The Distributed Observer Network

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The Distributed Observer Network

• Game technology addressing NASA Simulation for
  Dispersed Exploration Teams

Mike Conroy mike.conroy_at_nasa.gov
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Background

• Exploration requires us to work beyond our normal
  environment, experience and boundaries.
• It means analyzing risky, difficult and important
  issues that, often only simulation can address
• safety, hostile environments, other planets,
  security, cost, generations, rapid prototyping,
  distribution of real / virtual systems
• NASA needed a way to disseminate and preserve the
  results of this analysis
• We usually shared the output as videotape, CD and
  DVD
• Supported analysis consensus, but only one view
  per simulation
• Decision makers repeatedly asked to have
  simulation delivered to the computer desktop
  wherever and whenever they were.
• There needed to be a better way

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Technology Strengths

• Game
• Data Distribution
• Team Coordination
• Platform Costs
• Tolerant Communications
• Content Distribution / Management
• Looks Real

• NASA Simulators
• Determinism
• Pedigree
• Robust Infrastructure
• Standards
• Huge data
• Acts Real

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NASA Simulators Purpose Built for Difficult Tasks

• Ground and Recovery Operations
• Mission planning, conceptual design, analyses,
  engineering, operations and integration, to
  support ground operations, processing,
  integration and transportation.
• Orbital Rendezvous and Docking
• Simulation tool for 6 DOF guidance, navigation
  and control (GNC) analysis. Simulates dynamics,
  environment, and vehicle subsystems, can be run
  with a pilot for real-time interaction.
• Remote Surface Operations
• Rapid prototyping, allows distributed teams to
  iterate designs week to week to match ops
  scenarios, real-time 3D simulations linked to
  meetings, teleconferences, web, CAD databases

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Problem Space

• NASA Simulators do the job, but need to do more,
  in a different way, to get us off the planet.
• Example with Ground Operations, a minute of
  simulator time
• 1986 to 1995 91,200.00 per minute
• 1996 to 2001 7.51 per minute
• 2002 to now 4.38 per minute
• We have squeezed the cost out of the Ground
  Operations Tools over the last 20 years.
• The other tools have done the same over the years
• There is not that much more to be saved
• It is time to look someplace else for benefits

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DON is Different

• Able to now address what the tools are for
  helping the people who make decisions.
• Used to require them to be in the simulation lab
• Had to schedule decision makers around simulation
  system availability
• Needed simulation team for any/all simulation
  access
• Only alternative is video tape
• Question now is How to provide a simulation
  without a Lab?
• Key elements, what, when, where
• If I can separate this information from the
  simulation, and give it to the teams, I can break
  the link to the lab.

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DON Architecture Elements

• Telemetry and Models
• To recreate a simulation, I need to know what to
  display (model) and where to display it
  (telemetry).
• If I have this information at any time and can
  display it any place, I can break the link to the
  Simulation Lab.
• Something that can work with Telemetry and Models
• A 1st Person game manages a distributed world
  with participants interoperating with data and
  one another
• DON leverages that capability. It manages that
  world with data from NASAs Authoritative and
  Verified Simulation Tools.

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DON Example

• Prototype
• Data from 3 simulation tools (models and
  telemetry)
• Require them to use game out of the box
• Existing models
• Intended to stress tools
• 100 part LUT
• Crawler
• Rocket
• Forgot about Treads
• Questions.

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Additional Details

• Demonstration in NASA Booth.
• Details on the tool and technology
• Wednesday the 5th, Rebecca Mazzone will present
  overview
• Ask her the hard questions
• THE DISTRIBUTED OBSERVER NETWORK
• Game Technology Addressing NASA Simulation for
  Dispersed Exploration Teams
• Michael P. Conroy, NASA, Michael.P.Conroy_at_nasa.gov
  
• Priscilla R. Elfrey, NASA, Priscilla R.
  Elfrey_at_nasa.gov
• Rebecca A. Mazzone NASA, Rebecca.A.
  Mazzone_at_nasa.gov
• Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899
• David Mann PhD, ASRC Inc. David.Mann-1_at_ksc.nasa.g
  ov
• ASRC, Cape Canaveral, Florida
• Thomas Cuddy, Valador Inc. tom.cuddy_at_valador.com
• Herndon, Virginia