LONDON: NASA is sending Microsoft’s virtual reality headset to the International Space Station (ISS) to beam back to the Earth what astronauts see in space.
NASA and Microsoft are teaming up to develop Sidekick, a new project using commercial technology to empower astronauts aboard the ISS. A pair of the tech giant’s devices called HoloLens is scheduled to launch on SpaceX’s seventh commercial resupply mission to the station on June 28.
“HoloLens and other virtual and mixed reality devices are cutting-edge technologies that could help drive future exploration and provide new capabilities to the men and women conducting critical science on the International Space Station,” said Sam Scimemi, director of the ISS programme at the NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The goal of Sidekick is to enable station crews with assistance when and where they need it.
This new capability could reduce crew training requirements and increase work efficiency in space. Sidekick has two modes of operation. The first is “Remote Expert Mode”, which uses Skype to allow a ground operator to see what a crew member sees, provide real-time guidance and draw annotations into the crew member’s environment to coach him or her through a task.
The second mode is “Procedure Mode”, which augments standalone procedures with animated holographic illustrations displayed on top of the objects with which the crew is interacting.
