21st Century [ Future ] Lab *

1. 21st Century [Future] Lab* Action Plan for this year: Ten pilot programs to begin living in 21st Century the thoughts of Rich Antcliff Dennis Bushnell Charlie Harris Jerry Kegelman Technical Excellence Theme Day February 2, 2009 * White paper previously posted on NX server.

2. What is the 21st Century [Future] lab? • What is it [and what is it not]? • Why must we embrace it? • How do we get there? • What should we begin doing now?

3. Ten pilot programs to begin living in 21st Century • Institute massive telecommuting at LaRC. • Investigate the growing role of computational simulation to replace physical infrastructure. • Embrace virtual reality, virtual presence as a substitute for physical presence and physical travel. • Engage intellectually the global technical community in a virtual network. • Become an early adopter of automation for invention and ideation. • Identify the tools required for IT security to enable 21st Century Lab. • Develop a "problems repository" as part of the Center creativity and innovation plan. • Institute systemic, centerwide intelligence gathering as part of Center creativity and innovation plan. • Develop the requirements from (and for) the LaRC mission support functions to enable the 21st Century Future Lab. • Develop the required training for LaRC personnel using tele-education methods.

4. 1. Institute massive telecommuting at LaRC • Must capture the problems, what works, what does not work? • Do we allow everyone or go slow with control groups in pilot programs? • Use weekly survey to capture experiences? • Objective must be to inform center master plan (and New Town) as to how many offices we need for personnel. • ACTIONS: • i. Relax center policy and have Lesa send a CD COM to everyone. • ii. Survey companies that are using massive telecommuting to identify office requirements and IT infrastructure requirements.

5. 2. Investigate the growing role of computational simulation to replace physical infrastructure • Exploit simulation testbeds, example space commercialization is hampered by limited flight opportunities • ACTIONS: • i. Benchmark the DOE labs and their experience from decision to stop big physics nuclear experiments and use computational simulation (ASCI program) • ii. Commission GFTD to develop a functional simulation of an existing facility informed by the SOA assessment. • iii. Develop the SOA for computational simulation. What physical phenomna can we not currently compute? What facilities do we really need to test for these phenomena? When do we expect to be able to simulate this capability. What is the timeline for closing existing facilities, and in what order. • Iv. How and when will this impact the plans for New Town.

6. 3. Embrace virtual reality, virtual presence as a substitute for physical presence and physical travel • Growing improvement in technology, especially teleconferencing • Telepresence in laboratories and facilities • ACTIONS: • i. Establish a new innovation lecture series this year (Your Virtual Life) • ii. Champion virtual meetings. For example, conduct all CMC's virtually using webex and other teleconferencing capability.

7. 4. Engage intellectually the global technical community in a virtual network ACTIONS: i. Identify tools available to facilitate international networking. ii. Engage a major international partner (with a significant intellectual asset) in a pilot to explore (tightly-coupled) networked relationships iii. Task the OCC and OCIO to investigate the policy issues, barriers?

8. 5. Become an early adopter of automation for invention and ideation • Harness the growing capability of machine intelligence • ACTIONS: • i. Survey the current SOA wrt creative machine intelligence [e.g. The Steve Thaler Imagination Engine, many others] and the outlook for further development and improvements • ii. Develop plan to ensure this capability [current and going forward] is available at LaRC. Educate the staff with respect to such capabilities.

9. 6. Identify the tools required for IT security to enable 21st Century Future Lab • The proliferation of user ID's and passwords is an example of a current barrier • ACTIONS: • i. Have the OCIO lay out the future of IT security, both in terms of current actions and projected requirements and possibilities.

10. 7. Develop a "problems repository" as part of the Center creativity and innovation plan • Who do we ask for solutions? • Will require a dedicated "driver" to succeed. • ACTIONS: • i. Conduct a pilot program to develop a "NASA problems" repository* and a linked, companion “Langley solutions” repository* • *pilot will be in-house behind the Langley firewall.

11. 8. Institute systemic, centerwide intelligence gathering as part of center creativity and innovation plan • Use advanced search engines that find and deliver information to the user without the user instituting the search • ACTIONS: • i. Core down on current and projected SOA wrt Intelligent Agents. Document the Google capabilities (Google Alert) and expected future capabilities as an exemplar. • ii. Develop, project, and promulgate the functions and advantages of intelligent agents to motivate the utilization. • iii. Educate the LaRC staff on the use of the advanced tools.

12. 9. Develop the requirements from (and for) the LaRC mission support functions to enable the 21st Century Future Lab. ACTIONS: i. Investigate the growing role of remote, networked assets to provide a full spectrum of services. If most of the workforce is telecommuting, does it matter where the mission support personnel are located? ii. What new personnel needs/functions will be required if the workforce is remote (telecommuting) or is temporary and compensated on a "piecework" consignment basis.

13. 10. Develop the required training for LaRC personnel using tele-education methods ACTIONS: i. Find or develop the virtual training programs for Langley personnel. Identify what's after SATERN.

14. Next Steps • Select an initiative owner. • Commission the pilot programs. • Agree on the strategy to implement the pilots.