SIcon is the exclusive cooperative program of the ISA and the IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Society.

8-10 February 2005
Houston, Texas

Conference Sessions

Tuesday, February 8, 2005

8:15 -9:30

Welcome and Keynote Address - Dr Franklin Chang-Diaz, NASA
The Challenges of High-Power Plasma Propulsion

Our future space explorers face many challenges but three loom high above the rest: physiological debilitation, radiation, and psychological stress. Counter-measures are presently being considered to ameliorate these difficulties; however, two new developments are required: abundant space power and advanced propulsion. One rapidly evolving concept, the Variable Specific Impulse Magneto plasma Rocket (VASIMR,) borrows heavily from magnetic fusion research, particularly on RF plasma generation and heating in mirror-like geometries. The configuration could enable thrust and specific impulse variation, at constant power, allowing in-flight mission performance optimization. This talk describes the advantages and operational motivation for high-power plasma rockets, illustrated through the VASIMR research effort.

Dr. Chang-Diaz has worked at NASA for almost 25 years, becoming an astronaut in 1981. Conducting scientific experiments aboard seven space station missions, his research and development work has included atmospheric ozone mapping, tethered satellite systems (TSS) production of electricity, antimatter in space using alpha magnetic spectroscopy, and involvement in a host of other major space programs.

9:30 - 10:45

Measurement Technologies 1
5003 - A Novel Microfabricated Formaldehyde Gas Sensor with NiO Thin Film
5006 - Low-Cost Sensor for Flow-Rate Measurement
5010 - Signal Patterns of High Speed Rotational Arc Sensor for Gas Metal Arc Welding

Sensors for Security
5007 - Design of Access Control System Considering Usability and Security -- Application of Vital Sign Sensing Technology
5030 -Fringe-Effect Capacitive Proximity Sensors for Tamper Proof Enclosures
5041 - Strengthening The Weak Link: The Shutdown Valve

10:45 - 11:15

Exhibits and Coffee Break

11:15 - 12:30

Measurement Technologies 2
5023 - An Ultrasonic/Optical Pulse Sensor for Precise Distance Measurements
5032 - 2.4GHz On-board Parallel Plate Soil Moisture Sensor System

Condition Based Maintenance
5009 - A Real-Time Predictive Maintenance System for Machine Systems - An Alternative to Expensive Motion Sensing Technology
5019 - Development of On-Line Diagnostics and Real Time Early Warning System for Vehicles

12:30 - 2:00

Lunch and Working Group Discussions

2:00 - 3:15

ISHM/ NASA Session - Work and Technology at NASA
The Exploration Systems Mission Directorate has identified Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) technologies as key components to design exploration systems for the mission to go back to the Moon and explore Mars. Requirements to achieve this mission include improvements in safety, life-cycle costs, and autonomous operation of exploration systems. These improvements can be met only if ISHM technologies permeate design of new spacecraft, space platforms, settlements on the Moon and Mars, and advanced test and operations ground systems. The session will include papers that describe current research and technology by NASA to develop ISHM.

Instrumentation Systems
5022 - Chemometric Modeling of Fat, Cholesterol and Caloric Content of Fresh and Cooked Ground Beef with NIR Reflectance Spectroscopy
5014 - Controller for a Continuous Near Infrared Glucose Sensor
5027 - Using the Grey Box Technique in Measurement System

3:15 - 3:45

Exhibits and Coffee Break

3:45 - 5:00

ISHM/ NASA Session - Work and Technology, Outside NASA
NASA is intent in using the best technology and expertise, and relies heavily on external partners. Industry, Universities, Laboratories, private organizations, and Federal and State Institutions, are asked to participate in Broad Agency Announcements, and other venues, to develop new technologies that focus on achieving NASA's Missions. The session will include papers that describe ISHM technologies being developed by the ISHM community, in particular by those partners that have been awarded funds for research and technology in support of the Human and Robotic Technologies Program.

Motion Sensing
5013 - Silicon Angular Rate Sensor For Automotive Control with Open Beam Structure
5016 - Development of Piezoelectric Vibrating Cylinder Type Gyroscopes

Wednesday, February 9, 2005

8:30 -9:30

Plenary Speaker - Dan Duncavage, NASA
Integrated System Health Management and the Future of Space Travel

Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) presents real opportunities for significant improvements in reliability, cost-benefits, and safety for future space exploration missions and is applicable to many large-scale industrial systems. Lessons from the Apollo, Challenger, and Columbia accidents demonstrate that complete, accurate assessment of real-time vehicle state is required to provide the reaction framework needed for crew and mission assurance. NASA has recognized the potential of ISHM technologies and has supported development of specific subsystems and component technologies. ISHM is also an emergent core technology for many of the advanced commercial and military avionic platforms under development. The timing is right to integrate the available ISHM technologies, refining and maturing them for insertion first into ground support facilities, then into spaced-based facilities, and finally as key enablers for Moon and Mars missions.

Daniel Duncavage is Project Manager for the ISHM Testbed and Prototypes Project, a four year program spanning six NASA Centers. The project will advance the state of the art in specific technology areas such as automated reasoning and smart sensors. He was the founder and Project Manager of the highly successful Advanced Diagnostic System (ADS) project for the International Space Station.

9:30 - 10:45

ISHM/NASA Workshop - ISHM Architectures
Integration architectures and frameworks (A&F) for intelligent health management are key to develop ISHM systems. A&F must support efficient management of data, information and knowledge so that these are available at the right time and within the proper context. Management of data, information, and knowledge includes storage, updating, modification, distribution, expansion, evolution, etc.

