Development of an Augmented Reality Interface to Aid Astronauts in Extravehicular Activities

NASA's projected return to the lunar surface with the Artemis program opens the possibility for technological developments that maximize human exploration in ways that were unimaginable during the Apollo program. Specifically, the implementation of heads-up displays (HUD) has the potential to greatly increase astronaut performance during extravehicular activities (EVA) by increasing their situational awareness, providing relevant scientific resources, and presenting live personal biometric data that can safeguard mission success and astronaut health. Though they are an excellent mechanism for conveying information without incurring unnecessary physical strain, the implementation of heads-up displays in the vacuum of space presents challenges including: illumination variance; brightness; contrast; interface control mechanisms; and the general volume of data that can be conveyed without inducing cognitive burnout through clutter. To satisfy the desire to improve astronaut performance with HUDs while also accounting for the above design challenges, ALEXEI, short for Augmented Lunar Exploration and Extravehicular Interface, was developed in the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) Spacesuit Utilization of Innovative Technology Laboratory (S.U.I.T. Lab) to be an augmented reality interface that can enhance an astronauts ability to conduct successful, scientifically relevant EVAs on the lunar surface. The resulting deliverable was created for the 2020 NASA SUITS (Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students) Challenge and balances features that past and current astronauts have expressed a functional desire for while also being cautious of human limitations in terms of visualizing and synthesizing information. Those features include a simplistic visual appearance, which displays a breadth of information that monitors mission progress, provides detailed instructions of mission tasks, and displays biometric vital signs, while only requiring a minimalistic level of input control. Future development of this system will include implementing silent speech control (sponsored by the ERAU Office of Undergraduate Research), which reduces the amount of physical strain needed to control the interface, a robust navigational aid, and user testing in a high-fidelity environment to confirm the usability of the interface. Continued refinement of this device will meet 2021 NASA SUITS Challenge objectives and continue the S.U.I.T. Lab's mission of human-centric design to aid in exploration of the cosmos. The following paper will discuss the history of EVA mission architecture, current methodologies used to aid astronauts on EVA, demonstrate the need for AR display technology in an EVA environment, describe the human factors principles that guided the design of ALEXEI, and discuss the plans for future development and testing.