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Star Wars Software Engineer Teaches Computer Science at Naval Academy

Filed under Education & Culture, Space by jtozer on April 24, 2013 at 7:38 am {no comments}

Hollywood may be a long way from Annapolis, but through the experiences of Cmdr. Kevin Blenkhorn, one of the creators of Yoda in the most recent Star Wars films, midshipmen can get a taste of what happens behind the bright lights.

(Graphic by Jessica Tozer)

Blenkhorn (USNA ’91) served 10 years on active duty before pursuing a civilian career in computer graphics with Industrial Light & Magic, the company behind such graphically complex films as Star Wars, Avatar, and Star Trek.

“I had the privilege of working on episodes one and three of Star Wars,” said Blenkhorn. “It’s great to work with people who are on the cutting edge of technology. The people who were hired to work on that movie pushed computer science to the max, further than any other company. It was the peak of my computer graphics career.”

He maintained his status as an active reservist and when the opportunity arose to apply as a faculty member at the academy, he put his application in.

“I’ve always wanted to come back,” he said. “I was lucky to get accepted and return to the Naval Academy.”

Blenkhorn’s work on the CGI Yoda has gotten good reviews. According to film critic Nathan Adams of the website FilmSchoolRejects, “With this new change Lucas has unified the whole look of the prequel trilogy. You can check out the old and busted puppet Yoda in contrast to the new hotness CG Yoda.”

Now a permanent military professor and associate chair of the academy’s Computer Science Department, Blenkhorn shares his civilian experiences with midshipmen on a daily basis.

“Based on my experience at Star Wars, I always tell people that they should ask for what they want,” he said, something he learned from a grad school professor who encouraged his class to apply to Industrial Light & Magic when the company first started working on Star Wars.

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Pump Up The VOLUME

Filed under Featured by jtozer on April 23, 2013 at 7:03 am {no comments}

Two teams of DARPA performers have achieved world record power output levels using silicon-based technologies for millimeter-wave power amplifiers.

A first for amplifiers on silicon; may unlock applications in low-cost satellite communications.

RF power amplifiers are used in communications and sensor systems to boost power levels for reliable transmission of signals over the distance required by the given application. These breakthroughs were achieved under the Efficient Linearized All-Silicon Transmitter ICs (ELASTx) program.

Further integration efforts may unlock applications in low-cost satellite communications and millimeter-wave sensing.

The first team, composed of performers at the University of Southern California and Columbia University, achieved output power levels of nearly 0.5 W at 45 gigahertz with a 45 nanometer silicon complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip.

This world record result for CMOS-based power amplifiers doubles output power compared to the next best reported CMOS millimeter-wave power amplifier.

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New Monolayer Materials for Chemical Vapor Sensors

Filed under Featured by jtozer on April 22, 2013 at 7:41 am {no comments}

Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory have developed a vapor sensor based on new monolayer materials that show great potential for future nanoscale electronic devices.

This is a schematic of a vapor sensor fabricated from a single monolayer of MoS2. The conductivity of the MoS2 channel changes as specific types of vapor molecules briefly interact with the surface. Molecules of triethylamine are shown a chemical assoicated with V-series nerve gas agents.
(Photo: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory)

NRL scientists have fabricated this sensor using a single monolayer of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) on a silicon dioxide wafer.

They show that it functions effectively as a chemical vapor sensor, exhibiting highly selective reactivity to a range of analytes, and providing sensitive transduction of transient surface physisorption events to the conductance of the monolayer channel.

This means that the sensor works on multiple levels. Essentially, the sensor acts as an effective and precise detector of many types of substances.

The high surface-to-volume ratio of such new multi-dimensional materials is a significant asset for vapor sensor applications—these materials must exhibit a rapid and selective response to a range of analytes (determined by the character of surface atomic sites), sensitive transduction of the perturbation to the electrical resistance of the channel, and rapid recovery upon removal of the vapor.

The sensor is highly reactive, and able to swiftly note changes in what it is detecting.

Much work has previously been done in developing carbon nanotubes as sensors. The carbon nanotubes are very responsive, but not as selective as they need to be unless they are chemically functionalized, which adds complexity and expense to the manufacturing process.

Researchers have also looked at graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms in a honeycomb lattice, as a vapor sensor.

