NASA STUDIES POTENTIAL SHUTTLE REPAIR MANEUVERS WITH MOTION TRACKING SOLUTION FROM VICON

Damage Assessment and Repair Possibilities Evaluated via Simulations in Zero Gravity

Lake Forest, CA (September 26, 2005) – VICON, the leading developer in motion capture, announced use of a 10-camera VICON optical motion capture solution by NASA to evaluate potential tile damage review and repair procedures for the Space Shuttle fleet. The national space agency’s Anthropometry and Biomechanics Facility at Lyndon-Johnson Space Center has been using the VICON system since 2004 for a variety of projects. These in include some where the Vicon system was used to track a crew member and tool movement in a range of zero-gravity simulations as a way to zone in on the Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) operations astronauts might safely and effectively perform from orbit. A recent project involved determining the hatch opening for a lunar lander airlock and a number of others are scheduled in the future.

The tests, done on NASA’s Precision Air-Bearing Floor (PABF) and in its parabolic zero-g aircraft (KC-135), include identifying specific processes for examining the Shuttle wing area, measuring any tile damage, determining if the damage can be fixed and completing the repair method prior to re-entry. By tracking with VICON, the astronaut’s approach (pitch angle) to the Shuttle’s tile area, the range of motion and the translation rate of their jetpacks, the landing position and the orientation angles of their depth gauge instrument can be accurately factored in advance.

Using the PABF, a perfectly smooth steel floor whose frictionless operation mimics motion in zero gravity, astronauts and engineers were suited up with motion capture markers and tracked as they tried out different combinations

of approach angles, force and speed. Similar experiments were done in NASA’s parabolic reduced-gravity aircraft, which can simulate complete weightlessness for about 25-to-30 seconds at a time by flying in inverse arcs at 15,000-30,000 feet. Here, the sub-compact size of VICON’s SVCam camera enabled easy installation within the confines of the aircraft cabin while still providing high accuracy with a wide field of view.

“VICON’s SVCams were designed to offer both easy installation and high performance in tight spaces, like those seen in NASA’s setup,” said Mike Kocourek, Business Development Manager, VICON. “These applications obviously demand accuracy and dependability beyond question. If you have less than 60 seconds to study a maneuver in a speeding aircraft, or you’re running tests with someone fully suited up in a Personal Life Support System, you can’t have your motion capture equipment going down in that moment. It’s been a real thrill to have VICON equipment installed to support NASA’s leading-edge work.” 

Motion capture solutions from VICON include high-resolution, high-frame-rate cameras built by VICON specifically for motion tracking. VICON’s MX real-time optical motion capture systems introduce ultra-high-resolution, true grayscale processing and virtually artifact-free capture with VICON MX 40, while the VICON SVCam line offers accuracy with extremely low-profile capture. VICON products are used within life science and engineering for such applications as biomechanics, data visualization, virtual prototyping, manufacturing and design. Last year, VICON won an Academy Award® for its technology, which is also used to bring lifelike motion to digital characters in blockbuster films.

About Vicon
Vicon is a subsidiary of OMG plc (LSE: OMG) with global headquarters in Oxford, UK, and US headquarters in Lake Forest, CA. OMG subsidiary 2d3 Ltd. produces innovative visual geometry software deriving 3D data from moving images. Since 1984, Vicon has been providing professionals with the latest tools to accurately capture the subtleties of three-dimensional human motion for research, medicine, sport, engineering, game development, broadcast and film. For more information about Vicon, or to view a comprehensive list of worldwide distributors, visit www.viconpeak.com or contact +44 (0) 1865-261800 in the U.K. or (949) 472-9140 in the U.S.

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VICON, VICON MX and SVCam are trademarks of OMG plc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.