NASA SBIR SUCCESS STORY Goddard Space Flight Center
2001 Phase 2

Disturbance Optics Controls Structures

Mide Technology Corporation

Medford, MA

INNOVATION

The Disturbance-Optics-Controls-Structures (DOCS) Toolbox is a software environment initially developed for end-to-end analysis of the dynamic performance of controlled opto-mechanical systems. It provides an integrated environment for modeling disturbance mechanisms, structural systems, optical components, and control systems that tightly couple to determine end-to-end performance.

 

DOCS is a system initially developed for modeling and optimizing complex optomechanical controlled systems.
DOCS is a system initially developed for modeling and optimizing complex optomechanical controlled systems
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
  • The DOCS Phase II SBIR demonstrated the ability to perform fully integrated system performance predictions on realistic sized systems (thousands of modes, hundreds of outputs, and tens of inputs).
  • The DOCS parameterization was used to perform sensitivity studies and optimization of the fully integrated system design models.
  • DOCS tracks and stores data flow of an analysis, allowing the user to graphically visualize the relationship between analysis inputs and outputs.
COMMERCIALIZATION
  • The software is currently being sold under the name DOCSĀ® Toolbox.
  • The primary target market is the aerospace industry, and in particular the next generation of space-based observatories. In addition, it has found a ready market in the ground-based observatory community.
  • The DOCS Toolbox is currently technically mature enough for commercial sale to its target market.
  • The product is being sold commercially by Nightsky Systems, Inc., Raleigh NC, a spin-off that was formed specifically to market the toolbox.
GOVERNMENT/SCIENCE APPLICATIONS
  • DOCS is designed to enable jitter analysis (including redesign) and is suitable for NASA missions like JWST, TPF Coronagraph, and SDO
  • For JWST and TPF, DOCS is being used to simulate the performance of alternative designs and perform parametric analysis in order to set requirements for structures (stiffness and damping), vibration isolation stiffness), and mechanisms that act as disturbance sources.
  • DOCS is currently mature enough for injection into NASA missions like LISA and GOES. Planned future capabilities will increase its utility to other missions (robotics and advanced planetary exploration).
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Aerospace, Optics


Curator: SBIR Support                 4/25/05