{"id":1112,"date":"2023-06-05T12:00:16","date_gmt":"2023-06-05T12:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isi.edu\/centers-serc\/?p=1112"},"modified":"2023-06-26T23:35:13","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T23:35:13","slug":"usc-students-advance-augmented-reality-for-artemis-astronauts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isi.edu\/centers-serc\/news\/usc-students-advance-augmented-reality-for-artemis-astronauts\/","title":{"rendered":"USC Students Advance Augmented Reality for Artemis Astronauts"},"content":{"rendered":"

As NASA pursues Artemis<\/span><\/a>, the next phase of Moon landings \u2013 and onward, to Mars \u2013 astronauts will need to be equipped with next-level kit. Central to this will be devices that enhance autonomy, communicating real-time information about geology, navigation, atmospheric conditions and vital signs, without relying solely on communications from mission control back on Earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

NASA SUITS<\/span><\/a> (Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students) leverages the bright ideas of graduate and undergraduate student teams to integrate augmented reality (AR) features into spacesuit design, creating a seamless interface that will enable astronauts to perform dangerous extravehicular activity (EVA). The goal is to increase access to information while lowering the stress of cognitive workload.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since <\/span>last year\u2019s<\/span><\/a> successful participation in NASA SUITS, USC students have further optimized their design as part of a dedicated class within the<\/span> USC Viterbi School of Engineering <\/span>Department of Astronautical Engineering<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> \u201cThe USC SUITS team is one of those unique projects that truly brings students from different disciplines together to solve real problems and advance the state of the art,\u201d said <\/span>David Barnhart<\/span><\/a>, director of the USC <\/span>Space Engineering Research Center.<\/span><\/a> \u201cThe emergence of augmented reality to enable hands-on \u201coff-world\u201d tasks provides a unique method to increase safety, efficiency and the overall ability to explore.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s \u201cTeam Aegis\u201d is a collaboration between USC and the University of California, Berkeley. Students bring perspectives and skillsets from disciplines including astronautics, mechanical and electrical engineering, computer science, UX design, and anthropology.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Between May 18-22, the team travelled to NASA\u2019s legendary Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for test week, where they pitched their prototype for SENVA 2 (Surface Exploration Navigational Visual Assistant) \u2013 an AR headset that provides crucial information to astronauts venturing outside their vehicles and into the great unknown.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The video below gives a taste of their pitch, with an emphasis on an enhanced navigational assistance, advanced computer vision kit and greater accessibility for individuals of varying abilities.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n