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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

Applied virtual reality in aerospace design

A virtual reality (VR) applications program has been under development at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) since 1989. The objectives of the MSFC VR Applications Program are to develop, assess, validate, and utilize VR in hardware development, operations development and support, mission operations training and science training. Before VR can be used with confidence in a particular application, VR must be validated for that class of applications. For that reason, specific validation studies for selected classes of applications have been proposed and are currently underway. These include macro-ergonomic 'control room class' design analysis, Spacelab stowage reconfiguration training, a full-body microgravity functional reach simulator, a gross anatomy teaching simulator, and micro-ergonomic design analysis. This paper describes the MSFC VR Applications Program and the validation studies.

Hale, Joseph P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Virtual reality applications in robotic simulations

Virtual reality (VR) provides a means to practice integrated extravehicular activities (EVA)/remote manipulator system (RMS) operations in the on-orbit configuration with no discomfort or risk to crewmembers. VR afforded the STS-61 crew the luxury of practicing the integrated EVA/RMS operations in an on-orbit configuration prior to the actual flight. The VR simulation was developed by the Automation and Robotics Division's Telepresence/Virtual Reality Lab and Integrated Graphics, Operations, and Analysis Lab (IGOAL) at JSC. The RMS Part Task Trainer (PTT) was developed by the IGOAL for RMS training in 1988 as a fully functional, kinematic simulation of the shuttle RMS and served as the RMS portion of the integrated VR simulation. Because the EVA crewmember could get a realistic view of the shuttle and payload bay in the VR simulation, he/she could explore different positions and views to determine the best method for performing a specific task, thus greatly increasing the efficiency of use of the neutral buoyancy facilities.

Homan, David J.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Leveraging 3D CAD and Virtual Reality in Design of the Calcine Disposition Project - 20512

Fluor Idaho's Calcine Disposition Project (CDP) is leveraging the power of three-dimensional (3D) visualization, light detection and ranging (Lidar), and virtual reality to improve designs and worker safety. With the use of computer-aided design (CAD) modeling software, the CDP has created 3D models of the facility and systems to aid in the design, development, and operation of its retrieval and transfer system. This by itself is nothing new and has been done in industry for years. The CDP project however is taking this a few steps farther with the use of Lidar and virtual reality software. The CRP is tasked with removing a radioactive granular material from stainless steel bins located in concrete vaults that were constructed in the late 1950's and early 1960's. While construction drawings are available, it is not certain that the drawings are as-built or how accurate they truly are. Part of the project requires precise placement of equipment on to bins around multiple pipe, electrical lines, and bin stiffeners. Relying solely on the existing drawings and models created from these drawings is highly risky and prone to failure. The first step to determine the precise location and orientation of all obstructions in the vault the project will use a Lidar system to scan the vault structure and precisely locate all vault and bin components. Once this information is obtained, the data will be integrated into the CAD model. The model will then be verified, and a true as-built model developed. Precise component location, size, and orientation will be used for final design and placement of retrieval components. The second step will be to take the verified 3D model and scan data and import it into virtual reality software creating a virtual world. While some work on the project requires all work to be completed remotely due to high radiation fields, some areas have low enough radiation levels that personnel can enter and perform work. With the use of a virtual reality headset, operators and technicians will be able to enter our virtual world and become familiar with the surroundings and perform work prior to ever entering the radiation environment. This training is expected to pay dividends by improving worker efficiency, reducing errors, and improving confidence that the work can be performed as expected. It will play a key aspect in as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) principles. An additional aspect in using the Lidar scans and virtual environment, is that it will give engineers and managers an opportunity to revisit the facility, especially radiation areas, at any time to obtain design information and measurements that may be costly or impossible to obtain once the facility transitions into radiation operations. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1995

Virtual Reality Calibration and Preview/Predictive Displays for Telerobotics

A virtual reality (VR) calibration technique of matching a virtual environment of simulated 3-D graphic models with actual camera views of the remote site task environment has been developed. This VR calibration enables high-fidelity preview/predictive displays with calibrated graphics overlay on live video. Reliable and accurate calibration is achieved by operator-interactive camera calibration and object localization procedures based on new linear/nonlinear least-squares algorithms that can handle multiple-camera views.

