The future of lunar missions is about to get a groundbreaking upgrade! Cislune and UCF are joining forces to revolutionize decision-making for astronauts, and it’s all thanks to an innovative simulation.
NASA-funded research is pushing the boundaries of human-machine trust, aiming to ensure the safety and success of future space exploration. The key player in this mission? A virtual reality headset that transports users to the moon, where they can practice making critical decisions alongside autonomous systems.
But here’s where it gets fascinating: trust isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential. When humans return to the moon, they’ll be accompanied by robotic machines, and building trust between astronauts and AI will be crucial for mission success. This is where Cislune’s expertise in space mission operations and UCF’s prowess in VR simulations come into play.
The collaboration has already yielded impressive results. Phase I of the project, led by UCF’s Gerd Bruder, created a moon mission simulator that optimizes interactions between astronauts and autonomous systems. This technology promises to reduce the cognitive burden on astronauts while providing vital data for decision-making.
And this is the part most people miss: the project isn’t just about technology. It’s about understanding human behavior and trust in high-pressure situations. By studying decision support systems in healthcare, the team gained valuable insights into how practitioners assess systems under risk and time constraints, which has direct implications for space missions.
The simulator prototype, developed by the interdisciplinary