Jump to content

Tech Today: Measuring the Buzz, Hum, and Rattle


Recommended Posts

  • Publishers
Posted

2 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)

An array of microphones on the an airfield, with a sunrise in the background
The WirelessArray developed by Interdisciplinary Consulting Corporation (IC2), laid out here for a test flight at Langley Research Center, makes flight testing for drones quick and cost-effective.
Credit: NASA

Anyone who lives near an airport or is experiencing the emergence of a cicada brood can quickly identify the source of that ongoing noise. However, running tests to identify the noise created by a new drone or find pests in a field of crops requires a high-tech solution that maps sound.

With help from NASA, Interdisciplinary Consulting Corporation (IC2) introduced a new Wireless Array to do just that – anywhere, anytime. Airplanes undergo noise testing and require certification, so they don’t exceed the Federal Aviation Administration’s noise limits. Each small, saucer-shaped base, called a node, is equipped with an embedded microphone that measures the air pressure changes created by overhead sounds. For a large vehicle like an airplane, hundreds of these sensors, or microphone array, are laid out in a pattern on a runway to monitor the underside of the plane as it flies over.

Interested in making its flight tests more affordable, NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, supported the company with Small Business Innovation Research contracts and expert consulting.

“Each node contains a small computer system able to acquire and store data in memory on an SD card. It also has a small web server that allows the end user to start acquisition, stop recording, download files, check on the battery health, and more,” said Chip Patterson, vice president of IC2.

All it takes to operate an individual node or an extensive array is an off-the-shelf wireless access point and a standard laptop with IC2’s software application. The technology integrates into existing noise testing systems.

The microphone can easily be swapped for various other sensor types, like an acoustic sensor, making it possible to monitor animal noises that indicate health and well-being. An infrasonic sensor could measure the noise from supersonic aircraft, identifying the direction and arrival of a sonic boom.

This small, portable technology is finding its way into various projects and applications beyond aircraft testing. Working with an entomologist, IC2 will use acoustic data to listen for high-frequency insect sounds in agricultural settings. Discovering where insects feed on crops will allow farmers to intervene before they do too much damage while limiting pesticide use in those areas. With NASA’s help, IC2’s Wireless Array technology enables sound-based solutions in agriculture, aerospace, and beyond. 

View the full article

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Similar Topics

    • By NASA
      2 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      NASA uses radio frequency (RF) for a variety of tasks in space, including communications. The Europa Clipper RF panel — the box with the copper wiring near the top — will send data carried by radio waves through the spacecraft between the electronics and eight antennas. Credit: NASA Even before we’re aware of heart trouble or related health issues, our bodies give off warning signs in the form of vibrations. Technology to detect these signals has ranged from electrodes and patches to watches. Now, an innovative wall-mounted technology is capable of monitoring vital signs. Advanced TeleSensors Inc. developed the Cardi/o Monitor with an exclusive license from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. 

      Over the course of five years, NASA engineers created a small, inexpensive, contactless device to measure vital signs, a challenging task partly because monitoring heart rate requires picking out motions of about one three-thousandth of an inch, which are easily swamped by other movement in the environment.  

      By the late 1990s, hardware and computing technology could meet the challenge, and the NASA JPL team created a prototype the size of a thick textbook. It would emit a radio beam toward a stationary person, working similarly to a radar, and algorithms differentiated cardiac and respiratory activity from the “noise” of other movements.  

      When Sajol Ghoshal, now CEO of Austin, Texas-based Advanced TeleSensors, participated in a demonstration of the prototype, he saw the potential for in-home monitoring. By then, developing an affordable device was possible due to the miniaturization of sensors and computing technology.  
      The Cardi/o vital sign monitor uses NASA-developed technology to continually monitor vital signs. The data collected can be sent directly to medical care providers, cutting down on the number of home healthcare visits. Credit: Advanced TeleSensors Inc. The Cardi/o Monitor is 3 inches square and mounts to a ceiling or wall. It can detect vital signs from up to 10 feet. Multiple devices can be scattered throughout a house, with a smartphone app controlling settings and displaying all data on a single dashboard. The algorithms NASA developed detect heartbeat and respiration, and the company added heart rate variability detection that indicates stress and sleep apnea.  

      If there’s an anomaly, such as a dramatic heart rate increase, an alert in the app calls attention to the situation. Up to six months of data is stored in a secure cloud, making it accessible to healthcare providers. This limits the need for regular in-person visits, which is particularly important for conditions such as infectious diseases, which can put medical professionals and other patients at risk.  

      Through the commercialization of this life-preserving technology, NASA is at the heart of advancing health solutions.  
      Read More Share
      Details
      Last Updated Apr 07, 2025 Related Terms
      Technology Transfer & Spinoffs Spinoffs Technology Transfer Explore More
      2 min read NASA Cloud Software Helps Companies Find their Place in Space 
      Article 2 weeks ago 2 min read NASA Expertise Helps Record all the Buzz
      Article 3 weeks ago 2 min read What is a NASA Spinoff? We Asked a NASA Expert: Episode 53
      Article 1 month ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics
      Missions
      Humans in Space
      Jet Propulsion Laboratory – News
      Solar System