Virtual↗
NASA NTRS2026

Effects of Multisensory Virtual Reality Nature on Affect, Presence, and Restorativeness

Virtual reality (VR) can provide access to restorative environments and sensory stimulation for individuals in isolated, confined, and extreme environments. We developed a nature-based VR intervention featuring three scenes (Garden, Forest, Beach) and examined the effects of multisensory augmentation with location-based olfactory, wind, and thermal stimuli (VR+OWT). Over a two-week period, fifty-one participants were assigned to a no-intervention control, standard audiovisual VR, or augmented VR (VR+OWT) condition. Data collection included weekly assessments of affect, stress, and cognitive performance; post-VR measures of affect, presence, and perceived restorativeness; and open-ended feedback. Both VR and VR+OWT groups produced immediate and sustained reductions in negative affect with no sustained systematic benefits on cognitive performance. The addition of olfactory, wind, and thermal stimuli enhanced presence for some scenes; however, feedback indicated that sensory mismatches and stimulus intensity occasionally detracted from the experience and may have contributed to lower coherence ratings in the VR+OWT group. In contrast, the perceived restorativeness of the VR environment was driven primarily by scene content (Garden vs Forest vs Beach) rather than the level of sensory stimulation. These findings support the potential of virtual nature to promote well-being and underscore the importance of coherence across sensory modalities for multisensory augmentation.

Virtual Reality Intervention↗
NASA NTRS2018

Internship in Augmented and Virtual Reality - Rapid Model Import Tool

The integration of virtual and augmented reality, sometimes called mixed reality, is an emerging technology which will likely skyrocket overnight much in the way smartphones did a decade ago. Kennedy Space Center's Augmented and Virtual Reality (AVR) Lab is developing a Rapid Model Import Tool (RMIT) to create a quick and efficient way to bring NASA's complex engineering 3D models into virtual and augmented environments. The long-term objective is to create a tool that will ultimately benefit KSC engineers. Its various uses within NASA can potentially span from astronaut training, to marketing, to public outreach, to name a few. Unity is a prolific cross-platform game engine that allows users to build high quality 2D and 3D games for desktop, mobile, web, and game console platforms. It is perhaps also the most widely used software for virtual reality game development. At the AVR lab, we are looking at alternative uses of Unity to build tools for NASA engineers to perform design, development, testing, and training on spacecraft, rocket delivery systems, ground support equipment, and facilities at KSC. As an intern for the RMIT project, I am charged with the task of performing research on Unity-compatible file types to develop an efficient, affordable, preservative process to bring models from CATIA 3D engineering software into the Unity environment. With a tool called the NASA Enterprise Visualization Application (NEVA), developed by the Boeing Design Visualization group at KSC, we are able to easily convert CATIA's design models to. DAE (also known as COLLADA) and .OBJ file formats. I first reduce the polygon count of the model within CATIA itself, make any necessary tweaks to reduce the model further, and then export using NEVA. The .OBJ or. DAE files that I am left with are then converted by another intern to a Unity-compatible file format using a custom Python script. I have generated extensive documentation of this process in a NEVA User Guide. By the end of this semester, we will have built a solid framework for RMIT based on a thorough understanding of virtual reality specifications and file requirements, allowing future software development teams to go forward with development on the custom tool.

