Industrial Design . Prototyping & Testing

The Future of Human-Robot Interaction in Space

The digital and technological landscape is continually accelerating and advances in artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are enabling fresh and exciting design opportunities. Through our work with the Hamlyn Centre at Imperial College London, we had the opportunity to work on a project that exploits new advances in AI and AR/VR technologies to improve performance during human-robot interaction (HRI) tasks in space.

As part of the FAIR-SPACE project, or the Future AI & Robotics for Space project, the team focused on remotely operated tasks in potentially unsafe environments for astronauts – many of which are extremely critical. Failure to complete these tasks in time can result in the loss of millions of dollars and even put the lives of crew members in danger.

Integrated System

The project focused on three key elements: the headset, helmet and outer suit. It was key to design these parts holistically in order to ensure the overall system functioned as needed. New and emerging and advanced technologies were integrated into each element in order to take spacesuit design to the next level.

AR / VR Headset

Future space exploration will rely on collaboration between human astronauts and robotics. The headset utilities augmented reality (AR) with eye tracking to improve operator efficiency, decrease mental workload and provide better situational awareness in HRI applications. The headset enables astronauts to take advantage of the technology in every scenario, even when not using the suit or helmet.

EEG

EEG sensors are incorporated into the headset to enable live monitoring of the astronaut and provide critical feedback to the operator, crew and ground control. This functionality also complements the suit’s user interface and assists in controlling advanced features, overall enhancing astronaut performance.

Helmet

The top priority of any spacesuit design is to keep the crew safe from the dangers of space exploration. After safety, mobility was a fundamental aspect that informed our design choices. We redesigned the traditional helmet, infamous for its restrictive movement, and developed a protective shield that allows maximum visibility and flexibility.

Outer Suit

The spacesuit is comprised of multiple layers: the innermost layer for monitoring of physiological signals, while an outer assistive layer supports musculoskeletal movements. This suit monitors a variety of different signals, including heart rate and a reaction to stress called galvanic skin response, in which increased sweating changes the electrical characteristics of the skin. This information is combined to determine an individual’s stress levels, with the aim of better understanding and improving performance.