Abstract: Analyzing chirped waveforms in real time using photonic fractional Fourier transforms (FrFTs) is disclosed. Photonic signal processing, where mathematical operations are carried out by imprinting a signal onto a laser beam either temporally or spatially and propagating the signal through a series of optical elements that mimic the desired operation, can overcome the N2 log N computational limitations of FrFTs with current techniques. This enables real time analysis using currently available computing and electronics technologies.

Abstract: A mechanically actuatable structural assembly includes first and second elastically deformable panels. Each panel includes a respective: leading edge region; trailing edge region opposing the leading edge region; first side edge region; and second side edge region opposing the first side edge region. The leading edge regions are coupled together to form a joined leading edge, and the trailing edge regions are coupled together to form a joined trailing edge. The side edge regions are not directly attached to each other. The structural assembly also includes means for applying a compressive axial load to the joined leading and trailing edges. The load causes the first and second panels to adaptively buckle into respective loaded shapes. Removal of the load causes the first and second panels to return to their relaxed shapes.

Abstract: An exhaust nozzle assembly includes, but is not limited to, a nozzle body configured to be fluidly coupled with an engine and to receive a jet produced by the engine. An outer cover covers the nozzle body. A movable component is disposed and configured to have an effect on either the jet or an exhaust plume when the movable component moves. A linkage is coupled to the movable component and adapted for coupling to an actuator. The linkage transmits the force to the moveable component from the actuator. There is a gap between an inner surface of the outer cover and an outer surface of the nozzle body. The linkage is smaller than the actuator. The gap is smaller than a smallest dimension of the actuator and larger than the linkage. The linkage is partially disposed within the gap, and the exhaust nozzle assembly is free of the actuator.

Abstract: A new method of manufacturing a dual investment reticulated solid mold for producing reticulated metal foam, that includes 3D printing of a wax or resin reticulated precursor prior to pre-investment with a pre-investment plaster or pre-investment ceramic plaster, and removal of the precursor before addition of liquid metal to generate reticulated metal foam.

Abstract: Acquiring and illuminating a cooperative target with a laser beam from a remote source is disclosed. The process may be used for cooperative target tracking where the source/target are a ground station, an aircraft, UAV, drone, satellite, spacecraft, combinations thereof, etc. A laser beam can be rapidly and accurately pointed by an emitter source using a laser pointing system, such as a gimbal or other laser pointing device, for example. A differential GPS on the cooperative target detects its position and periodically sends this information either directly or indirectly to the laser emitter source. The cooperative target may also determine its attitude. The emitter source uses this information to keep the cooperative target illuminated with the laser beam. The system may be used for detection and tracking of atmospheric differential absorptions to detect, track, and mitigate atmospheric releases of global warming gases and toxic industrial chemicals, communication, surveying, lidar, etc.

Abstract: Intelligent optimization of mission planning and execution for spacecraft through intelligent analysis of mission objectives and payload operation is disclosed. Values for mission objectives, payload operation, and/or vehicle conditions may be defined during given time periods, including variable values for repeat operations or other factors. These values may then be used through a vehicle/mission simulation agent to optimize the mission plan through maximizing the mission score according to the values. The simulation agent may identify possible mission plans based on vehicle capability, and then score the mission plan based on the total objective score.

Abstract: Performing freehand scanning imaging includes transforming a single spatial location with nonuniform input data using NDFT for one spatial location to a singular spectral estimation. Performing freehand scanning imaging also includes translating the singular spectral estimation to zl, wherein zl is a common value of z for which to later recombine data for layer l, and where l begins at zero. Performing freehand scanning imaging further includes performing Inverse Spatial Fourier Transform on the translated spectrum to produce a translated data in a x- and y-spatial domain at z=zl. Performing freehand scanning imaging also includes outputting 3D translated data to an N-dimensional regularization from all measured locations, where all measured locations are regularized data resulting from a combined sum of all measured contributions, and outputting the regularized data to a SAFT algorithm to produce images layer-by-layer, whereby the process is repeated for subsequent layers layer-by-layer.

Abstract: A nozzle assembly includes a sleeve defining a pathway, the sleeve disposed within a nacelle. The pathway and an internal surface of the nacelle guides a mass flow from an engine to an exit of the propulsion system. The sleeve is configured to move between a forward position an aft position within the nacelle aft of the engine. The sleeve has a protruding portion that extends towards a center of the pathway and that defines a smallest internal diameter of the sleeve. The sleeve includes a plurality of sleeve segments that are longitudinally aligned and circumferentially arranged to form the sleeve. The sleeve segments are configured to move circumferentially closer as the sleeve moves in a first direction within the nacelle and to move circumferentially further apart as the sleeve moves in a second direction within the nacelle. An actuator is coupled with, and is configured to move the sleeve.

Abstract: Independently moving deployment and positioning space vehicles that are configured to deploy and/or position structures are disclosed. The deployment and positioning vehicles may provide a lighter weight, more flexible, and more reliable deployment and positioning system that enables the deployment of space structures that are potentially much larger than currently possible with mechanical components of the structure itself. The deployment and positioning vehicles could be used for removal of failure prone deployment mechanisms for spacecraft. Solar arrays, antennas, panels, instrument booms, etc. could be pulled open and locked into place, and then potentially repositioned and/or reoriented during a mission.

Abstract: A throttle quadrant system for an aircraft includes: a first throttle handle to control a first engine of the aircraft, the first throttle handle having a first activatable visual indicator integrated therein; a second throttle handle to control a second engine of the aircraft, the second throttle handle comprising a second activatable visual indicator integrated therein; and at least one controller to control activation and operation of the first activatable visual indicator and the second activatable visual indicator. The at least one controller responds to first engine data related to operating status of the first engine to selectively activate the first activatable visual indicator. The at least one controller also responds to second engine data related to operating status of the second engine to selectively activate the second activatable visual indicator.

