253 results about "Space exploration" patented technology

The present invention comprises an apparatus and method for gravity-balanced apparatuses for training humans for space exploration and other applications. The embodiment of the simulation apparatus is less expensive to build and safe to operate and adaptable to numerous applications, including but not limited to theme parks, museums, training facilities, educational/research labs, and others, for people to experience walking and other perambulations in lower or zero gravity environments. The present invention is statically-balanced and comprises a spring apparatus that is easily adjusted. An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus and method for simulating walking in a zero-gravity or reduced-gravity environment.

A marine oil and gas exploration system used for measuring telluric currents as a natural electromagnetic energy source flowing beneath an ocean and sea floor. The marine exploration system includes a towed fish adapted for being pulled behind a survey ship. The coordinates of the ship and the towed fish can be controlled by a GPS satellite and time data. The fish includes an aerodynamic waterproof housing, somewhat reminiscent of a shape of a fish. Metal sheet electrodes of electric field sensors are mounted on the surface of a tubular nose extending outwardly from the housing. The electric field sensors are in direct contact with the sea water. Typically, the fish is towed approximately 100 feet above the sea floor. The positioning of the fish is maintained by the use of an acoustic “pinger” on the fish. The pinger transmits signals up a towed cable to the survey ship. The fish can also include a cesium magnetometer connected to the electric field sensors. The magnetometer provides for detecting low frequency magnetic components of the electromagnetic fields generated by the telluric currents flowing under the sea floor. A filtering of the magnetic component signals is used to provide a phase and amplitude references for the electric fields. The amplitudes of the electric field at each frequency are ratioed against the amplitudes of similarly filtered components of the magnetometer.

The invention relates to an automatic exposure control method and device based on an FPGA and suitable for space exploration imaging. The method includes the steps that the current-frame image average brightness is acquired through the main current-frame image average brightness, time of exposure is adaptively selected according to whether a difference value between the current-frame image average brightness and the expected image average brightness is positive or negative and is large or small, continuous frames are adopted for continuous loop iteration, and therefore the current-frame image average brightness reaches the expected image average brightness. The automatic exposure control device for conducting the automatic exposure control method comprises an optical lens, an APS sensor and the exposure control FPGA. According to the method and device, the technical problems existing in excessive exposure of a target image, segmentation of the target image and balance between the automatic exposure speed and stability in the existing space exploration imaging technology are solved, the image contrast ratio is increased, faster, more stable and more accurate automatic exposure control can be conducted in various space exploration light environments, and adaptive ability in the space exploration environment imaging process is improved.

Techniques for surface exploration and monitoring are presented. In representative embodiments, a system is provided that can perform multiple types of measurements of a surface. For example a single system of survey probes and one or more survey controllers can be used to offer both seismic and electrical measurements. A survey controller can be configured to automatically poll survey probes to obtain identifiers of the probes and determine a relative order the probes. Survey probes can be configured to: (a) collect signals associated with a surface; (b) digitize the signals to form digital data; and (c) store the digital data for later transmission to the survey controller. Relative positions of survey probes can be automatically determined using a transmitting beacon or other techniques. Survey probes can automatically disconnect from a power conduit while measuring a surface property and operate using an internal source of power when disconnected, to reduce noise. The survey controller can be remotely accessible through a computer network for remote control of the survey probes.

The invention relates to an automatic exposure control method based on adaptive expected image average brightness and suitable for space exploration imaging. The method includes the steps that firstly, a current-frame shot image is segmented through an adaptive threshold value, a main current-frame shot image is identified, and the current-frame shot image average brightness is acquired through the main current-frame shot image average brightness; secondly, histogram equalization is conducted on the identified main current-frame shot image, so that the expected image average brightness is acquired after histogram equalization; thirdly, time of exposure is selected according to whether a difference value between the current-frame shot image average brightness and the expected image average brightness is positive or negative and is large or small, continuous frames are adopted for continuous loop iteration, and therefore the current-frame shot image average brightness reaches the adaptive expected image average brightness acquired after histogram equalization. According to the method, the good exposure effect can be acquired under various conditions of a dark background and a bright target in the space exploration process, the uncertain size of the target and the like, and adaptive ability in the space exploration environment imaging process is improved.

The invention discloses a minitype array filter based on metal surface plasma excimer. A plurality of array units are provided on an optical substrate, a sub-wavelength hairline is set between the array units and a plurality of linear grid grooves of incidence plane, or emergence plane or incidence plane and emergence plane which are symmetrically distributed are set at the two sides of the sub-wavelength hairline in a space, wherein the distance of the linear grid groove is same to the width thereof. The invention has features: simple technique, compactness, and can be connected with the LED, photosensitive detection, optical imaging sensor to form a variety of filters and imaging spectrometer of sub-wavelength, with high resolution, high integrity and wide application foreground in photo etching, high density data storage, near-field optics, space exploration, and medical diagnosis. The minitype array filter can be used in microwave, infrared and visible light band.

