Astronaut Interface Device (AID)

The Astronaut Interface Device (AID) Project was focused on developing technologies that will allow an astronaut (in a pressurized spacesuit) to control and communicate with several different robots on the moon. The intention was to provide the astronaut with useful information about each robot, and the capability to send commands to these robots. This goal proved to be a significant engineering challenge because the robots (All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE), K10, and Centaur) were dissimilar robots, with very different architectures and functionality. In spite of the challenges, the three NASA center team (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Ames Research Center, and Johnson Space Center) was able to successfully monitor and control all three robots after only six months of development. This paper discusses the background of each robot, provides a detailed description of the design and development of AID, and reviews field testing outcomes.