HoloLens is the project that NASA and Microsoft have been developing to facilitate astronomers work on ISS.
Judging from the recent rumors that the two companies have been touting, NASA and Microsoft have joined hands to bring HoloLens into space. The augmented reality device sets out to conquer space after traveling around the world.
Microsoft has been promoting many virtual devices in the past months in an attempt to prepare the upcoming launching of the much-awaited software Windows 10. Yet, no customer or analyst had foreseen the announcement that Microsoft and NASA made on Thursday afternoon.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has joined hands with the computer software company, Microsoft to bring HoloLens to the International Space Station. Scientists justified their decision to begin utilizing such devices on the ISS by explaining the press that these gadgets could be extremely useful for astronomers when carrying out outer space missions.
Microsoft, on the other hand, tried to meet the astronomers’ needs by providing the device with two modes, the Remote Expert Mode and the Procedure Mode. The first mode allows space researchers to use Skype in order to communicate with scientists on Earth.
Thanks to this mode, NASA experts on the ground will practically take part in all missions. Moreover, they will be able to quickly and effectively guide astronomers whenever a problem might occur on the ISS.
The second mode, the Procedure Mode, was designed to provide better autonomy to users. This version is in keeping with the customer model; therefore, it provides a series of information for the objects that astronomers might be interacting with in space.
Much like the commercial version, the information will be displayed on the augmented reality monitor of the headset.
NASA takes great confidence in the benefits that Microsoft’s devices could bring to their ISS research programs. According to Sam Scimemi, the director of the ISS program, many more augmented reality devices could be integrated in astronomers’ work in the future as they have proven themselves very useful on many occasions.
The HoloLens gadget has been tested in NASA’s Weightless Wonder C9 Jet laboratory. The low gravitation tests have proven that HoloLens works perfectly in space as it does on Earth.
NASA plans to add many more devices to its space missions in the future. OnSight is another project that the administration is developing with the help of Microsoft, which gives scientists the possibility to simulate life on Mars based on the information the Curiosity rover has gathered, so far.
Although no exact dates have been yet provided, NASA and Microsoft plan to send HoloLens into space by the end of the year.
Image source: twimg.com
Joe Hennessey