Leap Motion↗
NASA NTRS1997

Computer Based Training: Field Deployable Trainer and Shared Virtual Reality

Astronaut training has traditionally been conducted at specific sites with specialized facilities. Because of its size and nature the training equipment is generally not portable. Efforts are now under way to develop training tools that can be taken to remote locations, including into orbit. Two of these efforts are the Field Deployable Trainer and Shared Virtual Reality projects. Field Deployable Trainer NASA has used the recent shuttle mission by astronaut Shannon Lucid to the Russian space station, Mir, as an opportunity to develop and test a prototype of an on-orbit computer training system. A laptop computer with a customized user interface, a set of specially prepared CD's, and video tapes were taken to the Mir by Ms. Lucid. Based upon the feedback following the launch of the Lucid flight, our team prepared materials for the next Mir visitor. Astronaut John Blaha will fly on NASA/MIR Long Duration Mission 3, set to launch in mid September. He will take with him a customized hard disk drive and a package of compact disks containing training videos, references and maps. The FDT team continues to explore and develop new and innovative ways to conduct offsite astronaut training using personal computers. Shared Virtual Reality Training NASA's Space Flight Training Division has been investigating the use of virtual reality environments for astronaut training. Recent efforts have focused on activities requiring interaction by two or more people, called shared VR. Dr. Bowen Loftin, from the University of Houston, directs a virtual reality laboratory that conducts much of the NASA sponsored research. I worked on a project involving the development of a virtual environment that can be used to train astronauts and others to operate a science unit called a Biological Technology Facility (BTF). Facilities like this will be used to house and control microgravity experiments on the space station. It is hoped that astronauts and instructors will ultimately be able to share common virtual environments and, using telephone links, conduct interactive training from separate locations.

Mullen, Terence J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Virtual reality at work

The utility of virtual reality computer graphics in telepresence applications is not hard to grasp and promises to be great. When the virtual world is entirely synthetic, as opposed to real but remote, the utility is harder to establish. Vehicle simulators for aircraft, vessels, and motor vehicles are proving their worth every day. Entertainment applications such as Disney World's StarTours are technologically elegant, good fun, and economically viable. Nevertheless, some of us have no real desire to spend our lifework serving the entertainment craze of our sick culture; we want to see this exciting technology put to work in medicine and science. The topics covered include the following: testing a force display for scientific visualization -- molecular docking; and testing a head-mounted display for scientific and medical visualization.

Brooks, Frederick P., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2013

Immersive virtual reality and environmental noise assessment: An innovative audio–visual approach

Several international studies have shown that traffic noise has a negative impact on people's health and that people's annoyance does not depend only on noise energetic levels, but rather on multi-perceptual factors. The combination of virtual reality technology and audio rendering techniques allow us to experiment a new approach for environmental noise assessment that can help to investigate in advance the potential negative effects of noise associated with a specific project and that in turn can help designers to make educated decisions. In the present study, the audio–visual impact of a new motorway project on people has been assessed by means of immersive virtual reality technology. In particular, participants were exposed to 3D reconstructions of an actual landscape without the projected motorway (ante operam condition), and of the same landscape with the projected motorway (post operam condition). Furthermore, individuals' reactions to noise were assessed by means of objective cognitive measures (short term verbal memory and executive functions) and subjective evaluations (noise and visual annoyance). Overall, the results showed that the introduction of a projected motorway in the environment can have immediate detrimental effects of people's well-being depending on the distance from the noise source. In particular, noise due to the new infrastructure seems to exert a negative influence on short term verbal memory and to increase both visual and noise annoyance. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. -- Highlights: ► Impact of traffic noise on people's well-being depends on multi-perceptual factors. ► A multisensory virtual reality technology is used to simulate a projected motorway. ► Effects on short-term memory and auditory and visual subjective annoyance were found. ► The closer the distance from the motorway the stronger was the effect. ► Multisensory virtual reality methodologies can be used to study environmental impact.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1994

Thermal feedback in virtual reality and telerobotic systems

A new concept has been developed that allows temperature to be part of the virtual world. The Displaced Temperature Sensing System (DTSS) can 'display' temperature in a virtual reality system.The DTSS can also serve as a feedback device for telerobotics. For virtual reality applications the virtual world software would be required to have a temperature map of its world. By whatever means (magnetic tracker, ultrasound tracker, etc.) the hand and fingers, which have been instrumented with thermodes, would be tracked. The temperature associated with the current position would be transmitted to the DRSS via a serial data link. The DTSS would provide that temperature to the fingers. For telerobotic operation the function of the DTSS is to transmit a temperature from a remote location to the fingers where the temperature can be felt.

