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Explore what’s next in the world of mobility by discovering the latest standards, technical advancements, professional development and networking opportunities here

The “holy grail” for prognostics and health management (PHM) professionals in the aviation sector is to have integrated vehicle health management (IVHM) systems incorporated into standard aircraft maintenance policies. Such a change from current aerospace industry practices would lend credibility to this field by validating its claims of reducing repair and maintenance costs and, hence, the overall cost of ownership of the asset. Ultimately, more widespread use of advanced PHM techniques will have a positive impact on safety and, for some cases, might even allow aircraft designers to reduce the weight of components because the uncertainty associated with estimating their predicted useful life can be reduced. We will discuss how standard maintenance procedures are developed, who the various stakeholders are, and – based on this understanding - outline how new PHM systems can gain the required approval to be included in these standard practices.

While the pandemic continues, aerospace companies are rising to embrace new and emerging challenges at a time when there’s so much innovation. This innovation can be seen in the emergence of urban air mobility (UAM), the rebirth of supersonic flight, the drive towards a “zero emission” aircraft, and the continued use of autonomous drones for delivery, freight, search & rescue, and defense. There are exciting new developments in space as companies are developing products for commercial exploration and space tourism, and new ways to launch satellites. A new generation of engineering is also emerging in the defense sector and its development of not only aircraft, but also ships, tankers, and even flight trainers.

In recent years, the increasing complexity of modern aerospace systems has driven the rapid adoption of robust Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE). MBSE is a development methodology centered around computational models, which are instrumental in supporting the design and analysis of intricate systems. In this context, the Architecture Analysis and Design Language (AADL) and Systems Modeling Language (SysML) are two prominent modeling languages for specifying and analyzing the structure and behavior of a cyber-physical system. Both languages have their own specific use cases and tool environments and are typically employed to model different aspects of system design. Although multiple software tools are available for transforming models from one language to another, their effectiveness is limited by fundamental differences in the semantics of each language.

Abstract Threat identification and security analysis have become mandatory steps in the engineering design process of high-assurance systems, where successful cyberattacks can lead to hazardous property damage or loss of lives. This article describes a novel approach to perform security analysis on embedded systems modeled at the architectural level. The tool, called Security Threat Evaluation and Mitigation (STEM), associates threats from the Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) library with components and connections and suggests potential defense patterns from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-53 security standard. This article also provides an illustrative example based on a drone package delivery system modeled in AADL.

This paper describes an approach to integrating high-fidelity vehicle dynamics with a high-fidelity gaming engine, specifically with respect to terrain. The work is motivated by the experimental need to have both high-fidelity visual content with high-fidelity vehicle dynamics to drive a motion base simulator. To utilize a single source of terrain information, the problem requires the just-in-time sharing of terrain content between the gaming engine and the dynamics model. The solution is implemented as a client-server with the gaming engine acting as a stateless server and the dynamics acting as the client. The client is designed to actively maintain a locally cashed terrain grid around the vehicle and actively refresh it by polling the server in an on-demand mode of operation. The paper discusses the overall architecture, the protocol, the server, and the client designs. A practical implementation is described and shown to effectively function in real-time.

New Technologies Tackle UAV Challenges Robotic Applique Kits Leverage Existing Assets Educating UGVs Implementing AI Advancements in Thermal Image Training Data Sets Protecting Critical Data on Unmanned Underwater Platforms Advancements Made to the Wingman Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) Simulation: How to Operate the SIL New features include the creation of virtual environments that match real-world gunnery test courses. Soldier-Robot Team Communication: An Investigation of Exogenous Orienting Visual Display Cues and Robot Reporting Preferences The effective use of robots to conduct dangerous missions depends on accurate man-machine communications. Soft Robotic Fish Swims Alongside Real Ones in Coral Reefs GPS Enabled Semi-Autonomous Robot Combining GPS signals with acoustic and encoder data gives a robot the ability to determine its location and orientation within a reference frame.

Laser Detecting Systems Enhancing Survivability and Lethality on the Battlefield Designing With Plastics for Military Equipment Engine Air-Brakes Paving the Way to Quieter Aircraft Nett Warrior Enhancing Battlefield Connectivity and Communications XPONENTIAL 2018 - An AUVSI Experience Communications in Space: A Deep Subject First Air-Worthy Metal-Printed RF Filter Ready for Takeoff Validation of Automated Prediction of Blood Product Needs Algorithm Processing Continuous Non-Invasive Vital Signs Streams (ONPOINT4) Using a combination of non-invasive sensors, advanced algorithms, and instruments built for combat medics could reduce hemorrhaging and improve survival rates. Calculation of Weapon Platform Attitude and Cant Using Available Sensor Feedback Successful development of mobile weapon systems must incorporate operation on sloped terrain.

Frequently, a choice between system concepts must be made on the basis of something other than a detailed evaluation of the design effectiveness of these systems. This paper develops a rudimentary analysis process for use in addressing this problem.

