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  • Advancing Engineering With Nature Initiatives in Point Hope, Alaska

    Purpose: Growing environmental risk threatens communities in cold regions, particularly as climate change contributes to permafrost thaw, a reduction in sea-ice extent, and some of the largest rates of coastal erosion on earth. In the context of these significant and growing risks, the Engineering With Nature® (EWN®) program formed its cold regions work unit in 2021 to explore the potential to apply EWN approaches in these areas to mitigate environmental risk while supporting resilient outcomes. The work unit’s objectives include working with communities to preserve the natural environment and traditions, advancing the work unit’s understanding of cold-region environments, and providing guidance on the implementation of natural and nature-based features (NNBF) and EWN in cold regions to increase resilience. This technical note (TN) provides an overview of the EWN in cold regions technical approach as applied to Point Hope, Alaska, which includes community engagement, the integration of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) throughout the project, and the development of cold-regions-specific knowledge and tools.
  • AI on Digital Twin of Facility Captured by Reality Scans

    Abstract: The power of artificial intelligence (AI) coupled with optimization algorithms can be linked to data-rich digital twin models to perform predictive analysis to make better informed decisions about installation operations and quality of life for the warfighters. In the current research, we developed AI connected lifecycle building information models through the creation of a data informed smart digital twin of one of US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) buildings as our test case. Digital twin (DT) technology involves creating a virtual representation of a physical entity. Digital twin is created by digitalizing data collected through sensors, powered by machine learning (ML) algorithms, and are continuously learning systems. The exponential advance in digital technologies enables facility spaces to be fully and richly modeled in three dimensions and can be brought together in virtual space. Coupled with advancement in reinforcement learning and computer graphics enables AI agents to learn visual navigation and interaction with objects. We have used Habitat AI 2.0 to train an embodied agent in immersive 3D photorealistic environment. The embodied agent interacts with a 3D environment by receiving RGB, depth and semantically segmented views of the environment and taking navigational actions and interacts with the objects in the 3D space. Instead of training the robots in physical world we are training embodied agents in simulated 3D space. While humans are superior at critical thinking, creativity, and managing people, whereas robots are superior at coping with harsh environments and performing highly repetitive work. Training robots in controlled simulated world is faster and can increase their surveillance, reliability, efficiency, and survivability in physical space.
  • Environmental Monitoring of Munitions Constituents During a Demonstration of the Underwater Cut-and-Capture System Demilitarization Technology

    PURPOSE: The presence of underwater military munitions (UWMM) in aquatic environments may present explosive blast risks and potentially affect the environment because of the release of munitions constituents (MC). Therefore, in situ demilitarization of UWMM is highly desirable. This technical note presents the results of environmental monitoring measuring water and sediment contamination resulting from the demonstration of an in situ technology that uses high-pressure water jets to render UWMM safe.
  • Leveraging MOVEit for Object Inspection in Simulation

    Abstract: Herein we evaluate using a robotic arm with an attached camera to investigate objects of interest in simulation. Specifically, a Husky unmanned ground vehicle with a Panda Powertool was used in the simulation. The code enabled an operator to initiate a preconfigured set of motions when an object of interest was identified. The scan was stored in a database file that was used to generate a 3D mesh of the scanned object. The report describes both setting up the simulation and the code used to scan objects of interest.
  • Increasing the Degrees of Freedom on a Robot Arm

    Abstract: This report provides an implementation of the moveit-commander Python module to generate trajectories for custom six– and seven–degrees of freedom (DoF) arms. The moveit_setup_assistant package was used to modify an existing five-DoF OpenManipulator-X model to increase its range of motion. Specifically, additional joints were fabricated and mounted to the physical arm. Also, the Unified Robot Description Format files were modified to account for the additional joints. In order to optimize the solvers, many changes to the MOVEit configuration files were made. The changes documented in this report lay the groundwork for leveraging MOVEit to expand the capabilities of low-DoF arms.
  • Integrating MOVEit Motion Constraints on a Novel Robotic Manipulator

    Abstract: MOVEit, a widely used Robot Operating System framework, plans composite tasks, where the high-level sequence of actions is fixed and known in advance. However, these tasks need to be tailored and adapted to the environmental context. This framework uses custom trajectory planners, known as controllers, to solve goals that are fully defined within the configuration space. Libraries, such as the Open Motion Planning Library, provide a collection of motion planners that can solve task-space goals. An exact spatial and joint replication of the robotic manipulator’s mechanics, typically Universal Robot Description Format and Semantic Robot Description Format files, is required. Common arms such as the Panda-Manipulator and OpenMANIPULATOR-X provide these files in their respective public repositories, but custom arms require significant modification or even a complete rewrite of these files.
  • Fort Riley German POW Stonework Historic Context and National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) Evaluation