      View the full article
    • By Amazing Space
      The Sun Today - 1st April - Close Up View.
    • By NASA
      2 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      A NASA F/A-18 research aircraft flies above California near NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, testing a commercial precision landing technology for future space missions. The Psionic Space Navigation Doppler Lidar (PSNDL) system is installed in a pod located under the right wing of the aircraft.NASA Nestled in a pod under an F/A-18 Hornet aircraft wing, flying above California, and traveling up to the speed of sound, NASA put a commercial sensor technology to the test. The flight tests demonstrated the sensor accuracy and navigation precision in challenging conditions, helping prepare the technology to land robots and astronauts on the Moon and Mars. 
      The Psionic Space Navigation Doppler Lidar (PSNDL) system is rooted in NASA technology that Psionic, Inc. of Hampton, Virginia, licensed and further developed. They miniaturized the NASA technology, added further functionality, and incorporated component redundancies that make it more rugged for spaceflight. The PSNDL navigation system also includes cameras and an inertial measurement unit to make it a complete navigation system capable of accurately determining a vehicle’s position and velocity for precision landing and other spaceflight applications. 
      NASA engineers and technicians install the Psionic Space Navigation Doppler Lidar (PSNDL) system into a testing pod on a NASA F/A-18 research aircraft ahead of February 2025 flight tests at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.NASA The aircraft departed from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and conducted a variety of flight paths over several days in February 2025. It flew a large figure-8 loop and conducted several highly dynamic maneuvers over Death Valley, California, to collect navigation data at various altitudes, velocities, and orientations relevant for lunar and Mars entry and descent. Refurbished for these tests, the NASA F/A-18 pod can support critical data collection for other technologies and users at a low cost. 
      Doppler Lidar sensors provide a highly accurate measurement of speed by measuring the frequency shift between laser light emitted from the sensor reflected from the ground. Lidar are extremely useful in sunlight-challenged areas that may have long shadows and stark contrasts, such as the lunar South Pole. Pairing PSNDL with cameras adds the ability to visually compare pictures with surface reconnaissance maps of rocky terrain and navigate to landing at interesting locations on Mars. All the data is fed into a computer to make quick, real-time decisions to enable precise touchdowns at safe locations. 
      Psionic Space Navigation Doppler Lidar (PSNDL) system installed in a testing pod on a NASA F/A-18 research aircraft ahead of February 2025 flight tests at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.NASA Since licensing NDL in 2016, Psionic has received funding and development support from NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate through its Small Business Innovative Research program and Tipping Point initiative. The company has also tested PSNDL prototypes on suborbital vehicles via the Flight Opportunities program. In 2024, onboard a commercial lunar lander, NASA successfully demonstrated the predecessor NDL system developed by the agency’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. 
      Explore More
      4 min read NASA Starling and SpaceX Starlink Improve Space Traffic Coordination
      Article 10 mins ago 6 min read How NASA’s Perseverance Is Helping Prepare Astronauts for Mars
      Article 36 mins ago 2 min read NASA Cloud Software Helps Companies Find their Place in Space 
      Article 20 hours ago Facebook logo @NASATechnology @NASA_Technology Share
      Details
      Last Updated Mar 26, 2025 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms
      Armstrong Flight Research Center Game Changing Development Program Space Communications Technology Space Technology Mission Directorate Technology Technology for Living in Space Technology for Space Travel View the full article
    • By Amazing Space
      Incredible Video Of Our Sun TODAY - 17th March
    • By NASA
      2 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      Test flights help airplane and drone manufacturers identify which parts of the aircraft are creating the most noise. Using hundreds of wired microphones makes it an expensive and time-consuming process to improve the design to meet noise requirements. Credit: NASA Airplane manufacturers running noise tests on new aircraft now have a much cheaper option than traditional wired microphone arrays. It’s also sensitive enough to help farmers with pest problems. A commercial wireless microphone array recently created with help from NASA can locate crop-threatening insects by listening for the sounds they make in fields. 

      Since releasing its first commercial product in 2017, a sensor for wind tunnel testing developed with extensive help from NASA (Spinoff 2020), Interdisciplinary Consulting Corporation (IC2) has doubled its staff and moved to a larger lab and office space to produce its new WirelessArray product. Interested in making its own flight tests more affordable, NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, supported this project with Small Business Innovation Research contracts and expert consulting.

      Airplanes go through noise testing and require certification that they don’t exceed the noise level set for their body type by the Federal Aviation Administration. When an airplane flies directly overhead, the array collects noise data to build a two-dimensional map of the sound pressure and its source. A custom software package translates that information for the end user.

      For previous NASA noise testing, multiple semi-trucks hauled all the sensors, wires, power generators, racks of servers, and other equipment required for one flight test. The setup and teardown took six people three days. By contrast, two people can pack the WirelessArray into a minivan and set it up in a day. 

      IC2 is working with an entomologist to use acoustic data to listen for high-frequency insect sounds in agricultural settings. Discovering where insects feed on crops will make it possible for farmers to intervene before they do too much damage while limiting pesticide use to those areas. Whether it’s helping planes in the sky meet noise requirements or keeping harmful insects away from crops, NASA technology is finding sound-based solutions for the benefit of all. 
      Read More Share
      Details
      Last Updated Mar 14, 2025 Related Terms
      Technology Transfer & Spinoffs Spinoffs Technology Transfer Explore More
      2 min read What is a NASA Spinoff? We Asked a NASA Expert: Episode 53
      Article 1 week ago 3 min read NASA Partners with US Patent and Trademark Office to Advance Technology Transfer
      Article 3 months ago 3 min read NASA Gives The World a Brake
      Article 3 months ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics
      Langley Expertise and Facilities
      Humans in Space
      Technology Transfer & Spinoffs
      Solar System
      View the full article
  • Check out these Videos

×
×
  • Create New...