A system and method for guidance of a moving robotic device through an approximated real time (ART) virtual video stream is presented. The system and method includes at least one camera for collecting images of a terrain in a remote location, at least one terrain data collecting device for collecting data from a remote location, a memory for storing images from the plurality of cameras, a communication device for transmitting the images and data over a path and a computer configured to calculate a delay between the cameras and the receiver. The calculated delay causes the computer to retrieve images and data from the receiver and memory and consequently generate an approximate real-time video and data stream for displaying the terrain-just-ahead of a moving robotic device at a distance proportional to the calculated delay and the ART video and data stream is used to guide the moving robotic device.

A method of sterilizing, disinfecting and/or sanitizing articles such as medical instruments, medical implants, food handling or processing devices, devices used in space exploration, or any other article in which sterility or biological passivity is required. In general terms, the method comprises placing the article in a pressure chamber, filling the chamber with water so as to cause the article to be submerged, sealing the chamber, mixing carbon dioxide in the water, maintaining a greater than atmosphere pressure in the chamber, and controlling the temperature of the water with dissolved carbon dioxide therein.

An object gripping device for removing and installing bulbs and other objects. The device has around its circumference three or more vertical gripping posts. The device uses a sun gear and planetary gears to transmit the user's twisting motion to a gripping force applied equally around the object's circumference. Furthermore, the gearing ratio can be adjusted to create more or less leverage or gripping force applied to the bulb or object. The device could also be applied to gripping any object that is semi-cylindrical in shape. For instance, a robot can use the invented gear system to pick up or grip objects in a factory, laboratory, hospital, space exploration or home setting. Instead of a handle used to rotate the sun gear a drive shaft can be attached. An electric motor, a gas or diesel engine, a hydraulic power pack can rotate the drive shaft.

The invention relates to an ultra-wideband pulse-based satellite-bone high-speed data network system, which comprises a satellite-bone data subsystem, a payload subsystem and a satellite data bus. The satellite-bone data subsystem is connected with the satellite data bus. The payload subsystem includes a payload manager and a payload, and the payload manager is connected with the satellite data bus. The data transmission between the payload manager and the payload is realized based on a wireless network. Driven by the command of the satellite-bone data subsystem, the payload manager controls and manages the payload on a satellite for scientific experiment and space exploration, and is in charge of the data acquisition, data processing, data storage, integrated transmission and data management process of the payload. The communication between the payload manager and the payload is realized based on the wireless network, wherein the communication modes therebetween are composed of WBC-to-WRT mode, broadcast mode, WRT-to-WBC mode and WRT-to-WRT mode.

The invention discloses a detection method for space low-energy electrons and protons, particularly relates to the detection method for negatrons and protons with energy ranges of 0.1-1MeV, and belongs to the field of space charged particle detection. The method includes the steps that the particles in the space are enabled to pass through the same uniform magnetic field, negative particles and positive particles deflect towards different directions and are separated; and two one-dimensional position sensitive detectors are adopted to collect the negatrons and the positive particles, the positive particles are identified to be positive electrons or protons through analysis according to generated pulse charge signal heights, and the energy of the protons are calculated according to the deflection radius and the magnetic field intensity. The method can be used for simultaneous detection on the negatrons and the protons, the detection result is accurate, the method is practicable, and relevant detector can be developed after optimal design and serve space exploration activities.

The invention discloses a micro ultra-spectrum integrated optical filter and a manufacture method thereof. The invention takes melting quartz or glass, etc., as an optical base plate and is formed by the optical filters, each dimension of which is in a micron magnitude and with various optical characteristics on the base plate in two-dimensional arrangement. The ultra-spectrum integrated optical filter of the invention realizes the integration of the filters with various characteristics on the same base plate by being based on an optical film interference principle, alternately carrying out vacuum evaporation of high and low refractive index materials and the drying etching of a semiconductor and controlling the etching depth by using a self-etching stopping film. The invention utilizes the etching technique and self-stopping technology of a semiconductor technique for realizing an ultra-spectrum integrated optical filter with a single element smaller than 20 micron and independently designed optical characteristics. The invention has the advantages of simple manufacture technique and small size; can be combined with an optical imaging sensor to form a light, convenient and compact imaging spectrum apparatus with high distinguishing rate; and can be broadly used in atmosphere, ocean, space exploration and medicinal treatment diagnosing.

The invention relates to the technical field of space exploration, and concretely discloses a celestial body surface sampling apparatus. The apparatus comprises a motor, a sampling mechanism and a collection box; the sampling mechanism of the celestial body surface sampling apparatus employs a driving gear and a driven gear which are engaged to drive a driving shaft and a driven shaft which have the same structure for carrying out counterrotating, in order to realize mutual cancel of rotational inertia, and reduce reaction force for a detector. A driving ratchet guarantees the driving shaft tocarry out unidirectional rotation only, the driving ratchet and a mounting base on the collection box act together in order to realize installation and separation of the motor and the driving shaft,and the sampling mechanism can be flexibly taken and stored. Drill bits and inclined blower blades are arranged at the front ends of the rotating shafts in order to realize sampling of loose and softsoil and hard rocks. The celestial body surface sampling apparatus can be used for sampling different landforms on surfaces of nongravitational celestial bodies, and has light weight, small reaction forces for detectors, flexible usage; and the product can satisfy detection demands on nongravitational celestial bodies and minor planets.

