Mixed reality helps find places for bases on Mars
April 12, 1961 Yuri Gagarin made the first flight into space. Today is the 57th anniversary of this memorable date. Over the years, the space industry has developed to the point that people are already going to colonize Mars. And Microsoft does not remain indifferent to this process. Under the cut, you will find a translation of an article by our British colleagues on the use of the company's technology for the development of space research. Join now!
Congratulations to all on the holiday!
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NASA uses Microsoft HoloLens in its search for the best places on Mars. There it is planned to build bases on which astronauts-explorers of the planet will settle down after some time.
Jay Torres is part of the NASA group, which is developing a project called Rover , which will be used when flying to the Red Planet in 2020 to explore the landscape, collect samples and search for life. Jay recreates Mars using real data and HoloLens, the Microsoft mixed reality headset. With this, scientists on Earth have the opportunity to better know the planet, and astronauts can prepare for life in space.
Instead of placing users in a completely computer world, as virtual reality does, HoloLens allows users to place 3D models in space next to them.
At a special event in the London office of Microsoft, Torres showed how NASA experts can use data taken from previous missions to Mars, upload them to HoloLens and allow scientists to “walk” on Mars and explore its surface without leaving their own office. Torres was asked if the device could be used to find places where astronauts could build bases. "Absolutely," he replied. Then Torres was asked if NASA was doing this. “Yes,” he said.
“We put HoloLens on scientists, and they immediately went to the highest point on Mars and looked down to where they were at the beginning. I asked them why. They said they would do it on Mars to get an idea of it. They already acted as if they were on Mars. "
Brown University researchers recently released the first map of one of the three areas of the world (Northeast Syrtis Major) to which NASA can send its 2020 Rover to study. Using the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft , they discovered large mineral deposits in the area. Rover could take samples of the soil to determine how the planet has changed over time and whether life was there at some point. Other sites considered are the crater Jezero , which was once a lake, and the Colombian hills. NASA will make the final decision regarding the landing site in 2019.
Ben Riggs, a mechanical engineer working on Mars 2020 Rover, uses Protospace for HoloLens to "interact with the Rover model in a natural, intuitive way while communicating with other people in the room." He told those present at the Vision VR / AR summit in Hollywood that the Rover design team uses HoloLens to assess any potential problems with the mission long before the launch. “Finding potential problems early in the design process is vital to project success, and the Protospace tool gives us that opportunity,” he said.
This is just one example of using HoloLens to prepare for space flight. Astronaut Scott Kelly used the device to perform tasks on the International Space Station, talking to colleagues on Earth via Skype (see the video below); spacecraft designers used technology to improve their equipment; NASA even used HoloLens to organize an exhibit on Mars at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon.
Lorraine Bardin , general manager of Microsoft HoloLens and Windows Experiences, said that not only NASA uses HoloLens. More companies are using the device to become more efficient and ultimately better serve their customers.
“More and more companies are beginning to understand and enjoy the benefits of HoloLens and mixed reality. The ecosystem thrives around HoloLens, which makes it easier for customers than ever to create HoloLens solutions, and we look forward to the future, waiting for innovation in mixed reality. "
Torres, whose official position is Deputy Rover Planning Subsystem Lead at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, says that in many cases using HoloLens on Earth to explore space is better than sending a man in a rocket.
“The virtual world is better than the real one. We can allow scientists to use "superpower" that they would not have, even standing on Mars. We can let them fly high above the mountains and dunes or go to the valleys. We can help them see the landscape and the rocks better, and we can give them x-ray vision to see underground. We can show them Mars in a way that they would never have seen with his usual gaze. All this can be done using HoloLens. ”
So far, NASA scientists have studied 2D images of Mars to find interesting rocks and mineral deposits. However, it was difficult for them to judge distances and angles using flat images. Using HoloLens allows you to make location predictions more than three times as accurate. Experts from around the world can join the research and contribute their own points of view, as well as get to know the opinions of others.
Torres believes that it can stimulate "thousands" of people using HoloLens to "join" astronauts in their future journey to Mars.
“In 1969, when we first landed a man on the moon, people were glued to their televisions, when they watched as these grainy images were sent back by astronauts,” he said. “I believe that when we land on Mars, and we land on Mars, the astronauts will be“ not alone. ” They are joined by hundreds, if not thousands of people. You can call them "Telenauts". These Telenauts will see not only what astronauts see, but many other things, from orbiters to their names. I believe that the future of space research has begun. ”
Our HoloLens page .
