Project Title:

Agent Based Human Interfaces for Space Crews

94-1	12.05	3474		

Agent Based Human Interfaces for Space Crews

Abstract:

During staffed space programs, flight crew members have numerous 
responsibilities including managing on-board systems, performing 
scientific experiments or payload activities, and controlling 
external operations. Crew members may be assigned numerous 
individual tasks and they oftentimes work in shifts. When the 
situation warrants they may be required to interrupt or abort 
existing tasks in order to address new situations.
Here, we propose to investigate the applicability of software 
learning agents and collaborative agents to computerized space 
station tasks. A software agent is a program that runs in the 
background and performs user-assigned tasks autonomously. A 
learning agent observes user actions or other events in the 
background, find repetitive patterns, automates them upon approval, 
and gets smarter with user or environment feedback over time. A 
collaborative agent learns from other agents and utilizes agent 
peers as consultants.
We believe that agents can dramatically improve computerized space 
station tasks by optimizing crew workload. We propose to test this 
hypothesis by reviewing spacecraft tasks and computational 
intelligence methods for spacecraft systems, investigating the 
applicabilty of software agent technology to computerized 
spacecraft systems, and analyzing the feasibility of implementing 
them in computerized spacecraft environments.

The successful completion of our Phase I plans will provide the 
foundation for a Phase II effort involving the development of a 
software agent prototype for a generic task handling system. The 
successful completion of our Phase II plans will enable a 
commercialization effort for Phase III to market the developed 
software agent to the Fortune 1000 market. Under a Phase III 
development effort, we will focus on the commercial product 
development, launching and marketing.

Key Words

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