Abstract: A dynamic flex circuit includes a plurality of hole sets arranged along the dynamic flexible circuit. The dynamic flex circuit also includes a plurality of actuator wires coupled to the dynamic flexible circuit by way of intertwining each of the plurality of actuator wires through each hole set in the plurality of hole sets arrange along the dynamic flexible circuit. Each of the plurality of actuator wires are configured to impart a motion onto the dynamic flexible circuit depending on the amount of heat applied to each of the plurality of actuator wires.

Abstract: The aircraft intercom employs beam steerable microphone arrays and speaker arrays deployed in each of a plurality of zones within the aircraft. A speech recognizer generates recognition text from utterances picked up by the microphone arrays. A direction control processor analyzes the arrival time of signals from the microphone arrays to identify utterance location, which is then used to control the beam direction of at least one steerable speaker array. A dialogue manager processor coupled to the speech recognizer and to each of the plurality of microphone arrays and plurality of speaker arrays responds to a set of predefined keywords to selectively route a voiced communication from a first selected zone to a second selected zone using the microphone array and speaker array disposed in each of the first and second selected zones.

Abstract: A system for determining the distance or range from a LIDAR device and the wind direction uses optics configured in the Scheimpflug condition to establish range from the LIDAR to the atmosphere being measured. This LIDAR embodiment uses correlation techniques to establish wind speed and direction. Multiple laser beam lines of sight are required to determine wind direction and speed.

Abstract: Ellipsoidal array antennas that include repeated, modular unit cells are disclosed. The ellipsoidal array antennas may be wide band array antennas with bandwidths exceeding one octave that are capable of handling high radio frequency (RF) power with high polarization purity and low-cost manufacturing for arrays with high element counts. The number of unit cells is given by (Element_Rows+1)*Element_Columns for single polarized arrays. For dual polarized arrays, the number of unit cells is given by (Element_Rows+1)*(Element_Columns+1).

Abstract: Physics packages including atomic or molecular vapors and sub-wavelength grating (SWG) waveguides and/or radio frequency (RF) waveguides are provided herein. In some examples, a physics package for interacting with atoms or molecules in a vapor includes a substrate, and a cell sealed to the substrate and storing the vapor. A SWG waveguide may be disposed on the substrate and within the cell. The SWG waveguide may include a plurality of grating segments that are spaced apart from one another and define a gap within the SWG waveguide. The vapor may be located at least within the gap. A first optical coupler couples light into the SWG waveguide such that the light propagates through the vapor located within the gap and interacts with the atoms or molecules in the vapor located within the gap. A second optical coupler receives light from the SWG waveguide.

Abstract: Polarization-aided image contrast enhancement is disclosed. A rotatable polarizing element (e.g., a linear polarizer, waveplate and static polarization analyzer, etc.) may be inserted in front of an imaging camera (e.g., between the optics and camera of a telescope) to suppress a significant amount of polarized background sky brightness due to sunlight scattered by aerosols and gas particles in the sky and enhance imaging contrast of the field. This may be accomplished by installing a linear polarizer into a motorized rotation stage. As the polarizer rotates in the stage, transmitted sky brightness will vary sinusoidally with polarizer orientation. At any point in the sky and at any time, there will exist a polarizer orientation that minimizes transmitted sky intensity and maximizes contrast in the image.

Abstract: The interactive aircraft cabin environment control system employs at least one microphone array disposed within the cabin to capture spoken utterances from a passenger and is configured to provide an estimation of passenger location within the cabin based on arrival time analysis of the spoken utterances. A data source onboard the aircraft provides flight context information. Such data sources include sensors measuring real-time parameters on the aircraft, the current flight plan of the aircraft, singly and in combination. A control processor, coupled to the microphone array, is configured to ascertain passenger identity based on the spoken utterances. The control processor is programmed and configured to learn and associate passenger preference to passenger identity.

Abstract: An inflatable bladder includes, but is not limited to, a bladder body having a wall, a longitudinal dimension, and a lateral dimension. The wall defines an interior volume enclosing a fluid. The wall further defines an opening in fluid communication with the interior volume. The bladder body is fluid tight when the opening is closed. The wall is configured to facilitate an expansion of the longitudinal dimension during an ingress of the fluid into the interior volume and a contraction of the longitudinal dimension during an egress of the fluid from the interior volume. The wall is further configured to maintain a constant lateral dimension during the ingress of the fluid into the interior volume and a constant lateral dimension during the egress of the fluid from the interior volume.

Abstract: Disclosed here are an aircraft, a system, and methods of processing video content displayed onboard an aircraft during flight. A disclosed embodiment of the method obtains position data corresponding to current geographical position of the aircraft, attitude data corresponding to current attitude of the aircraft, and video data for a live video feed corresponding to a view of an environment external to the aircraft. The received video data is processed into augmented video output data, based on the position data, the attitude data, and geospatial data related to at least some geographical features in the view of the environment. Augmented video content is presented on a display device onboard the aircraft, wherein the augmented video content corresponds to the augmented video output data.

Abstract: Combining augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and photogrammetry to facilitate interactions with the physical world is disclosed. Images may be collected through various means (e.g., images taken by drones, ground-based photography, satellite imaging, etc.) and used to construct a three-dimensional (3D) model representation of the real world. This virtual environment can then be experienced by users in either a computing system (e.g., a desktop computer, laptop computer, smart phone, tablet, etc.) or a VR interface (e.g., a headset). The users can create various annotations, such as voice recordings, images, text, etc., and place these annotations in the virtual 3D model of the real world. These annotations are linked to the physical world via a coordinate system. AR “explorers” and VR users can then interact with one another via geographically aligned AR and VR models.