Being in the ranks of an astronaut doesn’t come easy. And sorting those endless instructions and gear knobs on the space shuttle mustn’t be easy too – ask someone whose been in there, he will tell you better. To simplify things in there, especially on the International Space Station, researches at the European Space Agency have developed a Wearable Augmented Reality system.
The WEAR as the ESA calls this, is a hands-free and voice-activated AR system that overlay an astronaut’s intended move and information over the real-life object in the shuttle. Assisted by the cameras over the control panel, which record astronaut’s movements in particular situation, and then gel the same well with the shuttle’s 3D map, projecting when needed the information over a head mounted display the astronaut wears.
The device has been tested in the ISS and has shown positive results. The WEAR was used by an astronaut in replacing an air filter. It has potential and the applications can be varying – ESA has already got a plan underway to set this up for the firefighters, but the list can definitely be longer.
