Today I’m wrapping up the series on Virtual Reality in Space Training. I’m going to look into Future Prospects, provide a comparative analysis to traditional methods (how long before “traditional” becomes “antiquated” and the “New Virtual Reality” methods become “traditional?), present some perspective accounts from astronauts who have used VR training, and end it all up with some technology implications from current conditions. Let’s dive in.
Future Prospects
Need will always drive innovation, and this topic is no exception. We can expect that consumer VR experiences will benefit from advances in the equipment and software used in space training. Hardware and software integration improvements will provide better haptic experiences, such as the feeling of a heavy object in your hand, and the sensations created by a piece of machinery producing vibrations. Users will be able to feel the shape of an object in its real size, such as cylinders of different diameters. Current consumer hardware and software will also contribute to the development of space training systems, improving communications and collaboration. As we have seen with televisions, VCRs, and computers, as the technology components mature, VR equipment will come down in price both for consumers and for space agencies. Agencies should be able, as a result, to further improve training, and consumers may eventually be able to experience a closer reality to a space experience. Can you see how a science class can benefit from being able to follow an astronaut on a spacewalk?
We will see an increase of VR being combined with Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). As a result, astronauts will be afforded even more immersive and realistic simulations of space environments. They will be able to receive better and more useful feedback , guidance, and support from experts, holograms, or virtual assistants. The aggregation of the technologies will reach out into education, medical procedures, entertainment, industrial practices, and engineering.
At this point, I need to introduce two other terms, Extended Reality and Mixed Reality. Extended Reality (XR) is sort of a catch-all term that indicates any technology that combines or imitates real and virtual environments. It can be any combination of VR, AR, and Mixed Reality (MR). MR blends real and simulated environments to create something new and different. The terms are different in subtle ways, and it’s way too deep to get into here. Maybe in a future post. Getting into the weeds on the different technologies, though, means that astronaut training will be bringing in data and images from many different sources to create even more realistic training. From that, we can see that medical training, sports training, acting and singing, technology training, mechanical training, engineering, …. I can see that we should be able to learn everything this way. Training programs that today are centralized to one location, like some medical fields, can be offered to even remote students.
Comparative Analysis
To sort of summarize what I’ve been talking about, I thought a table would say it better
| VR TRAINING | TRADITIONAL TRAINING |
| 3-4 times faster and takes about 30 minutes to complete a session | Much slower – takes about 2.5 hours to complete a session |
| Can reduce training time by 40% and improve employee performance by 70% | Can be expensive, time-consuming, difficult to scale; requires travel, accommodation, and instructor fees; exposes learners to hazards and risks |
| Provides a consistent experience for all learners, as training is designed to be repeatable and scalable | Relies heavily on the instructor to guide the learning experience, which can lead to inconsistencies in training quality |
What Has User Experience Been for People Who Have Used it?
Some quotes from actual users:
“For the astronaut in training, it’s very much like being in the physical simulator. This means that a crew of astronauts can train on the physical simulator and the VR simulator at the same time.” — Nicole Mann, NASA astronaut and Boeing Starliner crew member
“It really gives us a way of sharing our experiences, which are so difficult to put into words for other people that haven’t had the experience themselves.” — Jessica Meir, NASA astronaut and ISS crew member
“By recreating physical locations in VR, you can simulate environments that are not easily accessible, or require extensive training.” — Andre Kuipers, ESA astronaut and ISS crew member
And lest we think it’s all a walk in the park using VR, there’s a learning curve:
“The learning curve is very steep, but once you get used to it, it’s also very intuitive and natural. You feel like you’re really there, and you can manipulate things with your hands.” — Andre Kuipers
“It’s a very different way of learning, but it’s very effective. You can practice as many times as you want, and you can get immediate feedback from the system or the instructor. It’s like having a personal tutor in VR.” — Jessica Meir
“It’s a bit challenging at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s very fun and rewarding. You can explore different scenarios and environments, and you can learn from your mistakes without any consequences.” — Thomas Pesquet, ESA astronaut and ISS crew member
New Developments that will Impact Space Training
A company named Varjo has produced a human-eye resolution VR device. The device will allow astronauts to train for every step of the mission — launch, docking, landing, and every step in between — in a realistic and immersive environment. Additionally, there are devices, physical devices, that interact with the virtual environments and provide haptic feedback. These devices are called Hardware-in-the-loop. We may expect to see Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) that will enable direct communication between the human brain and the VR systems. The interface communication will allow for more intuitive and natural control of virtual objects and environments. Also on the horizon are advanced motion capture systems, which can track body movements and gestures, then translate them into VR. That produces more accurate and expressive interactions with virtual characters and the virtual environments.
Customization and Personalization
One of the most significant personality traits of using VR for any type of training is the ability to customize the training environment and personalize the activities to fit the learner and the mission. Varjo’s human-eye resolution VR devices can help create customized scenarios for each astronaut, based on each specific role, task, and to accommodate changes in the mission. The customization aspect will make it easier to bring in the Hardware-in-the-loop options, including items that directly match the equipment in the space environment. BCIs will allow the training staff to monitor and adjust the difficulty, feedback, and guidance in the VR training, as indicated by the learner’s cognitive state, learning style, and performance.
International Collaboration
The International Space Station is truly an international endeavor, but that’s not the only place where the world meets to learn. A global project-based course called Sky Classroom is teaching global engineering collaboration skills to students from all over the world, designing buildings in different locations and contexts using VR. NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are using VR to train astronauts to train for another moon landing, the Artemis program. While these are just two efforts, as the technology progresses, we should expect to see more collaboration on international projects, not just in space, but terrestrially as well.
Whew — that was a lot of reading and writing. I’ve enjoyed the process, though, and I hope you found these posts interesting. I’m always interested to see emerging technologies implemented in existing activities. I remember how fun the Wii’s motion sensor made those early games, and how primitive that seems now. It won’t be long before I can take a virtual walk on Mars! What excites you about VR and space? Drop a comment below and let’s talk about it.
In the meantime, here’s the links to all the places I visited to write this segment:
Varjo & Boeing: A New Era in Astronaut Training using Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality vs. Traditional Training Methods: Which is More Effective? (facilitate.tech)
VR vs Traditional Training & When You Should Adopt it – Future Visual
Does VR training cost less than traditional methods? (virtualmedicalcoaching.com)
xrguru.com/blog/2022/06/the-important-difference-between-augmented-reality-and-mixed-reality
AR vs. VR vs. MR vs. XR: What’s the Difference? (lifewire.com)
VR vs. AR vs. MR: Types of Digital Reality Explained (howtogeek.com)
Augmented Reality Goes Mainstream | Air & Space Forces Magazine (airandspaceforces.com)
Immersive Training Devices: Blending Real and Simulated Worlds Together | Lockheed Martin
Astronaut training – Wikipedia
How NASA uses virtual reality to train astronauts – Space Center Houston
Walking through space in NASA’s Virtual Reality Lab (youtube.com)