Congratulations to all on the holiday!
')
NASA uses Microsoft HoloLens in its search for the best places on Mars. There it is planned to build bases on which astronauts-explorers of the planet will settle down after some time.
Jay Torres is part of the NASA group, which is developing a project called Rover , which will be used when flying to the Red Planet in 2020 to explore the landscape, collect samples and search for life. Jay recreates Mars using real data and HoloLens, the Microsoft mixed reality headset. With this, scientists on Earth have the opportunity to better know the planet, and astronauts can prepare for life in space.
Instead of placing users in a completely computer world, as virtual reality does, HoloLens allows users to place 3D models in space next to them.
At a special event in the London office of Microsoft, Torres showed how NASA experts can use data taken from previous missions to Mars, upload them to HoloLens and allow scientists to “walk” on Mars and explore its surface without leaving their own office. Torres was asked if the device could be used to find places where astronauts could build bases. "Absolutely," he replied. Then Torres was asked if NASA was doing this. “Yes,” he said.
“We put HoloLens on scientists, and they immediately went to the highest point on Mars and looked down to where they were at the beginning. I asked them why. They said they would do it on Mars to get an idea of it. They already acted as if they were on Mars. "
Brown University researchers recently released the first map of one of the three areas of the world (Northeast Syrtis Major) to which NASA can send its 2020 Rover to study. Using the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft , they discovered large mineral deposits in the area. Rover could take samples of the soil to determine how the planet has changed over time and whether life was there at some point. Other sites considered are the crater Jezero , which was once a lake, and the Colombian hills. NASA will make the final decision regarding the landing site in 2019.
Ben Riggs, a mechanical engineer working on Mars 2020 Rover, uses Protospace for HoloLens to "interact with the Rover model in a natural, intuitive way while communicating with other people in the room." He told those present at the Vision VR / AR summit in Hollywood that the Rover design team uses HoloLens to assess any potential problems with the mission long before the launch. “Finding potential problems early in the design process is vital to project success, and the Protospace tool gives us that opportunity,” he said.
This is just one example of using HoloLens to prepare for space flight. Astronaut Scott Kelly used the device to perform tasks on the International Space Station, talking to colleagues on Earth via Skype (see the video below); spacecraft designers used technology to improve their equipment; NASA even used HoloLens to organize an exhibit on Mars at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon.
Lorraine Bardin , general manager of Microsoft HoloLens and Windows Experiences, said that not only NASA uses HoloLens. More companies are using the device to become more efficient and ultimately better serve their customers.
“More and more companies are beginning to understand and enjoy the benefits of HoloLens and mixed reality. The ecosystem thrives around HoloLens, which makes it easier for customers than ever to create HoloLens solutions, and we look forward to the future, waiting for innovation in mixed reality. "
Torres, whose official position is Deputy Rover Planning Subsystem Lead at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, says that in many cases using HoloLens on Earth to explore space is better than sending a man in a rocket.
“The virtual world is better than the real one. We can allow scientists to use "superpower" that they would not have, even standing on Mars. We can let them fly high above the mountains and dunes or go to the valleys. We can help them see the landscape and the rocks better, and we can give them x-ray vision to see underground. We can show them Mars in a way that they would never have seen with his usual gaze. All this can be done using HoloLens. ”
So far, NASA scientists have studied 2D images of Mars to find interesting rocks and mineral deposits. However, it was difficult for them to judge distances and angles using flat images. Using HoloLens allows you to make location predictions more than three times as accurate. Experts from around the world can join the research and contribute their own points of view, as well as get to know the opinions of others.
Torres believes that it can stimulate "thousands" of people using HoloLens to "join" astronauts in their future journey to Mars.
“In 1969, when we first landed a man on the moon, people were glued to their televisions, when they watched as these grainy images were sent back by astronauts,” he said. “I believe that when we land on Mars, and we land on Mars, the astronauts will be“ not alone. ” They are joined by hundreds, if not thousands of people. You can call them "Telenauts". These Telenauts will see not only what astronauts see, but many other things, from orbiters to their names. I believe that the future of space research has begun. ”
Our HoloLens page .
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/353142/
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