Simulation for Crew Operations Support and Just In Time Training

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Simulation for Crew Operations Support and Just
In Time Training

• Presented by
• Abe Megahed
• ORBITEC Orbital Technologies Corp., Madison,
  Wisconsin
• Space Operations Conference,
• Friday, May 6, 2005 Houston, TX

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Outline

• Motivation for the research
• Some background on current NASA training
  practices
• Our approach to the problem
• Demos
• Next steps and future directions
• Questions

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Traditionally, Training for Spaceflight Was For
Short Duration Missions

• Fewer systems to learn fewer payloads
• Relatively fixed mission architecture and
  objectives
• No changes of crew responsibilities
• On-orbit maintenance only when absolutely
  necessary and possible
• Minimal crew overload concerns

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Long Duration Spaceflight Aboard ISS Involves a
New Set of Challenges...

• Increased system complexity
• Must allow for more flexible operations
• Maintaining proficiency over time
• Smaller crew size thanoriginally anticipated
• On-orbit maintenance is a necessity
• Crews must be able to actively carryout
  scientific experiments

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...That Will RequireNew Training Techniques

• Just in time training
• enables more flexible operations
• Refresher training
• allows crews to maintain proficiency
• Collaboration
• allows crews to work with a distributed network
  of scientific experts
• allows crews to work with an international
  network of technical experts

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Current NASA Training Practices

• Systems Training
• Many safety critical systems
• Many construction and maintenance procedures
• Integrate training from many levels of systems
  from many of the NASA centers
• Payload Training
• Limited crew time and number
• Focus on nominal operations only
• Integrate scientist, payload developer, Payload
  Ops Control, Safety, Crew Training, Ops
  Verification

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Current NASA Training Techniques

• Ground Training
• Crew Trainers (people)
• Text Based Procedures
• CBTs
• Special Trainers (High Fidelity Mock-ups and
  Simulations)
• Flight Training
• Text Based Procedures
• A few OBTS (on board CBTs)

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High Fidelity Mock-ups and Simulations

• Immersive VR
• Shuttle Flight Simulator
• Shuttle / ISS Docking Simulator
• Desktop VR Trainers
• Hubble Trainer
• SAFER Trainer
• Physical Trainers
• Full Scale ISS Mock-up and Ops Simulation
• Neutral Buoyancy Facility
• Zero-G Aircraft etc.

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CBTs

• Most are Web Based NASA uses a standard HTML
  template
• Run on standard crew laptops
• Use mostly text and still graphics
• Some, but few interactive CBTs

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Crew Laptops

• Current Generation
• IBM 760 XD
• 166 MHz CPU
• Same as the computers used for flight
• Next Generation
• 1 GHz CPU
• OpenGL Graphics

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Crew Trainers and Text Based Procedures

• Lots of text based procedures
• Example

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Benefits of a Visual Approach

• Quicker understanding of spatial relationships
• More complete understanding of spatial
  relationships
• Animation aids understanding of dynamic
  procedures and processes
• More amenable to understanding by an
  international crew

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Usability (Human Factors) Benefits of 3D
Simulation

• Unrestricted point of view (6 degrees of
  freedom)
• Interactivity takes advantage of the integrated
  brain-hand-eye perceptual system
• Unlimited range of simulated response - like the
  difference between a video game and a movie

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The Hands-On Problem

• Limitation No tactile feedback for working
  with mechanical equipment
• Solution Provide a small BUSY BOX of
  connectors, latches and other physical components
  to accompany the 3D simulations at a fraction of
  the cost of a full physical simulator

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Technical Benefitsof 3D Simulation

• Potentially small file sizes - no pixels
• Low bandwidth collaboration capability
• 3D simulations are easy to internationalize and
  to maintain due to their extremely modular nature

Raster (pixel) image - up to 1 MB
Vector (polygon) image - 10 to 30 K
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Past Use of 3D Simulation

• Limited applications things that can not be
  trained for any other way.
• Motion simulators
• The SAFER 3D simulation based trainer
• The ISS / Space Shuttle docking simulator
• The Hubble Space Telescope Repair Training System
• Space shuttle flight dynamics simulation
• It has generally not been used for
• Procedures training
• Payload training

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Why is 3D Simulation NOT Used More Often
?!

