Virtual assistants are known to boost performance, reduce mental workload, and improve situational awareness during complex tasks, but few studies have explored how they can help astronauts quickly and safely resolve problems during long-duration space missions.
Researchers from Texas A&M University, led by Dr. Daniel Selva, have published a paper in The Journal of Aerospace Information Systems describing how their virtual assistant, Daphne-AT, can help solve spacecraft anomalies.
The system combines logic and data-driven decision-making to support astronauts in diagnosing problems.
By using real-time spacecraft data, Daphne-AT detects anomalies, identifies possible causes, and provides astronauts with guidance to resolve issues efficiently.
Virtual assistant that solves spacecraft problems
The virtual assistant will keep a constant watch on a spacecraft’s life support and environmental systems. Daphne-AT will ensure that critical levels like oxygen, carbon dioxide, and trace contaminants stay within safe ranges.
If any value moves outside the normal limits, such as a sudden drop in oxygen concentration, the system alerts astronauts and gives them guidance to fix the problem efficiently.
Daphne-AT works by pulling information from multiple data sources to diagnose problems and then providing astronauts with clear operational procedures to resolve issues quickly and calmly.
As Selva further explains, the virtual assistant uses real-time spacecraft data to detect anomalies, identify possible causes, and provide astronauts with guidance on how to resolve problems efficiently.
To see how well Daphne-AT performs, researchers tested it using a virtual reality simulation of NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) facility, with the study involving Texas A&M University graduate students with different levels of aerospace engineering knowledge and flight experience.
Speeds up problem-solving without affecting situational awareness
Results from the test showed that participants resolved spacecraft anomalies more quickly and handled more issues when using Daphne-AT compared to working without it. The study also assessed mental workload and situational awareness during simulations.
While the virtual assistant helped reduce mental workload, participants’ situational awareness remained largely unchanged regardless of whether they had assistance.
Further testing took place at NASA’s HERA facility, involving crews composed of engineers, pilots, and other specialists. Eight teams of four participants each spent 45 days inside HERA conducting a range of scientific experiments. Unlike earlier laboratory results, this study found that using Daphne-AT did not significantly change the time it took participants to resolve anomalies.
“There are only so many anomalies we can present to participants, and the trained professionals had more time with the VA and more opportunities to resolve different anomalies,” Selva noted, adding that part of the difference in results is likely due to variations in the training and experience levels of the participants.
Beyond space missions, Daphne-AT and similar virtual assistants could also support professionals like firefighters and emergency responders by offering timely information to aid decision-making and problem-solving in critical situations.