Oerzen765

Ewald Heer (July 28, 1930) is an aerospace engineer in robotics, artificial intelligence(AI) and large space structures. He is primarily known for his advocacy of and pioneering works in the development of intelligent robotic systems for exploration and operation in space.

Biography

Ewald Heer graduated in 1953 with an ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEER degree from the Technical University of Hamburg, in 1959 with a BACHELOR of SCIENCE degree in Physics from the City University New York, in 1960 with a MASTER of SCIENCE from Columbia University, in 1962 with a CIVIL ENGINEER from Columbia University, and in 1964 with a DOKTOR-INGENIEUR from the Leibniz Universitaet in Hannover, Germany. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the States New York and California.

Advocacy of Automated Systems at NASA

After completing a one year assignment as program manager of the lunar surface experiments for Apollo 14 and 15 in the Lunar Exploration Office at NASA Headquarters, Ewald Heer returned to the CALTACH Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1971. There he initiated the first NASA research program for space robotics and artificial intelligence. He promoted space robotics research by organizing the FIRST NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON REMOTELY MANNED SYSTEMS (RMS) in 1972 at the California Institute of Technology. He published in 1973 the book “REMOTELY MANNED SYSTEMS – EXPLORATION AND OPERATION IN SPACE.” In 1975 he organized and chaired the second space robotics conference with international participation at the University of Southern California and published its proceedings sponsored by NASA, CALTECH, US Council for the Theory of Machines and Mechanisms, Human Factors Society and University of Southern California. Early in 1977, Stanley Sadin at NASA Headquarters requested Ewald Heer to organize the NASA Study Group on Machine Intelligence and Robotics, which was then chaired by Carl Sagan. The Study Group was composed of many leading researchers from almost all major organizations in the fields of artificial intelligence, computer science, and autonomous systems in the United States. It included NASA personnel, scientists who worked on previous NASA missions, and experts in computer science who had little or no prior contact with NASA. The Study Group met as a full working group or as subcommittees between June 1977 and December 1978, and devoted about 2500 man-hours to an examination of the influence of machine intelligence and robotics research on the full range of space agency activities, and recommended ways that these subjects could assist NASA in future missions. Ewald Heer published the findings of the Study Group as NASA/JPL Report No. 715-32. The Study Group recommended that NASA should adopt a policy of vigorous and imaginative research in computer science, machine intelligence, and robotics; that NASA should introduce advanced computer science technology into its Earth orbital and planetary missions, and should emphasize research programs with a multi-mission focus; and that mission objectives should be designed flexibly to take best advantage of existing and likely future technological opportunities. The Study Group concluded its deliberations by further recommending that (a) the space agency establish a focus for computer science and technology at NASA Headquarters to coordinate R&D activities; (b) computer scientists should be added to the agency advisory structure; (c) a task group should be formed to examine the desirability, feasibility, and general specification of an all-digital, text handling, intelligent communication system for the transfer of information between NASA Centers; and (d) close liaison should be maintained between NASA and the Defense Mapping Agency's Pilot Digital Operations Project because of the similarity of interests.

Selected Works

Intermittendly, Ewald Heer performed such selected works as earthquake analyses of high-rise buildings (1960); dynamic analyses of large ground-based tracking antennas for the Bell Laboratories (1961); underground wave propagation and their interaction with subterranean structures (1962); analysis of the resistance potential against atomic explosions of the subway tunnels in Hamburg, Germany (1963); buffeting atmospheric flow analysis of the Gemini spacecraft (1964); development of the theory for N Coupled Systems Subjected to Determinate and Random dynamic Inputs (1967); development of the Theory of Shell Systems with visco-elastic and plastic material properties for future Mars entry missions (1969); conceiving, developing and demonstrating with the cooperation of a quadriplegic patient the first robotic voice controlled wheelchair for quadriplegics to the US Congressional Committee for Science and Technology in Washington DC chaired by Senator T. Kennedy (1975).

Academic and Professional Affiliations

Ewald Heer was at the University of Southern California an Adjunct Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering (1973-1984) and Founder and Director of the Institute of Techno-Economic Studies (1978-1984). He was invited and contributed to “The Book of Predictions” (1980). He was an AIAA Distinguished Lecturer on Space Robotics (1983-1984). He received from NASA six New Technology Awards and two Certificates of Recognition for “Creative Development of Technology” (1974 and 1979) and holds a “US Patent No. 3-568-874” for a pressure seal for Martian entry shells.

Ewald Heer is a Fellow of ASME, an Associate Fellow of AIAA, a Member of SIGMA XI and a member of The New York Academy of Science among others. He organized and chaired numerous technical conference sessions and conferences. He was Vice Chairman and Chairman of the ASME Computer Engineering Division (1981 to 1983) and General Chairman of the ASME Computers in Engineering Conference and Exhibit (1984). He authored or coauthored more than one hundred technical publications including three books. Oerzen765 (talk) 21:18, 14 July 2009 (UTC)