Wireless Sensing 1
5026 - An Improved M2M Platform for Multi-Sensors Agent Application
5004 - Techniques for Addressing Critical Requirements of Production-Grade Wireless Sensor Networks

10:45 - 11:15

Exhibits and Coffee Break

11:15 - 12:30

ISHM/NASA Workshop - Smart Sensors
Autonomous smart sensors can assume significant roles in ISHM architecture. A smart sensor shares similarities with a "non-smart" sensor in that they both produce measurement data; the smart sensor differs because it also possesses sufficient computing power to perform algorithmic assessment of its state to inform higher-level process (es) of the estimated quality of the data and of the ability of the smart sensor to perform its functions. Models for intelligent sensors need to be developed that include embedded health evaluation knowledge bases and associated assessment algorithms along with methodologies to embed learning of new concepts and behaviors. Other sensor issues include the need for novel total-system calibration methods to address the distributed voltage reference problem (i.e., every smart sensor has an individual voltage reference compared to the conventional data acquisition model where one-or few-high accuracy references are shared). Similarly, methods need to be developed to provide clock synchronization protocols for improving time references between sensors such as using IEEE 1588.

Wireless Sensing 2
5029 - Radio Channel Quality in Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks
5031 - Linearized, Unified Two-Ray Formulation for Propagation Over a Plane Earth
5034 - Sensor Networks Performance in Harsh Environments

12:30 - 2:00

Lunch and Working Group Discussions

2:00 - 3:15

ISHM/ NASA Session - Health Anomaly Databases
Detection of health and other types of fault behaviors in complex systems requires that a library of representative faults and fault signatures is available to those working in the ISHM field. Participants will describe their experience with developing such health databases and solicit ideas for ways to expand the available resources in this area and make them widely available. Expanding the general framework of the IEEE 1451.N series, opportunities exist to extend the innovation of the transducer electronic data sheet (TEDS) structure to include a health electronic data sheet (HEDS) that supports the ISHM architecture.

Wireless Systems
5008 - GPRS-Based Embedded Remote Power Management System
5018 - Verification of Remote Vehicle Control via Using Mobile Communication
5039 - A Graphical Programming Approach to Wireless Sensor Network Nodes

3:15 - 3:45

Exhibits and Coffee Break

3:45 - 5:00

ISHM/NASA Workshop - Health Detection Algorithms
Embedding health metrics into smart sensors and other portions of an ISHM architecture requires that important health anomalies developed from available databases be instantiated. Algorithms will be based on either fixed-point or floating-point strategies based on the available hardware and software resources. Algorithm performance measures need to be developed so that appropriate algorithms can be selected for a given ISHM application.

5:00 - 7:00

Exhibitor's Reception

Thursday, February 10, 2005

8:30 -9:30

Plenary Speaker - Philip Callen, NASA
MEMS and Nanotechnology

MEMS and Nanotechnology expanding explosively, offer the potential for both vast improvement in existing functions and the generation of entirely new capabilities. They promise to revolutionize the ways in which materials and products are created. They hope to change the range and nature of functionalities that can be accessed.

One of the leading development areas is in sensors. The demand for expanded types and functions of sensors is growing while at the same time the pressure is on for decreasing mass, volume, power, and costs.

Going from the laboratory to the marketplace is the hard part of meeting these demands. This presentation will provide an overview of these technologies and the problems and some solutions in implementing the nano-systems so urgently needed.

Phillip Callen currently serves as the lead for the Engineering Directorate’s MEMS and Nanotechnology Initiative at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC). He has worked extensively with robotic systems for the Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS). This includes defining system requirements, performing systems engineering, integration, and analysis activities, and defining the robotic operations used to assembly the ISS as well as being designated as Mobile Servicing System (MSS) System Integration Manager and AR&SD Chief Engineer for ISS.

9:30 - 10:45

ISHM/NASA Workshop - Communication Protocols
Comparison and selection of communication protocols to best support ISHM applications can be based on existing standards or may utilize special-purpose protocols developed by NASA or a particular industry. For example, TCP/IP or UDP are available standard protocols; Marshall Space Flight Center has developed a time-triggered protocol to support mission-critical control loops. The performance of ISHM networks under representative loading needs to be evaluated to ensure that adequate performance is available.

Optical Sensing
5012 - Guided Wave Optical MEMS Pressure Sensor
5002 - A Method to Discriminate Strain and Temperature in Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors
5033 - Chip-Based Integrated Filterless Multi-Wavelength Optoelectronic Biochemical Sensors

10:45 - 11:15

Exhibits and Coffee Break

11:15 - 12:30

ISHM/ NASA Workshop - Integration and Validation
The separate components of an ISHM need to be integrated in such a manner as to preserve functionality and avoid unnecessary conflict or inefficiency when combined together. Important elements include the operating system environment, overall computational and input/output bandwidth, etc.

Similarly, an ISHM system needs a methodology to validate design decisions and to predict performance. An ISHM test suite can consist of simulation tools and physical test facilities such as those available at a number of NASA centers.

Smart Sensors - Standards and Applications
5028 - Multi-Sensor Collaborative Network for Monitoring of Electromagnetic Quantities
5037 - A Minimal Dot4 NCAP with a Compatible Sensor Bus
5038 - Advanced Computer Control and Testing of Remote Rotating Machinery Using Dependable Wireless Conduit

12:30 - 2:00

Lunch and Closing Remarks

2:00

Conference Adjourns