A Review of NASA Human-Robot Interaction in Space

Abstract

Purpose of Review This review provides an overview of the motivation, challenges, state-of-the-art, and recent research for human-robot interaction (HRI) in space. For context, we focus on NASA space missions, use cases, and systems (both flight and research). However, the discussion is broadly applicable to all activities in space that require or make use of human-robot teams. Recent Findings To date, HRI in space has largely been limited to remote interaction between humans on Earth and robots in space. This interaction is associated with telerobotic operations-from direct (manual) control to intermittent, supervisory control. Recent work, however, has begun to address a wide range of human-robot arrangements (co-located, remote, 1:1, groups, etc.). In addition, researchers have been studying human-robot teaming theory and system design, efficient interaction methods, and human-robot communication. Summary We begin by describing NASA's use of robots in space for both deep space science and human exploration. We then describe several aspects of HRI that are important for space missions, with emphasis on factors that are critical or unique for the space environment. Next, we provide a brief overview of HRI associated with space systems, including technology demonstrations. Finally, we conclude with a short survey of recent research, which will affect human-robot interaction for both Artemis missions and future missions to Mars.

A Crowd-Sourcing Project to Understand, Prevent and Manage Incidences of Injury and Wounding to Astronauts and Off-Earth Colonists

“…In 2021 the requirement for maintenance of personal space of both humans and human-like avatars has been modelled [122] and reported that discomfort-bydistance functions for both humans and avatars were closely aligned in a power relationship. This reinforces the notion that humans need personal space not just from other humans, but may also need space from human-like objects which could become important for future design of humanoid robots [123][124][125][126].…”

Human-AI teams—Challenges for a team-centered AI at work

“…Moreover, agents must be competent and empowered to make decisions when needed, without having to wait for instructions from humans, especially in extreme environments where humans must adapt to particular conditions (Hambuchen et al, 2021 ), and resources are scarce. System resilience is also of high importance as the consequences of failure, on either side (human or agent) could be catastrophic.…”

Walking Trajectory Estimation Using Multi-Sensor Fusion and a Probabilistic Step Model

“…Human localization is an active research topic with many applications, from the accurate determination of human position in teams of humans and mobile robots to the study of human biomechanics. The variety of fields implementing human–robot teams includes agriculture [ 1 ], mining [ 2 ], search-and-rescue [ 3 ], and exploration [ 4 ]. Each sector has its own requirements for safe and effective human–robot teams due to the different environments and levels of human involvement.…”