Zerkus, Mike↗
NASA NTRS1992

Intelligent virtual reality in the setting of fuzzy sets

The authors have previously introduced the concept of virtual reality worlds governed by artificial intelligence. Creation of an intelligent virtual reality was further proposed as a universal interface for the handicapped. This paper extends consideration of intelligent virtual realty to a context in which fuzzy set principles are explored as a major tool for implementing theory in the domain of applications to the disabled.

Dockery, John↗
NASA NTRS2020

Rotational and Translational Velocity and Acceleration Thresholds for the Onset of Cybersickness in Virtual Reality

This paper determined rotational and translational velocity and acceleration thresholds for the onset of cybersickness. Cybersickness causes discomfort and discourages the widespread use of virtual reality systems for both recreational and professional use. Visual motion or optic flow is known to be one of the main causes of cybersickness due to the sensory conflict it creates with the vestibular system. The aim of this experiment is to detect rotational and translational velocity and acceleration thresholds that cause the onset of cybersickness. Participants were exposed to a moving particle field in virtual reality for a few seconds per run. The field moved in different directions (longitudinal, lateral, roll, and yaw), with different velocity profiles (steady and accelerating), and different densities. Using a staircase procedure, that controlled the speed or acceleration of the field, we detected the threshold at which participant started to feel temporary symptoms of cybersickness. The optic flow was quantified for each motion type and by modifying the number of features, the same amount of optic flow was present in each scene. Having the same optic flow in each scene allows a direct comparison of the thresholds. The results show that the velocity and acceleration thresholds for rotational optic flow were significantly lower than for translational optic flow. The thresholds suggestively decreased with the decreasing particle density of the scene. Finally, it was found that all the rotational and translational thresholds strongly correlate with each other. While the mean values of the thresholds could be used as guidelines to develop virtual reality applications, the high variability between individuals implies that the individual tuning of motion controls would be more effective to reduce cybersickness while minimizing the impact on the experience of immersion.

Terenzi, Lorenzo↗
NASA NTRS1999

Computer Vision Assisted Virtual Reality Calibration

A computer vision assisted semi-automatic virtual reality (VR) calibration technology has been developed that can accurately match a virtual environment of graphically simulated three-dimensional (3-D) models to the video images of the real task environment.

Computer Vision Virtual Reality Calibration camera↗
DOE OSTI2017

Improving Decommissioning Success using the Tool of Virtual Reality; Increasing Worker Safety and Project Schedule Stability - 17193

operations, especially underwater, is essential. Equally essential is a precise game plan for disassembly which focuses attention on the skilled remote handling operators who must produce the results. Project success is based on clean, efficient cuts and take-aways, prepared paths for waste placement and containment, programmed return paths; and practice, practice, practice on the part of the operators. Recently, our Partner, WAK Ruackbau- und Entsorgungs- GmbH (Decommissioning and Waste Management Company) was tasked with dismantling and decommissioning the Karlsruhe Reprocessing Plant. The most difficult task in this project is the dismantling of the vitrification plant. Waelischmiller was selected to address this high-consequence project. Together, WAK and Waelischmiller determined that development of a virtual reality suite, where management and operators could create a virtual vitrification layout and subsequently map and rehearse their dismantling plan was essential. This approach, using Virtual Reality (VR) as a tool in streamlining operations and rehearsing difficult moves and cuts, will be a game changer for this and future projects. It will be a first-of-a-kind in Germany. The VR suite is contained in a room at the Karlsruhe facility with a large screen, control cabinet, simulation computer, a Waelischmiller Joyarm and Masterarm. To support the dismantling of the vitrification plant, WAK/HWM will conduct interactive feasibility studies for each dismantling step. All movements; cuts, take-aways and vessel segment insertion into transportation and disposal casks will be established, programed and practiced within virtual test suite. This allows savings in cost-intensive and complex construction of test rigs. Operating personnel can be trained in the VR suite, without taking the risk of damaging expensive remote handling equipment.While the operators are working on the operating element, they stand in front of a wide screen. Instead of a real TELBOT{sup R}, a virtual TELBOT{sup R} is moving on the screen in virtual reality. While practicing, the operators cannot damage the arm and the equipment, which is a big advantage. Moreover an interactive feasibility study can be realized without building a real test rig (mock-up). Consequently significant cost-expenses can be reduced. This paper will describe the virtual suite used by the WAK in Karlsruhe and the advantages of this new and innovative approach, which is unique in decommissioning of nuclear facilities. The viewpoint of each (WAK and HWM), and the decisions and benefits realized along the project path will be detailed in the paper. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1998

