A Multimodal Communication Platform for IVA/EVA Teaming
Allison Porter, Human Systems Laboratory

Abstract: Human missions to Mars are fast approaching, with current NASA timelines planning these missions for the 2040s. Extended transmission delays between Earth and Mars will require crews to function autonomously in small, distributed teams that operate at high levels of cooperation, coordination, and cohesion, in spite of the numerous stressors that spaceflight imposes on humans that can impact performance and behavioral health. A team-based, mixed reality communication platform is proposed to augment communication practices, mitigating performance risks and reducing the probability of operational errors. This work details three aims: 1) investigate and identify optimal performance metrics and EVA task mapping, 2) develop a proof-of-concept multimodal mixed reality communication platform for autonomous, distributed IVA/EVA teaming, and 3) platform evaluation during an operationally relevant task in laboratory, extreme, and spaceflight analog environments.

For Zoom information, contact Liz Zotos. (zotos at mit dot edu)