Objective:

Manned planetary exploration will require on-site coordination of astronauts, robotic vehicles, and operations crew. This task will develop a distributed architecture for simulation and coordination of work systems, including software agents hosted on vehicles and in spacesuit backpacks. Research topics include agent configurations and task assignments, interface modalities, mixed-initiative communication protocols, and monitoring/critiquing roles for specific mission tasks. For surface exploration, the system will include model-based control of life support, communications, and rover activities. Communications modes will include both speech and helmet display interfaces. Specific advances will include integration of astronaut location and biosensor tracking; voice commanding to name locations and annotate samples; and remote communications with time delay. Investigators will study best practices of operations across NASA centers, and will design systems to maintain safety and efficiency in case of component failure.

Applications:

Support for surface EVA on the Moon and Mars; coordination of field teams; work practice studies; design of mission tasks, schedules, and environments.

NASA Benefit:

This research task supports advanced human/robotic teamwork and mobile surface systems for planetary exploration. It will integrate several intelligent systems technologies to support astronauts during planetary EVAs on Mars or the Moon, including life support, communications control, and spoken-language and visual interfaces to rovers and other intelligent agents. A single system will be developed for both simulation and real-time field support. Component technologies will include the Brahms agent-based tool set, RIALIST spoken-dialogue system, and MEX wireless communication system. Field data and work practice analysis from the Exploration Robotic Assistant (ERA) team at JSC and the Haughton-Mars Project will guide development. Other collaborators include the ScienceOrganizer team from Ames, the Mars Society, the Knowledge Media Institute (KMi) of the Open University and the Intelligence, Agents, and Multimedia group (IAM) of the University of Southampton.

Keywords:

distributed team operations coordination, voice commanding, EVA field work practices simulation

Prior Technology:

Apollo CapCom interaction with astronauts (limited by communications delay).

FY04 Milestone:

Safety and efficiency despite part failures; best practices study.

FY04 Quadchart Slide:

HCC_DIR_Clancey_MblAgt.ppt.

Accomplishments:

Data integration; data distribution with time delay; model-based advisory/aiding subsystems; mission status monitoring; team coordination and remote interaction; simulated multi-sol operations, with carryover of incomplete work; selective forgetting.

Related Web Pages:

Research group page.

Contacts:

William J. Clancey (PI), Ames Research Center (Code TI).
Maarten Sierhuis (Project Manager), USRA RIACS.
Ronnie J.J. van Hoof (Brahms Lead), QSS Group, Inc. at ARC.
John T. Dowding (RIALIST Lead), USRA RIACS.
Jeffrey S. Graham (ERA Lead), Johnson Space Center.
Richard L. Alena (MEX Lead), Ames Research Center (Code TI).
Sékou S. Crawford (Bio-Vest Lead), Stanford Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.
Kimberly S. Tyree (Co-I), Johnson Space Center.