NASA Telesuit: Designing a Spacesuit Layer for Information Displays with Augmented Reality Environments

The 2020 NASA SUITS (Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students) Challenge asked student finalists to develop a user interface for a head-mounted display (HMD) in an AR device to assist astronauts with specific tasks by providing vital information and instructions. The KSU Team was composed of an interdisciplinary group of students and mentors. In order to address the mission's tasks and enhance astronaut performance, the team designed and developed a wearable research device. Using Human-Centered Design (HCD), areas of improvement were investigated and synthesized into a design that focused on the user. The process employed: historic/current research, analysis of current events, qualitative interviews with key personnel, analysis of current biometric type garments, industry contact, and mentor feedback. This study provides insight to help guide designers and manufactures to develop adequate gear that centers around the wearer and not only meets astronauts’ unique needs, but actively assists them on their mission.