    Abstract: This project provides a historic context for the German prisoner-of-war (POW) experience at Fort Riley, Kansas, and an inventory of stonework features constructed using POW labor during World War II (WWII). The purpose of this historic context and inventory is to determine the stone-work’s eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Based on the historic context and inventory, researchers for this project have determined that there is a potential noncontiguous historic district at Fort Riley. This “German POW Stonework Historic District” at Fort Riley is composed of three linear segments: one concentrated around a stone drainage ditch at Camp Forsyth, one concentrated on a series of stone check dams at Camp Whitside, and one concentrated on a stone levee ditch and culvert at Camp Funston. Additionally, researchers have determined that 12 additional stonework features outside the proposed historic district boundaries are potentially eligible for the NRHP. These include a stone vehicular culvert at Camp Forsyth and four drainage gutters within Fort Riley’s main cantonment
  • A Method for Evaluating Automatic Identification System (AIS) Coverage on Select Inland Waterways in 2020 and 2021: Upper Mississippi River, Illinois River, and Ohio River

    Abstract: The Automatic Identification System (AIS) shares vessel position information for navigational safety purposes. AIS broadcasts are received by other ships and terrestrial stations; however, in some areas there is no, or low, terrestrial station coverage to receive broadcasts. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) developed an Online Travel Time Atlas (OTTA) to process AIS data and derive a transit count. This study examined OTTA output from 2020 and 2021 to identify areas of high or low AIS coverage along the Upper Mississippi, Illinois, and Ohio Rivers. Segments with a yearly average of two or more transit per day were classified as high coverage, those with less than a yearly average of two transits per day were classified as low coverage. Rivers were segmented using the USACE National Channel Framework reach boundaries. Results based on calculated vessel transits were as follows: Upper Mississippi River: 837.4 miles (98%) had high coverage, with 17.4 miles (2%) of low coverage; Illinois River: 190.5 miles (59%) had high AIS coverage, and 133 miles (41%) had low AIS coverage; Ohio River: 644 miles (66%) had high coverage, and 337 miles (34%) had low coverage. AIS coverage could be improved by raising antennae heights, installing repeater equipment, or adding towers.
  • The Importance of Environmental Product Declarations in the Decarbonization Effort

    Abstract: An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a disclosure document that communicates how a product or material affects the environment throughout its life cycle. EPDs are used across many industries and government organizations as an accurate source of information when making procurement decisions to minimize environmental impacts. Developed by businesses and certified by third-party organizations, EPDs are created to communicate the environmental impacts of specified life-cycle stages of a product. As such, EPDs can be an important tool for organizations working toward carbon reduction goals, such as the Army’s decarbonization goals of Executive Order (EO) 14,057 and the Army Climate Strategy. This document summarizes the current state of EPDs, including how they are created, how they can be used to help analyze the environmental impacts of construction materials, and how they are being used by government entities. Also discussed are other decarbonization tools and methods to integrate EPDs, providing a more wholistic approach to the construction industry’s activities and impacts. The document concludes with a discussion of the challenges and the future of EPDs.
  • Analysis of the Army Transition from LEED 2009 to LEED v4, with Updated LEED 4.1 Credits

    Abstract: The objective of this effort was to identify and recommend an approach for Army green building certification that ensures Army projects meet federal and Army sustainability requirements during the transition from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) 2009 to LEED v4. The first Army LEED v4 project was registered for certification with the Green Building Certification Institute in 2014. Since then, over 860 Army projects were registered for LEED v4 certification. As of the third quarter of FY20, when this report was written, 2 projects achieved LEED Silver certification. Other Army projects teams documented difficulty achieving the required LEED v4 Silver certification due to difficult site conditions, budget constraints, facility types, or project requirements. Commercial-sector project teams also had difficulty certifying with LEED v4, forcing the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to reconsider the credits and metrics project teams found challenging. The USGBC revised the troublesome credits and now offers LEED v4.1 pilot credits that can be used for any project registered with LEED v4. To assist Army project teams, this research investigates difficult-to-achieve LEED v4 cred-its and their possible replacement with LEED v4.1 pilot credits. The report concludes with guidance on implementing the updated version of the LEED rating system from v4 to v4.1.