Augmented Reality for the Support of Space Exploration Missions and On-Ground/On-Orbit Operations

Abstract

The work presented in this paper is the result of two different but connected studies related to the adoption of Augmented Reality (AR) technologies in the field of space exploration and operations scenarios. During the first three years study an innovative Graphical User Interface (GUI) utilizing Augmented Reality technologies (GUI-AR) have been developed for space exploration scenarios and relevant interaction methods and metaphors have been conceived. The second study, named EdcAR, commissioned by ESA and currently ongoing, has always to do with AR technologies but this time in two different operational scenarios. In the first scenario the AR system is used to support on-ground operators during telecommunications satellites integration and testing activities while the second scenario deals with on-board training and the ground control remote support to the crew during malfunction and recovery activities onboard the ISS. The final AR system demonstrator will be delivered to ESA on October 2016.

Appendix: Acronyms

AIT:

Assembly Integration and Testing

AIV:

Assembly Integration and Verification

AR:

Augmented Reality

DoF:

Degree of Freedom

EVA:

Extra Vehicular Activity

FOV:

Field Of View

FPS:

Frames Per Second

GUI:

Graphical User Interface

HMD:

Head Mounted Display

HMI:

Human Machine Interface

ICCS:

Institute of Communications and Computer Systems

ISS:

International Space Station

IVA:

Intra Vehicular Activity

TAS-F:

Thales Alenia Space France

TAS-I:

Thales Alenia Space Italia

UA:

Ubiquitous Arm

VR:

Virtual Reality

VTT:

Technical Research Centre of Finland