A smart glove will help astronauts control drones on the Moon and Mars

Recently, NASA introduced new spacesuits for flights to the moon and Mars. But even increased mobility is unlikely to allow astronauts to conduct reconnaissance in inaccessible places on the surface of space objects - you will have to use the help of drones. To this end, astronaut suits are equipped with special gloves with a built-in remote control - you can control the equipment with a simple hand movement.

The design of the smart glove is based on the development of the Norwegian startup Ntention, which created a system for controlling drones using gestures in terrestrial conditions. NASA and SETI have adapted technology for space needs. The novelty, integrated into the prototype of a new generation spacesuit, has already been tested in arctic conditions. It is equipped with sensors that record even light hand movements. Information from the microcontroller is transmitted over the air to a drone that responds to operator gestures.

“When I first saw the smart Ntention glove in action, I immediately remembered Clark’s third law - any technology that’s developed is indistinguishable from magic,” said NASA Haughton-Mars Project Project Manager Dr. Pascal Lee.

According to Dr. Lee, drones as part of space expeditions can be used on planets to collect samples, as scouts, inspectors, or in rescue operations. Using a similar interface, it will be possible to control and ground-based robots.

4pda.ru