AN UNDERWATER REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLE TO TEST ENHANCED HUMAN INTERFACES

THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AN UNDERWATER, REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLE (ROV) SYSTEM DESIGNED TO EVALUATE ENHANCED HUMAN INTERFACES WITH TELEROBOTIC AND AUTOMATED DEVICES THAT MAY ULTIMATELY BE USED IN SPACE. THE UNDERWATER ENVIRONMENT OFFERS AN IMMEDIATELY ACCESSIBLE "SPACE ANALOG" IN WHICH TO CONDUCT THESE TESTS. SOME OF THESE CONCEPTS, SUCH AS SPECIALIZED ELECTRONIC-VISION SYSTEMS AND AUDIO-TACTILE SENSORS FOR MANIPULATORS, HAVE ALREADY BEEN PROVED IN THE UNDERWATER ENVIRONMENT. THEY MUST, HOWEVER, BE EXAMINED FOR THEIR VIABILITY IN SPACE. THESE AND NEW IDEAS FOR HUMAN-MACHINE INTERFACES MAY BE TESTED EFFICIENTLY AND ECONOMICALLY USING THIS UNDERWATER EXPERIMENTAL PLATFORM. POSITIONAL-CORRESPONDENT CONTROL OF THE ROV, ITS VIDEO CAMERAS, AND MANIPULATOR SYSTEM WILL HELP TO PROVIDE THE OPERATOR WITH A "TELEPRESENT" SENSE, THAT OF PHYSICALLY BEING PRESENT AT THE REMOTE SITE. CERTAIN LEVELS OF COMPUTERIZED AUTOMATION WILL BE REQUIRED TO ENHANCE THE CAPABILITIES OF THE HUMAN OPERATOR. ULTIMATELY, THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL RESULT IN A TELEPRESENT ROV CAPABLE OF MODERATE SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL TASKS. ITS OPEN-ENDED DESIGN WILL ALLOW IT TO SERVE AS A TEST BED FOR FUTURE TELEROBOTIC CONCEPTS THAT MAY APPLY TO SPACE STATION ASSEMBLY, OR TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND EXPLORATION ON MARS AND OTHER PLANETS. THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AN UNDERWATER, REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLE (ROV) SYSTEM DESIGNED TO EVALUATE ENHANCED HUMAN INTERFACES WITH TELEROBOTIC AND AUTOMATED DEVICES THAT MAY ULTIMATELY BE USED IN SPACE. THE UNDERWATER ENVIRONMENT OFFERS AN IMMEDIATELY ACCESSIBLE "SPACE ANALOG" IN WHICH TO CONDUCT THESE TESTS. SOME OF THESE CONCEPTS, SUCH AS SPECIALIZED ELECTRONIC-VISION SYSTEMS AND AUDIO-TACTILE SENSORS FOR MANIPULATORS, HAVE ALREADY BEEN PROVED IN THE UNDERWATER ENVIRONMENT. THEY MUST, HOWEVER, BE EXAMINED FOR THEIR VIABILITY IN SPACE. THESE AND NEW IDEAS FOR HUMAN-MACHINE INTERFACES MAY BE TESTED EFFICIENTLY AND ECONOMICALLY USING THIS UNDERWATER EXPERIMENTAL PLATFORM. POSITIONAL-CORRESPONDENT CONTROL OF THE ROV, ITS VIDEO CAMERAS, AND MANIPULATOR SYSTEM WILL HELP TO PROVIDE THE OPERATOR WITH A "TELEPRESENT" SENSE, THAT OF PHYSICALLY BEING PRESENT AT THE REMOTE SITE. CERTAIN LEVELS OF COMPUTERIZED AUTOMATION WILL BE REQUIRED TO ENHANCE THE CAPABILITIES OF THE HUMAN OPERATOR. ULTIMATELY, THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL RESULT IN A TELEPRESENT ROV CAPABLE OF MODERATE SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL TASKS. ITS OPEN-ENDED DESIGN WILL ALLOW IT TO SERVE AS A TEST BED FOR FUTURE TELEROBOTIC CONCEPTS THAT MAY APPLY TO SPACE STATION ASSEMBLY, OR TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND EXPLORATION ON MARS AND OTHER PLANETS.