Collaborative Mixed-Reality Engineering Tool, Year 3 (MRET)
Project Description
This proposal builds upon and completes last year's successful Center Innovation Fund (CIF) proposal, Engineering Concept Design & Assembly in VR (now called the Mixed-Reality Engineering Toolkit (MRET)), to create a cutting edge, inter-center collaborative engineering tool in VR for NASA domains. Additionally, it will create an easy to use and powerful communications infrastructure for all VR NASA applications using the Goddard Mission Services Evolution Center (GMSEC) architecture. Key generic benefits include reduced cost and errors for creating concept design and assembly, reduced time for design and developing assembly and tool paths without costly 3D printing or manufacturing, reduction of errors, reduced need for a mockups and travel, and reduced costs and time needed for cognitive load awareness in telerobotics operations. Specifically, a feature-complete, beta application for Satellite Servicing Projects Division (SSPD) projects based on Restore-L requirements will be finalized..The year-end goal will be to demonstrate a real-time collaborative engineering session in VR with personnel from NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) and Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) working together on assets relevant to Langley's Engineering Design Studio (EDS). The MRET software will incorporate new features and new assets relevant to the EDS, and will develop a full-featured collaborative tool for VR using GMSEC. The tool should then be ready for application to other NASA Centers.
More »Anticipated Benefits
VR/AR has generated enormous interest across industry, academia, and NASA. Yet its potential for NASA applications has yet to be fully realized. Engineers and scientists are very excited about this potential to change how NASA does business in day to day operations, engineering and science. Significant potential to reduce costs and errors in integration and testing are obvious, but a NASA-focused VR/AR tool is needed. Similar to how looking at line charts is more intuitive than looking at rows of numbers, effort to date have demonstrated how VR/AR will enable NASA scientists and engineers to more intuitively visualize and manipulate data in many different domains. The specific goal of this effort is to enhance and finalize the MRET so that it is a high-quality, mature Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) tool for multiple engineering applications. This CIF addresses STMD's directive to "develop .... capabilities that may enable or significantly enhance future NASA missions." MRET will benefit missions that want to integrate telemetry and VR into their engineering lifecycle, from quick visualizations and fit checks of CAD models in VR, to harness routing in hardware integration & test, to telemetry-driven VR visualizations of what is happening in orbit such as solar panel deployments.
More »Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Goddard Space Flight Center
(GSFC)
|
Lead Organization | NASA Center | Greenbelt, Maryland |
Langley Research Center
(LaRC)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Hampton, Virginia |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore | Supporting Organization | Academia | Baltimore, Maryland |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Maryland
-
Massachusetts