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The Strategically Critical Cyber Airman

Filed under Cyber Security by jtozer on April 21, 2013 at 7:33 am {no comments}

Chief Master Sgt. Linus Jordan, Air Force Space Command, command chief, discusses the role of airmen as a strategically critical professional Cyber force for the nation during a panel discussion at Cyber 3.1 in Colorado Springs. (Air Force photo by Duncan Wood )

Cyber airman development became the focus of discussion at Cyber 1.3 in Colorado Springs as Chief Master Sgt. Linus Jordan, command chief, Air Force Space Command, addressed space and cyber industry leaders at the conference prior to official opening of the 29th National Space Symposium.

Jordan, and a civilian aerospace leader, were participants in a moderated panel discussion that encouraged audience participation via e-mail.

The interactive forum quickly moved through topics including youth interest in an evolving cyber culture, common talent pool recruitment considerations, challenges of long-term development of a professional cyber force, and the critical roles of cyber-trained airmen.

Jordan invested in developing cyber airmen, both as command chief for the Air Force major command, and as a father of an airman in the cyber operations career field.

He challenged common assumptions that people fall into only the popular categories of digital native or digital immigrant. Jordan offered a third category: the digitally disadvantaged.

“There are demographics in our country where young people, or people of any age, may not have had the opportunity – educationally or economically – to be exposed to technology…to have the opportunity to use and leverage technology.”

“Just because someone was born into an era, doesn’t mean they experienced what that era was all about, “said Jordan.

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Saturday Space Sight: Space Station Solar Arrays

Filed under Photos, Space by jtozer on April 20, 2013 at 7:34 am {no comments}

This close-up picture of a Zvezda Service Module array, reflecting bright rays of the sun, thus creating an artistic scene, was photographed by one of the Expedition 35 crew members as part of an External Survey from International Space Station windows that was recently added to the crew’s task list.

Image Credit: NASA

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Understanding The Brain = Supporting National Security

Filed under Technology by jtozer on April 19, 2013 at 7:45 am {no comments}

The President unveiled a bold new research initiative designed to revolutionize the understanding of the human brain, and it could change the way we think about national security.

DARPA plans $50 million in 2014 investments to increase understanding of brain function and create new capabilities. (Photo illustration provided by DARPA)

As part of this initiative, DARPA intends to invest roughly $50 million in 2014 with the goal of understanding the dynamic functions of the brain and demonstrating breakthrough applications based on these insights.

“The President’s initiative reinforces the significance of understanding how the brain records, processes, uses, stores and retrieves vast quantities of information,” explained DARPA Director, Arati Prabhakar.

“This kind of knowledge of brain function could inspire the design of a new generation of information processing systems; lead to insights into brain injury and recovery mechanisms; and enable new diagnostics, therapies and devices to repair traumatic injury.”

DARPA plans to explore two key areas to elicit further understanding of the brain.

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Shooting Down Drones With Lasers

Filed under Videos by jtozer on April 18, 2013 at 7:13 am {no comments}

When you need to shoot down a drone, what better way to do it than with a laser?

The Laser Weapon System (LaWS) temporarily installed aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) in San Diego, Calif., is a technology demonstrator built by the Naval Sea Systems Command from commercial fiber solid state lasers, utilizing combination methods developed at the Naval Research Laboratory.

Video provided by the USNavy YouTube Channel

LaWS can be directed onto targets from the radar track obtained from a MK 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon system or other targeting source. The Office of Naval Research’s Solid State Laser (SSL) portfolio includes LaWS development and upgrades providing a quick reaction capability for the fleet with an affordable SSL weapon prototype.

This capability provides Navy ships a method for sailors to easily defeat small boat threats and aerial targets without using bullets.

U.S. Navy video by Office of Naval Research/ Released

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Top Tech: Mighty, Mighty Cable

Filed under Top Technology by jtozer on April 17, 2013 at 7:16 am {no comments}

Top Technology is an Armed with Science series that highlights the latest and greatest federal laboratory inventions which are available for transfer to business partners. Want to suggest an invention? Email us at science@dma.mil

Technology: High Temperature, High Strength, High Voltage Communications Cable

Agency: Naval Research Laboratory

Hey cables! Mighty, mighty cables. Can you take the heat? Because if not, NRL has made a cable that can. The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed a cable for high voltage electrical and/or optical transmission capable of operating at temperatures up to 1000 °C, hundreds of degrees higher than existing cables.

What is it?

This is a turbo-cable. Industrial strength. This is no phone charger cord or hair dryer coil. We’re talking the real deal, folks. For people who work with a lot of technical equipment – like people who run power stations, for example – having a cable that can do the job and withstand the heat that comes with it is more than beneficial. The fact that it can do both fiber optic and high voltage is interesting. The NRL cable also has superior tensile strength at high temperatures compared to existing cables.

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