Integrated Data Visualization and Virtual Reality Tool

The Integrated Data Visualization and Virtual Reality Tool (IDVVRT) Phase II effort was for the design and development of an innovative Data Visualization Environment Tool (DVET) for NASA engineers and scientists, enabling them to visualize complex multidimensional and multivariate data in a virtual environment. The objectives of the project were to: (1) demonstrate the transfer and manipulation of standard engineering data in a virtual world; (2) demonstrate the effects of design and changes using finite element analysis tools; and (3) determine the training and engineering design and analysis effectiveness of the visualization system.

Dryer, David A.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Virtual Reality and Oceanography: Overview, Applications, and Perspective

With the ongoing, exponential increase in ocean data from autonomous platforms, satellites, models, and in particular, the growing field of quantitative imaging, there arises a need for scalable and cost-efficient visualization tools to interpret these large volumes of data. With the recent proliferation of consumer grade head-mounted displays, the emerging field of virtual reality (VR) has demonstrated its benefit in numerous disciplines, ranging frommedicine to archeology. However, these benefits have not received asmuch attention in the ocean sciences. Here, we summarize some of the ways that virtual reality has been applied to this field. We highlight a few examples in which we (the authors) demonstrate the utility of VR as a tool for ocean scientists. For oceanic datasets that are well-suited for three-dimensional visualization, virtual reality has the potential to enhance the practice of ocean science.

Noah L Walcutt↗
NASA NTRS1991

Virtual reality applications to automated rendezvous and capture

Virtual Reality (VR) is a rapidly developing Human/Computer Interface (HCI) technology. The evolution of high-speed graphics processors and development of specialized anthropomorphic user interface devices, that more fully involve the human senses, have enabled VR technology. Recently, the maturity of this technology has reached a level where it can be used as a tool in a variety of applications. This paper provides an overview of: VR technology, VR activities at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), applications of VR to Automated Rendezvous and Capture (AR&C), and identifies areas of VR technology that requires further development.

Hale, Joseph↗
NASA NTRS1999

Visualizing Mars Using Virtual Reality: A State of the Art Mapping Technique Used on Mars Pathfinder

We describe an interactive terrain visualization system which rapidly generates and interactively displays photorealistic three-dimensional (3-D) models produced from stereo images. This product, first demonstrated in Mars Pathfinder, is interactive, 3-D, and can be viewed in an immersive display which qualifies it for the name Virtual Reality (VR). The use of this technology on Mars Pathfinder was the first use of VR for geologic analysis. A primary benefit of using VR to display geologic information is that it provides an improved perception of depth and spatial layout of the remote site. The VR aspect of the display allows an operator to move freely in the environment, unconstrained by the physical limitations of the perspective from which the data were acquired. Virtual Reality offers a way to archive and retrieve information in a way that is intuitively obvious. Combining VR models with stereo display systems can give the user a sense of presence at the remote location. The capability, to interactively perform measurements from within the VR model offers unprecedented ease in performing operations that are normally time consuming and difficult using other techniques. Thus, Virtual Reality can be a powerful a cartographic tool. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Stoker, C.↗