This SAE Standard identifies contractor activities for planning and conducting HSI as part of procurement activities on Department of Defense (DoD) system acquisition programs. This standard covers HSI processes throughout system design, development, test, production, use, and disposal. Depending on contract phase, type of the program and/or complexity of the program, tailoring of this standard should be applied. Appendix A lists the requrememts (“shall” statements) in this standard along with unique numbers to facilitate tailoring. In addition, Appendix D provides tailoring guidance to better match requirememts in this standard to the DoD’s Adaptive Acquisition Framework pathways. The scope of this standard includes prime and subcontractor HSI activities; it does not include Government HSI activities, which are covered by DoD and service-level regulations and guidelines.

This paper investigates the fuel saving potential of a series hybrid military truck using a simultaneous battery pack design and powertrain supervisory control optimization algorithm. The design optimization refers to the sizing of the Lithium-ion battery pack in the hybridized configuration. On the other hand, the powertrain supervisory control optimization finds the most efficient way to split power demands between the battery pack and the engine. Most of the previous literatures implement them separately. In contrast, combining the sizing and energy management problem into a single optimization problem produces the global optimal solution. This study proposes a novel unified framework to couple Genetic Algorithm (GA) with Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle (PMP) to determine the battery pack sizing and the power split control sequence simultaneously.

Engineering Events staff at SAE International in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, have extended the call for abstracts through September 21 for the organization’s AeroTech aerospace and defense technology conference, which will take place at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas, March 14-16, 2023. Visit the AeroTech call for abstracts page for more information and to get started.

A glossary of basic terms and definitions useful for working in reliability, maintainability, and sustainability (RMS). The terms used in most engineering technologies tend to be physical characteristics such as speed, rate of turn, and fuel consumption. While they may require very careful definition and control of the way in which they are measured, the terms themselves are not subject to different interpretations. Reliability, maintainability, and sustainability (RMS), however, use terms that are defined in a variety of ways with multiple interpretations. The variety of definitions given to a single term creates problems when trying to compare the performance of one system to another. To eliminate the confusion, a literature search that listed current and past RMS terms and definitions was conducted. The literature search included input from the U.S. military, UK military, NATO, SAE, IEEE, NASA, ISO, university research, and other publications.

This recommended practice has been developed for use in any EEE system used in the AADHP industries. RPA is especially important to AADHP systems, which are often safety critical applications that must operate for long times in rugged environments. These EEE systems often use EEE components that were originally designed and produced for more benign consumer applications. Although the focus of this recommended practice is on AADHP applications, the process described herein is not limited to AADHP and may be used for EEE systems and components in any industry.

Quality management professionals across the global aerospace and defense community are convening for one hour – Wednesday, October 27th, starting at 10 am Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) – to discuss the AS9100 international standard. Register to take part in the free AeroTech webinar, hosted by SAE International and Tektronix, designed to help manufacturers, contractors, and subcontractors throughout the global aviation, space, and defense supply chain keep pace with and meet the requirements of AS9100 international quality management system standard.

This full-day course is designed to equip engineering professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to combine the strengths of Design Engineering and Systems Engineering into Systems Design Engineering (SDE) principles. These principles will improve engineering efficiency and practically design more sustainable system-level products, all while strategically aligning with digital transformation objectives.

The objective of this study was to optimize the occupant restraint systems for a light tactical vehicle in frontal crashes. A combination of sled testing and computational modeling were performed to find the optimal seatbelt and airbag designs for protecting occupants represented by three size of ATDs and two military gear configurations. This study started with 20 sled frontal crash tests to setup the baseline performance of existing seatbelts, which have been presented previously; followed by parametric computational simulations to find the best combinations of seatbelt and airbag designs for different sizes of ATDs and military gear configurations involving both driver and passengers. Then 12 sled tests were conducted with the simulation-recommended restraint designs. The test results were further used to validate the models. Another series of computational simulations and 4 sled tests were performed to fine-tune the optimal restraint design solutions.

Abstract This study underscores the benefits of refining the intralogistics process for small- to medium-sized manufacturing businesses (SMEs) in the engineer-to-order (ETO) sector, which relies heavily on manual tasks. Based on industrial visits and primary data from six SMEs, a new intralogistics concept and process was formulated. This approach enhances the value-added time of manufacturing workers while also facilitating complete digital integration as well as improving transparency and traceability. A practical application of this method in a company lead to cutting its lead time by roughly 11.3%. Additionally, improved oversight pinpointed excess inventory, resulting in advantages such as reduced capital needs and storage requirements. Anticipated future enhancements include better efficiency from more experienced warehouse staff and streamlined picking methods. Further, digital advancements hold promise for cost reductions in administrative and supportive roles.

We present an approach in which we use simulation to capture the two-way coupling between the dynamics of a vehicle and that of a fluid that sloshes in a tank attached to the vehicle. The simulation is carried out in and builds on support provided by two modules: Chrono::FSI (Fluid-Solid Interaction) and Chrono::Vehicle. The dynamics of the fluid phase is governed by the mass and momentum (Navier-Stokes) equations, which are discretized in space via a Lagrangian approach called Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics. The vehicle dynamics is the solution of a set of differential algebraic equations of motion. All equations are discretized in time via a half-implicit symplectic Euler method. This solution approach is general - it allows for fully three dimensional (3D) motion and nonlinear transients. We demonstrate the solution in conjunction with the simulation of a vehicle model that performs a constant radius turn and double lane change maneuver.