[Lynnette Madison] We're here today with Corey Simon who is an Interface Engineer,
Human Interface Engineer, right Corey?
[Corey Simon] That's right.
[Lynnette] Okay, so Corey is going to tell us a little bit
about how wearable technology can work for NASA as we create futuristic spacesuits.
Now Corey I, this doesn't really look like the suit that Ironman dons.
So how will something like this translate to a spacesuit
or what's the importance of human interface?
[Corey] Well, we're getting to the Ironman suit.
Wearable technology, at least in these, kind of early stages of the technology and development,
is really focused on putting sensors, displays and controls on to an astronaut's body.
We're focused on inside the, inside the space habitat
so that they can perform additional functions, really augment their capability.
To allow them to reach things that they couldn't reach through the controls on the body,
to see things that they couldn't see.
[Lynnette] Okay, elaborate a little bit more.
I don't understand.
How can they do that with these sensors?
[Corey] So this garment here was made by students at the University of Minnesota.
We asked them to help us work on, how can we attach and remove functionality
from our garments so that we can have a single garment that has a diverse set of capabilities.
In this case they created several attachment points where functional swatches
of fabric could be attached and removed whether they be a sensor, or maybe something as simple
as a push button control, or an LED light, or more complex communications, maybe a speaker
and a microphone or a gas analyzer sensors.
Things like that, that allow the astronaut to carry these displays,
controls and sensors with them as they operate.
[Lynnette] And so this will make them be able to get around the space station a little bit easier
or perhaps on another planet so they can carry all these things on them?
[Corey] Absolutely.
We're really looking at bringing this to the astronauts
in a habitable volume wherever they might be.
And the real benefit of this is we're bringing information to the astronaut.
We'll have displays that they can feel on their skin called tactile feedback.
We'll have visual displays and audio displays that will allow them to gather information
about the spacecraft and then also controls that will let them change how the spacecraft operates
from anywhere they are wirelessly.
[Lynnette] So like a computer on your sleeve?
[Corey] That's the idea.
They call it wearable computing and functional technology or smart fabrics.
[Lynnette] Why fashion design?
You went to an apparel design class at the University of Minnesota.
How did you find the class?
And why fashion design, not engineering?
[Corey] So we asked the students through their professor Dr. Lucy Dunne at the University
of Minnesota to help us out with some of these problems because in my group,
the Human Interface Group, we're really focused on Avionics.
We're focused on hardware capabilities and display capabilities and those sorts of things.
So we're more concerned with the physical aspect and how the technology functions.
We have other folks at Johnson Space Center who work on human factors
and do research and things like that.
But we really went to University of Minnesota and the students there
to leverage their expertise in garment design and you can see here,
and there are several other prototypes that have been developed.
Their expertise is really, it really shines through and it's something
that we're really going to be able to leverage as we go forward
and continue to develop this technology.
[Lynnette] So what are, how many years have you worked with the University of Minnesota?
[Corey] We just started.
[Lynnette] So this is your first time then?
[Corey] Yeah.
This is our first time through and we've been very happy with what they've produced.
[Lynnette] So you're looking forward to next semester, to see what...
[Corey] We are.
They worked very hard on this.
I'm wondering how many of them will sign up again.
But we're very happy with what they've produced and yes, we're definitely looking forward
to working with them again and other universities as well.
[Lynnette] So what's the next step on designing something for an astronaut on the space station?
And are you also looking at, not just the space station,
are you looking towards the next step what we're going to do in the future
when go to an asteroid or to Mars?
[Corey] Yes.
Absolutely, one of the nice things about a garment specifically like this is
that when you can attach and remove this functionality it allows us
to use a rapid prototyping mentality where we can, we can test a wearable function
where we put it on the body, we remove it, we try it at different locations.
And then operationally when we get to the point where we put this
on the space station or on a future habitat.
We'll have refined it iteratively with different swatches and different garments
so that hopefully we'll, we'll have a very functional garment
that really allows the astronauts to act more efficiently
and really be enabled more so than they are now.
[Lynnette] Anything else that you got out of class?
I think you're getting a couple of interns next semester right?
[Corey] That's absolutely right.
We've been so happy with their work we've asked them to come work for us.
[Lynnette] And are you're going to expand this to other classes or to other schools?
[Corey] Yep.
Absolutely.
We're talking to other schools right now.
We want to continue our relationship with the University of Minnesota,
but there's a lot of expertise out there that we can leverage
and a lot of students with creative ideas.
[Lynnette] So fashion design now, right,
is Human Interface plus fashion design so that it looks good.
It works good.
You have a wearable computer.
[Corey] Yep.
[Lynnette] Everything is great, right?
[Corey] Yep.
Coming to a supermarket near you.
[Lynnette] Well thank you very much Corey for telling us about Human Interface
and wearable computers and I'm looking forward to maybe not having that Ironman suit,
power suit in my closet, but I think maybe something with attachments sort
of like a computer on my sleeve might be good.
That way I don't ever have to lose my cell phone again.