The invention discloses a preparation method of a bismuth telluride based N type thermoelectric material Bi2(Te<1-x>Se<x>)3. A melt mixing step and a zone melting step are used for synthesis. The synthesis method comprises that single-substance raw materials can be selected and weighed according to a chemical formula Bi2(Te<1-x>Se<x>)3 in which x is greater than or equivalent to 0.02 and lower than or equivalent to 0.1, metal antimony (Sb) in the weight percentage of 0.01% to 0.03% and nonmetal iodine (I) in the weight percentage of 0.03% to 0.06% are added on the basis of the weight obtained by weighing, and the purities of all the single-substance raw materials are greater than 4N; the materials are filled into a quartz tube whose bottom is relatively flat by sintering to implement vacuum-pumped tube sealing, and then filled into a rocking furnace of resistance heating, and the quartz tube is placed in a vertical position and then sintered by melt mixing synthesis. The quartz tube is cooled naturally to the room temperature after sintering, and then removed and placed in a melting furnace in a vertical zone for pulse zone melting. The bismuth telluride based N type thermoelectric material and the preparation method thereof have the advantages that the preparation method is simple, a high-density body material of a monocrystalline similar structure and including a few of inlaid nanometer crystal grains can be obtained, via measurement, the ZT value of the thermoelectric material Bi2(Te<1-x>Se<x>)3 can reach 1.33 during 340K, and the material can be applied to fields including waste heat recovery and space exploration.

The invention relates to a map data storage method based on geographic regional second-stage rasterizing and space information indexing. The method comprises the steps as follows: (1) determining the map coverage, the map layer and the attribute information of the map to be stored; (2) carrying out second-level rasterizing to the map data; (3) amplifying the coordinate data of the map; and (4) storing the map data into an index file, a data file and an attribute file. According to the map data storage method based on the space exploration technology provided by the invention, a mode of storing the map coordinate information through integrated data is adopted, therefore, the demand on a physical space can be greatly reduced; and the map data is stored in the second-level rasterizing mode, so that the redundancy rate of the data storage can be greatly reduced.

The invention discloses a deep space exploration microdomain self-adaption raman fluorescence imaging combined system. The system is composed of a main controller, a spectrometer, an optical fiber, athree-dimensional motor driver, a three-dimensional precise electric platform and an optical head. The space exploration microdomain self-adaption raman fluorescence imaging combined system disclosedby the invention has the beneficial effects that the self-adaption raman fluorescence imaging combined system can adjust the diameter of a focusing spot in a self-adaption mode in microdomain analysis; a domain average grey degree of an electronic microscope is used as a scanning imaging point intensity and can meet requirements of self focusing and wide-spectrum scanning imaging at the same time;three-dimensional space initiative laser raman, hyperspectral fluorescence and visible wide-spectrum scanning imaging can be achieved at the same time; varieties of information is provided for performing microdomain analysis.

The invention discloses a wheeled-tracked-legged composite type mobile robot. The wheeled-tracked-legged composite type mobile robot aims at solving the technical problems that the existing tracked robots are complex in structure, poor in obstacle crossing capability, low in carrying capability, poor in flexibility and stability at different levels and the like. The wheeled-tracked-legged composite type mobile robot is formed by two main tracks, two front swing arm tracks, two rear swing arm tracks and a vehicle body; two ends of the front swing arm tracks and the rear swing arm tracks are respectively connected with the vehicle body and the main tracks in a flexible mode through track shafts to form into parallelogram-shaped transmission mechanisms which are arranged on two sides of the vehicle body; the track shafts of the rear swing arm tracks are connected with driving devices in a transmission mode; rotation of a front swing arm track frame and a rear swing arm track is achieved through power transmission. The wheeled-tracked-legged composite type mobile robot has the advantages of being simple in structure and flexible to move due to the fact that a main body of the robot is based on parallelogram-shaped connecting rod structures; enabling a wheeled type, a tracked type and a legged type to be chose during a moving process according to characteristics of geographical conditions; being strong in capabilities of climbing, groove crossing, obstacle crossing and stair walking up and walking down and strong in movement stability; being strong in carrying capability, easy to control and widely applied to complex terrain, anti-terrorist and space exploration.

Various mechanisms are described for generating metadata describing relationships among data sets. Quantitative data can be analyzed to determine relationships, and metadata representing the determined relationships can then be stored. Visualizations can then be generated from the metadata, and a navigational model can be defined based on the generated set of visualizations. The navigational models can provide robust visual mechanics for implementing intuitive navigational schemes that facilitate interaction with data on any suitable output device, include small screens as found on smartphones and/or tablets.