NASA, Microsoft using HoloLens technology to assist astronauts

NASA and Microsoft are teaming up to develop Sidekick, which will use HoloLens technology to provide virtual assistance to astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

“HoloLens and other virtual and mixed reality devices are cutting edge technologies that could help drive future exploration and provide new capabilities to the men and women conducting critical science on the International Space Station,” said Sam Scimemi, director of the ISS program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, in the news release. “This new technology could also empower future explorers requiring greater autonomy on the journey to Mars.”

Sidekick will use HoloLens’ augmented reality technology to reduce crew training requirements and increase efficiency through two modes of operations.

The first, “Remote Expert Mode,” will use Skype to allow a ground operator to see what the crew member sees, provide real-time guidance, and draw annotations into the crew member’s environment.

The second, “Procedure Mode,” will augment procedures with holographic illustrations onto the environment the crew member is working in. This capability could lessen the amount of training crew members will require and could be especially valuable during missions where communication delays could complicate operations.

Sidekick is scheduled to be tested on a SpaceX resupply mission, and NASA expects astronauts on the ISS to use Sidekick by the end of the year.

In what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella describes as “unbelievably cool,” the Sidekick project is part of a larger partnership between NASA and Microsoft to use HoloLens technology in space exploration. Earlier this year, they announced “OnSight,” which will use HoloLens technology to enable scientists to work virtually on Mars.

“Sidekick is a prime example of an application for which we envisioned HoloLens being used – unlocking new potential for astronauts and giving us all a new perspective on what is possible with holographic computing,” said Alex Kipman, technical fellow, Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft, in the news release.

This story was originally published July 8, 2015 at 10:00 AM with the headline "NASA, Microsoft using HoloLens technology to assist astronauts."