For a long time now, NASA has been sending out probes and space robots to conduct certain space missions for them. However, humanoids — robots that have the dexterity and form of a human — are now being considered for space missions, and NASA is using PlayStation VR (PS VR) to control them.
According to a Monday report from Road to VR, NASA and Sony are working together to figure out how PlayStation VR can be used to control the humanoids that are sent out in space for missions. The collaborative project is called Mighty Morphenaut.
Humanoids are more ideal to use because they have arms, hands, and fingers that move like those of humans, as stated in the report. The space agency is now working on how to get those humanoids to interpret human input.
Virtual reality appears to be the solution as it can make the robot mimic actions from a remote operator.
Mighty Morphenaut runs on a PlayStation 4 and lets the operator wear a PS VR headset to explore the environment and perform regular functions in real time, with the humanoid mimicking the act.
The robot can perfectly follow the cues from the person behind the control, but since there is a great distance between the humanoid in space and the remote operator, a lag in the communication cannot be avoided.
Richard Marks, head of Sony's Magic Lab, admitted that there are limitations to the project — time delays in particular. To go around that issue, the project integrated a time delay system that features "ghost hands," which floats onscreen, but the humanoid's actions follow a bit later. This should train operators how to interact in space even with the lag.
"With Mighty Morphenaut] we were able to explore a possible solution and I think our application worked well to demonstrate the problems of operating with delayed communication," Marks said to Road to VR's Ben Lang.
Given the time delay, Marks said that further studies are needed to "help users predict that kind of motion." As of the moment, VR can be used to perform basic functions such as picking up objects and throwing them.
