NASA 1996 SBIR Phase I

PROJECT TITLE : : Principle Investigator Workstation

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)

We propose to prototype a Principle Investigator Workstation to support effective mission operations and data analysis (MODA) for missions such as New Millennium. The primary objective is to provide the scientist-operator with a workstation that is goal-directed, can supervise multiple flight systems and provide processed information rather than raw data. This will be accomplished using knowledge about the operations and science domains to automate routine tasks, prioritizing functions that require operator intervention and automatically distributing functions among remote researchers and flight system experts when necessary. A secondary objective is to make the Principle Investigator Workstation as scaleable, modifible, interoperable and transportable as possible. This will be accomplished by utilizing two emerging open systems standards and showing the applicability of these to MODA systems.

CORBA will be used to provide heterogeneous distributed software component communication and JAVA will be used to provide cross-platform user interface development. The PIW system will be prototyped using ISX proven user-centered software engineering methodology for capturing the MODA domain requirements in conjunction with NASA. The product of this Phase I will be a scenario driven visual demonstration system and an associated system design to be implemented in a Phase II program.

A significant commercial market should develop for workstations to interface to the next generation of small, low cost and rapidly developed science-craft being developed on programs such as New Millennium. This market should continue to in the commercial and education segments if the interface does not require significant operator training. Beyond the NASA applications a task automation interface conforming to open systems standards has wide applicability where taskable autonomous devices, such as semi-autonomous sensor and surveillance vehicles become available for commercial applications and must be supervised.

George Whittinghill
ISX Corporation
4353 Park Terrace Drive
Westlake Village, CA 91361
818-706-2020
georgew@isx.com

ISX Corporation
4353 Park Terrace Drive
Westlake Village, CA 91361
818-706-2020