• 1) Too expensive
• Expensive custom software development
• Expensive specialized computer graphics hardware
  - true in the past, but no longer!
• 2) Too difficult
• VR systems are difficult to apply effectively due
  to cumbersome software and hardware
• VR systems can be difficult to set up and
  maintain - usually requires specialized personnel

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Our Approach Lightweight 3D Simulation

• Emphasizes PRACTICALITY over REALISM
• Our definition includes the following
  requirements
• 1) Must have small file sizes for electronic
  distribution
• 2) Must use COTS portable computer hardware
• for on orbit use
• for use by astronauts in training (who travel
  often)
• 3) Must be relatively easy to create and modify
  so they can be economically applied to a broad
  range of problems

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Technical Innovations That Enable Lightweight 3D
Simulation

• Software
• Rapid Application Development (RAD) system for 3D
  simulation
• The Web

• Hardware
• Portable, high powered, 3D capable computer
  hardware
• Faster CPUs and GPUs

Hypercosm RAD
Web Browser
Pentium CPU
Nvidia GPU
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Software Innovations Rapid Applications
Development (RAD) for 3D

• An interpreted scripting language with 3D
  extensions (Like Visual Basic, but for 3D
  simulation)
• Language is safe, like Java, but easy to read
  like BASIC
• Cross platform (Java calls this characteristic
  write once, run anywhere).
• Can run within a web browsers and integrate with
  other Internet based standards

Hypercosm RAD
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Benefits of the RAD Method

• Speed of content creation
• Relatively easy-to-learn
• Safe and robust (no program crashing)
• Ease of maintenance - less simulation program
  code to maintain
• Retains the flexibility of programming but with
  much less hassle than C programming
• Platform independence

Windows
Macintosh
Linux
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Hardware Innovations Portable 3D Graphics
Computing
Graphics Workstation or Supercomputer
Portable Laptop orHandheld Computer
Desktop PC
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Demonstrations

• MERLIN Microgravity Experiment Research Locker
  Incubator Training System.
• Developed under NASA SBIR Phase III contract in
  2004
• Payloads first scheduled flight in STS-115

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Merlin Simulator Facts and Figures

• Content
• 21 animated procedures
• composed of over 300 separate animations
• 3 detailed models (Merlin, Ladr, Express Rack)
• File Size
• 8.1 Megabytes Total 30K per animation
• Development Time
• Approx. 3-4 months development time

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Part 1 Procedures Simulator

• Features
• Pre-scripted animation sequences
• Arbitrary 3d view
• Applications
• Payload and Systems assembly and maintenance
• Medical procedures
• Just-in-time training
• Refresher training

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Part 2 Interactive 3d Model

• Features
• Direct manipulation
• Arbitrary animation / behavior
• Applications
• Off-nominal situations
• Space Ops / Mission Control
• Equipment familiarization
• Allows self evaluation during training

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Part 3 Collaborative 3D Simulation

• Features
• Breaks through the Bandwidth Barrier which often
  prevents video based techniques from being used
• Applications
• Useful for off-nominal situations
• Useful for interaction with ground based experts
• Valuable tool for Mission Control
• Flexibility for Real Time Training

Two Early Victims of the Bandwidth Barrier
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Evaluation of 3D Training Systems

• Hypercosm training systems have been evaluated by
  trainers at ORBITEC, JSC, and by the following
  astronauts

Mark Lee
Nancy Currie
Dan Bursch
Peggy Whitson
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Exploration Applications

• ISS, CEV system training and maintenance
• 3D interface to integrated vehicle health
  monitoring (IVHM) systems
• Electronic on-demand simulation training library
• Design aid from PDR through operations support
• Integrated 3D display in next generation EVA
  suits / wearable computers

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Future Technologies

• Expanded automated model generation
• Expanded database integration
• Collaboration in Secure network environment
• Agents
• Augmented reality
• Natural language interfaces
• Voice recognition

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Contact Information

• Orbital Technologies Corporation (Orbitec)
• 1212 Fourier Drive Madison, WI
• Phone [phone] Fax [phone]
• www.orbitec.com
• Tom Crabb (vice-president)Mark Lee (flight
  operations)Abe Megahed (software architect)

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Thank You!