Next Generation Augmented Reality based User Interfaces for NASA’s Gateway
NASA’s Gateway seeks to establish an autonomous platform to refine and mature short- and long-duration deep space exploration capabilities through the 2020s. It is expected to be assembled in a lunar orbit where it can be used as a staging point for missions to the Moon and other destinations in deep space. In general, this Gateway can evolve for different mission needs (involving exploration, science, commercial and international partners). However, user interfaces for autonomous systems is an emerging area where knowledge and implementation concepts are still in their infancy.
The overall objective of this X-Hab project (which was funded by NASA) was to design innovative Augmented Reality (AR) User Interfaces (UIs) to support autonomous operations of NASA’s proposed Gateway and associated modules. The interfaces were designed bearing in mind the primary functionalities they need to support which would be to enable crew and ground support to perform various operational functions including access to control for operations. Specifically, our project objectives were to create AR based interfaces to assist training of astronauts in performing 2 activities within the Gateway: (a) performing laptop related service tasks such as replacing a memory board (b) transporting payloads within the Gateway.
The overall AR based user interface was designed with an emphasis on user centric design, adoption of next generation Augmented Reality technologies, Systems Engineering and Software Engineering principles.
Views of the 2 AR based User Interfaces to train astronauts both inside the Gateway: (a) to perform service tasks on the laptop (b) to perform payload transport tasks
PUBLICATION
J. Cecil , R. Krishnamurthy, S. Kennison, A. Gupta, N. Murakonda, A. Lopez, N. Crosby, N. Zimmer, K. Venkatramanan, M. Bhakta, T. Skinner, S. Olivero, H. Walston, M. Miftah (2020). Design of Augmented Reality based user interfaces for Gateway contexts in support of the Moon Mission. In AIAA AVIATION 2020 FORUM (p. 3203).