The Indian Institute of Technology Madras will develop training module for astronauts.
The Institute’s eXperiential Technology Innovation Centre (XTIC) has proposed to conduct design studies, simulations, besides outreach activities as well. The XTIC was established to promote research and development in the domain of extended reality (XR). The training module will be built using advanced technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality.
Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation and IIT Madras signed a memorandum for collaboration on applying XR and other technologies in Indian human space flight programme.
M. Manivannan, professor in the Department of Applied Mechanics in the Institute and principal investigator at XTIC, said XR technologies had the potential to add value in aspects of human space flight such as shortening the design cycle and simulating the space environment.
“We will start with developing models of physiological systems as well as design optimisation studies. IIT Madras’ ecosystem is conducive not only for research but also for development with our industrial consortium.” he said.
ISRO’s human space flight centre Director R. Umamaheswaran said space programmes always had linkages with academia and IIT Madras had a long history of contributing to ISRO’s programme, including human space flight.
The XITC will also train HSFC’s engineers on the technology and help set up an XR/VR laboratory. The XITC, the country’s first research and product innovation centre, has established a consortium of startups and industries in the field of XR and haptics. It focuses on the fundamentals of XR such as human factors, perception and illusion, and pioneered perceptual engineering and perceptual algebra at a time when most research laboratories world over focused on either software or hardware components of extended reality.
