NAVI NASA SUITS

This proposal presents a visual display system called Navi for consideration as part of NASA's Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students (SUITS) Design Challenge. Navi utilizes a Microsoft HoloLens 2 augmented reality (AR) head-mounted display (HMD) to unobtrusively present information to Artemis astronauts as they complete lunar extravehicular activities (EVAs) in order to increase efficiency and decrease cognitive load. Though Navi has potential for myriad features and expansions, this round of development establishes the proof of concept and thus focuses on navigation, EVA system state, and geology sampling. The system includes a set of sub-modules based not only on the challenge requirements, but also on observations drawn from the Apollo lunar surface journals; these modules include a time manager, map and navigation system, suit tracker (e.g., telemetry, vitals, and consumables), science sampling workspace, enhanced vision system, and warning system. These modules all run concurrently on separate threads in order to ensure modularity, stability, and seamless multi-tasking. Data is shared between them via built-in Unity interfaces or a custom publisher-subscriber messaging protocol. Due to the short timeline and a desire for modularity, the Mixed Reality Toolkit (MRTK) for Unity is used to rapidly integrate these custom UI modules into a core interface running on the HoloLens 2. Expandability and redundant means of UI control is what sets Navi apart from previous SUITS projects. Early and continuous human-in-the-loop (HITL) testing will be carried out with regard to current safety measures as a means of ensuring the design meets requirements while allowing for agile pivoting. Although this testing will be ongoing, the project schedule includes appropriate time near completion for final testing and preparation as well. Pilots, astronauts, faculty advisors, scientists, and subject-matter experts will be consulted to better inform the design and function for the end user.