Description: We propose that a virtual environment is necessary to allow NASA robot engineers and operators to study rover design concepts, develop user interfaces and focus on providing the highest possible level of situational awareness and telepresence possible. The two main areas of research for this virtual environment focus upon: determining the appropriate level of modeling and simulation required for the environment, and the on-going use of the virtual world as a sandbox or testbed for robot experimentation and analysis. We intend to research and develop GameSAT, a game technology based virtual world sandbox to study rover design concepts and perfect the user interfaces, situational awareness and telepresence needed to use those rovers in a lunar mixed human/robot environment. GameSAT is envisioned to interface with existing systems to allow current NASA tools to operate a virtual rover in our simulation, a rover on the test range or the moon seamlessly invisible to the current control tools.

Benefits: The research in Phase I of the GameSAT project and the tools developed in Phase II and III are applicable to five categories of commercial applications: infusion into NASA programs, incorporation into our existing serious game products to increase the user base and functionality offered, development funded/license supported new applications for new robot operator markets including: military (aerial, surface & submarine), homeland defense/disaster response, mining, factory and laboratory, sales to device manufacturers for experimentation and inclusion in our GameSAT products, and use within technical education as part of the STEM effort targeting robotics.

Direct to NASA GameSAT has relevance within the Constellation program planning for our next series of missions to the moon. The program will provide an immediate relief for frustrations felt by NASA Ames Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG). We believe research and development of this program will advance the rover capabilities at IRG and provide increased situational awareness and telepresence for the human operators of robots used in lunar and Mars exploration. In addition, GameSAT will provide a virtual testbed to allow researchers to push the limits of experimentation with future concepts.