Evaluation of 3D Selection Tasks in Parabolic Flight Conditions: Pointing Task in Augmented Reality User Interfaces
Condition: Healthy Volunteers
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      During a space mission the crew has to perform a wide variety of tasks under different
      acceleration conditions. For handling of displays and control items during a mission, the
      astronaut's performance is strong depended on an intuitive usability. Currently investigators
      are exploring and developing different Augmented Reality interfaces for the International
      Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) Biolab that is installed in the International Space Station
      (ISS) module Columbus. Augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a
      physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory
      input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. Using AR technologies provides
      user-oriented support for working procedures in development, production, and operating of
      complex technical products and systems. It is conceivable that in future manned missions such
      interfaces will be applied to space operations, where the astronaut will handle virtual
      information that enriches the physical reality. To improve the support for the operational
      ground team and the space crew by performing service and maintenance tasks at the Columbus
      space laboratory Biolab, investigators explore innovative tridimensional (3D) interaction
      techniques that allow an intuitive way to interact with the virtual content. The developed AR
      interfaces for the ISPR Biolab ought to offer support while handling standardize service and
      maintenance procedures. This research is primarily focused on supporting the ground team
      during their work at the engineering model of Biolab that is located in Cologne at the
      Institute of Aerospace Medicine. Applying these interfaces subsequently to space operations
      requires previous exploration regarding the influence of different acceleration conditions
      that ought to be considered at the investigators' current stage of designing and development.
      Thereby one important aspect is focused on the correct placement of virtual user interfaces
      while interacting with it. To explore human adaption of handling and controlling virtual AR
      interfaces, this experiment denotes a usability study that will supply findings about human
      mental workload and sensorimotor coordination while performing the experimentation task under
      different accelerations of gravity. The proposed experiment will supply essential information
      about understanding the adequate quality characteristics concerning placement of virtual
      interfaces in physical reality and identify disturbing factors while applying in hyper-g and
      micro-g conditions.
    

Detailed description: 
      Investigations description --------------------------------- Augmented Reality 2 different
      Head-Mounted-Displays (ARVision3D from Trivisio; dataGlass/2A from Shimadzu), controlled by 2
      PC will be used. The first HMD is a monocular optical see-through (OST) HMD: it is equipped
      with a semi-transparent LCD display for one eye. The user can directly see the physical world
      without limitations regarding the peripheral field of view. The second HMD is a binocular
      video see-through (VST) HMD: it is equipped with two LCD displays and a stereo camera system
      that records the physical environment and replays the video onto the displays in real-time.

      Experimental protocol

      ---------------------------- Before flight subjects will be familiarized with the setup and
      the protocol. For each flight day, 2 subjects will be studied one for each AR device. Halfway
      during the flight, the 2 subjects will swap places. The procedure will be the following on
      all 3 days.

      The experiment day will start at 7.30 a.m. with the test subjects equipped with heart rate
      recording device. After take-off and after work will be permitted, the 2 subjects will go to
      the experimental area where they will be seated. They will be equipped with one of the HMD
      (optical- or video-see through HM). During a parabola the subjects perform the
      experimentation task: symbolic input of five letters onto virtual keyboard depending on the
      experimental task during a parabola.

      To point towards the virtual keyboard the subject wears a thimble on his forefinger. The
      body-alignment scenario requires an additional panel on subject's non-dominant hand.

      During a parabola two subjects perform the tasks - one is using HMD type 1 in hyper-g and the
      other subject is using HMD type 2 in micro-g.

      During the 8 minute rest period between parabolas 15 and 16, the 2 test subjects will switch
      places. Switching place will be a straightforward process as each member of our team has
      expertise in manning the test equipment.
    

Intervention name(s): Parabolic flight
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Basic Science