiation and microbial growth. The extended experimental period could bring us closer to the independent inflatable stations Bigelow Aerospace wants to send to low-Earth orbit. Based on the procurement filing NASA submitted, the new contract will overlap with the older one and will begin later this year. By the end of the new three-year contract, the agency could choose to extend it for one more year or to finally jettison and allow it to burn as it enters our planet’s atmosphere. Via: Ars Technica Source: NASA , Federal Business Opportunities

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NASA’s inflatable ISS habitat could stay in space until 2020

Semi-autonomous truck convoys due to hit UK roads next year

Convoys of semi-autonomous trucks are expected to be tested on public roads in the UK before the end of next year, the government announced today . The Department for Transport and Highways England have rustled up £8.1 million in funding between them to pass on to the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), the independent organisation that’ll conduct the trials. TRL will start with simulation studies and driver training before moving onto a test track and finally, public roads by the end of 2018. Platooning, as it’s known, is one of the simpler ways of harnessing self-driving technology. While the truck at the front of a convoy remains under human control, trailing vehicles follow its lead autonomously. Wireless connections (aka vehicle-to-vehicle communication) keep all trucks talking to each other so the self-driving members of the conga line can immediately respond to changes in the lead lorry’s direction and speed. With software managing the distance between vehicles, it should be possible to create a much tighter convoy than would be safe if human limbs were in charge of the wheel and pedals. This has the potential to ease congestion, but more importantly reduces drag on the trailing trucks, meaning better fuel efficiency and lower emissions. TRL has already done some preliminary feasibility studies on the government’s instruction. In fact, platooning trials on UK motorways were originally due to start in late 2016 , but the project has been delayed for one reason or another. At the time, the Financial Times reported that various manufacturers of heavy goods vehicles were just not particularly keen on taking part. Several real-world trials of semi-autonomous convoys are taking place elsewhere , and TRL is looking at how these are addressing the technical and practical challenges of public platooning tests. There’s no substitute for conducting your own in situ , though, which is why TRL will investigate everything from fuel efficiency to safety, acceptance by drivers and the public, the suitability of UK infrastructure and future, commercial viability. Source: Department for Transport

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Semi-autonomous truck convoys due to hit UK roads next year

NASA Develops a Car for Earthlings Living in Cities

When we think of NASA-designed vehicles, the Mars Rover comes to mind. We picture the eggheads at Johnson Space Center developing buggy-like vehicles capable of navigating alien terrain. So it was a surprise to find out that NASA has been working on an urban vehicle, which they released video of this week (see below). NASA’s Modular Robotic Vehicle, or MRV, is a golf-cart-sized two-seater “designed to meet the growing challenges and demands of urban transportation, ” says NASA Mechanical Engineer Mason Markee. “The MRV would be ideal for daily transportation in an urban environment with a designed top speed of 70 km/hr and range of 100 km of city driving on a single charge of the battery. The size and maneuverability of MRV gives it an advantage in navigating and parking in tight quarters.” Look at what the thing can do: The big question is, why has the space agency been working on an earthbound vehicle? Turns out it’s for essentially the same reason that auto manufacturers delve into Formula One: “This work allowed us to develop some technologies we felt were needed for our future rovers, ” says Justin Ridley, an International Space Station Flight Controller. “These include redundant by-wire systems, liquid cooling, motor technology, advanced vehicle control algorithms. We were able to learn a lot about these and other technologies by building this vehicle.” Here’s how those funky wheels work: MRV is driven by four independent wheel modules called e-corners. Each e-corner consists of a redundant steering actuator, a passive trailing arm suspension, an in-wheel pro- pulsion motor, and a motor-driven friction braking system. Each e-corner can be controlled independently and rotated ±180 degrees about its axis. This allows for a suite of driving modes allowing MRV to maneuver unlike any traditional vehicle on the road. In addition to conventional front two wheel steering, the back wheels can also articulate allowing for turning radiuses as tight as zero. The driving mode can be switched so that all four wheels point and move in the same direction achieving an omni-directional, crab- like motion. This makes a maneuver such as parallel parking as easy as driving next to an available spot, stopping, and then operating sideways to slip directly in between two cars. We were most interested in what the interface was: How could a driver pull off those lateral moves with a steering wheel alone? They can’t, of course: The driver controls MRV with a conventional looking steering wheel and accelerator/brake pedal assembly. [Additionally] a multi-axis joystick is available to allow additional control in some of the more advanced drive modes. A configurable display allows for changing of drive modes and gives the user critical vehicle information and health and status indicators. There’s no word on what the development costs were. But if NASA can figure out how to make the MRV affordable for Earthlings, it’s not difficult to imagine civilian uptake. And the MRV is something that we do not typically think of NASA creations being: Fun. “It’s like driving on ice but having complete control, ” says Ridley. “It’s a blast to ride in and even more fun to drive. We’ve talked about it being like an amusement park ride. “The ‘fun’ of driving was not something we tried to design for, just something that came out of the design. Once we got it running many of us commented that we had no idea it was going to be able to do the things it does.”

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NASA Develops a Car for Earthlings Living in Cities