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Developing and evaluating VR helmet displays for astronauts with HITL and unreal engine
Pham, Andy
Pham, Andy
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AndyPhamPoster.pdf
Adobe PDF, 1.2 MB
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APhamAbstract.pdf
Adobe PDF, 83.39 KB
Authors
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Location
Time Period
Advisors
Original Date
Digitization Date
Issue Date
2025
Type
Abstract
Poster
Poster
Genre
Keywords
Virtual reality
Subjects (LCSH)
Citation
Pham, A., & Schoonover, M. Developing and evaluating VR helmet displays for astronauts with HITL and unreal engine. -- FYRE in STEM Showcase, 2025.
Abstract
Virtual Reality (AR) and other immersive technologies have emerged as powerful tools for enhancing astronauts’ performance during space missions. VR system aims to aid situational awareness, decision-making, and operational effectiveness assistance by immersing users in mission-like environments. However, current VR applications often lack usability design and feedback, thus creating a gap in cognitive support and user adaptability. This project explores those gaps by designing, developing, and evaluating user interfaces (UI) into a simulated pressurized rover display.
Using Unreal Engine, we developed a VR prototype interface that presents mission data, environmental conditions, and procedural guidance in a space environment. Unreal engine was selected for its ability to render a high-quality simulation. It can be used to give real-time feedback, interactive support, and closely mimic cognitive and visual demands in space. The use of Unreal Engine can facilitate human-centered testing by capturing a detailed analysis of the user behavior, task performance, and attention distribution.
To test the usability and effectiveness of the interface, we implemented Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) testing with three participants. During the testing, users assess mission-related tasks using the prototype and provide feedback through structured questions and open-minded responses. The key figures are task comprehension, interaction with UI elements, and perceiving through cognitive information. The goal is to determine how well the interface supported real-time decision-making without overwhelming the user.
The results reveal several usability challenges. Those challenges include confusion of the map behavior, nonfunctional zoom feature, and cognitive overload due to excessive abbreviations and unclear menu logic. The participants appreciated the immersive display and checklist clarity but requested a major improvement of alignment between the map and rover behavior. These findings help demonstrate that while VR offers a promising platform for astronaut interface design and testing, there are still many iterations to be made. Our contributions include the development of VR UI, conducting HITL testing, and analyzing the user feedback are the key factors of improving many future missions training scenarios.
Table of Contents
Description
Poster and abstract presented at the FYRE in STEM Showcase, 2025.
Research project completed at the Department of Aerospace Engineering and College of Innovation and Design.
Research project completed at the Department of Aerospace Engineering and College of Innovation and Design.
Publisher
Wichita State University
Journal
Book Title
Series
FYRE in STEM 2025