NASA works with technology companies to develop smart glasses

NASA is working with a San Francisco company called Osterhout Design Group, which can project information into lenses. NASA plans to develop a system to upload all kinds of guides to glasses and help them get all kinds of information when their hands are not free.

Currently, the NASA engineering team is trying to integrate software into the glasses. Later this year, NASA will test glasses in the undersea laboratory, simulating the space environment. Eventually, the product will be presented to NASA's Space flight project team.

"By this fall, the astronauts and the crew will give feedback," said Sean Carter, a NASA strategic cooperation manager for the Sien Carter Space Center in Houston. Our goal is to promote the application of this project in the near future. ”

NASA develops smart glasses for astronauts

At present, astronauts rely on the paper manual to carry out a series of operations. But in the case of a problem, they need to flip through the directory card to get information on how to solve the problem. This process is troublesome, especially in an emergency. Usually, the astronauts will call the base. However, when the spacecraft is away from Earth, voice communication will not be practical. For example, it takes 20 minutes for the message to reach Earth after the spacecraft has flown to Mars.

NASA is aware of the need for computers to solve the problem, and such devices need to be easy to fix in the case of 0 gravity. So for the past more than 10 years, NASA has been developing software to identify objects in video and to implement voice control systems. To test the application, NASA tried to fix the laptop in the astronaut's head. Although there is no weight problem in space, NASA still wants more suitable hardware to do this. Eventually, the processor developed for smartphones makes wearable computing devices a reality.

Last year, NASA began to explore wearable computing equipment for deployment. NASA staff contacted Google to see if Google glasses could achieve these functions. Google said at the time that the company wanted to focus on consumer products. But this January, Google has shifted the focus of Google's glasses to the corporate market and stopped selling to ordinary users.

Earlier this year, NASA narrowed its selection and decided to adopt smart glasses from Osterhout Design Group. The company was originally a toy manufacturer and currently sells electronic equipment to government departments. The company's products have been used by the U.S. military, as well as other customers in defence and industry.

Osterhout Design Group's head wear equipment R6 for the military users, suitable for the harsh environment. Peter Jameson, chief operating officer of the company, said: "This product provides guidance and information to users through a Pitt Jameson display, as well as checklists, directions, and eye-catching operating manuals." ”

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