U-M student group CLAWS creates spacesuit interface that could explore the moon’s surface
The University of Michigan Collaborative Lab for Advancing Work in Space (CLAWS), a multidisciplinary student group that designs technology for human space exploration, participated in the NASA SUITS Challenge in May at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Students from 18 universities competed in the design challenge, with a goal of developing a spacesuit interface that could help astronauts explore the lunar surface in the upcoming Artemis missions. NASA’s Artemis missions seek to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon and build a sustained human presence on the Moon and ultimately, Mars.
Matthew Hart, a Michigan student and member of CLAWS, participated in this year’s NASA Suits Challenge. We sat down with him to discuss his role in the student group, and the lessons he learned from participating in this year’s challenge.
Q. What degree are you pursuing at the University of Michigan and what areas of study are you focusing on?
A. I am currently pursuing a bachelors in biopsychology, cognition, and neuroscience. My focus right now is building a career in medicine. I am especially interested in orthopaedics and clinical innovation and the untapped potential that the two topics have in the growing field of space medicine.
Q. Can you tell us about CLAWS and your involvement with the student group?
A. CLAWS is a group of both undergraduate and graduate students who participate in the annual NASA Suits Challenge. As part of this Challenge, we create information displays for use on holographic interfaces that could help astronauts communicate, monitor their health data, and complete missions. Outside of our product, CLAWS makes its presence felt in other ways through fundraising, community service, and research.
As a part of the research and business teams within CLAWS, I had the opportunity to help design a research project on the impact of augmented reality (AR) heads-up displays (HUD) on user visual capability and efficiency under simulated Martian lighting conditions. The aim was to provide design recommendations for optimal HUD and ambient lighting in future space exploration AR applications. Additionally, I took interest in other health-related pieces such as vitals tracking and orientation.
Q. What excites you about the collaborative work happening in the lab, and what do you think makes the U-M group competitive?
A. Participating in CLAWS allowed me to experience the value of collaboration and working with students from diverse academic backgrounds. Every Wednesday night, students from different areas of study—ranging from engineering and design to pre-medical and business—came together to work on our project. Not only was this collaboration exciting, but it’s also what I believe gave us a competitive edge over other schools. This diversity of thought, combined with a shared passion for space and a drive for innovation, created a synergistic environment.
This exposure extended my knowledge beyond my specific field, including learning about engineering, augmented reality, and business. These newly acquired insights will greatly benefit me as I pursue my path in medicine.
Q. Can you describe your team project for the NASA Suits Challenge?
A. Our project this year for the NASA Suits Challenge was named IRIS (Immersive Reality Interplanetary System). IRIS is a user-friendly interface that is receptive to both voice commands and touch control. IRIS allows users to operate within three modes (geo-sampling, UIA and navigation), while also keeping track of essential measurements such as personal vitals.
Q. What has been particularly difficult or enlightening in this challenge and your work competing to design a prototype for NASA? Are there certain obstacles you had to overcome to create a viable suit design?
A. One particular challenge that showed up while we were in Houston was the overheating of our headset, created in large by the Texas weather. This was an obstacle for all schools present and it required critical thinking about material properties to course correct.
Q. What feedback did you receive from NASA professionals evaluating your project?
A. Inspiring feedback was received from NASA about our design. Accessibility and product functionality were two of our strong points. We specifically received feedback on our Cardiac Orientation Recorder, which was an input that oriented the interface based on the astronauts base movements, as opposed to head movements. This created a better experience for users and limited the chances of health compromises such as motion sickness.
Q. Where do you hope to see the project or your work in CLAWS go next? Are more space-related projects or new phases of this project on the horizon for you or your teammates?
A. As someone who is intrigued by the growing need for medical innovation in space, I hope to infuse more health-related needs in our technology. Pushing our medical surveillance beyond basic sets of vitals is where I would like to journey next. Because human exploration is planning to go farther out into space, it is essential that a focal point be placed on keeping astronauts safe and fit.
Q. Why would you encourage students or faculty to get involved with CLAWS? What do you think people can gain from the group?
A. I would encourage students and faculty to join CLAWS because it offers a great look into where the needs are with astronaut suit interfaces and provides a chance to be a part of the thriving relationship that exists between the University of Michigan and NASA. Those that get involved also gain knowledge, friendship and all the benefits of our collaborative team environment.
Thank you for letting me share my story and experience with CLAWS! Go Blue!
