white.charles

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadena, California

From Virtual Worlds…Charles P. White, JPL

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to Real Facilities

NASA PM Challenge 2011Long Beach, California

9 February 2011



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Part 1: The technology

Part 2: What we’ve done

Part 3: Facility case study

Copyright 2010 California Institute of Technology.Government sponsorship acknowledged.



The technology

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Virtual RealityAugmented Reality

Immersive EnvironmentsMirror Worlds

How does it all relate to facilities?

Buzz words…



Virtual Reality… not so new for NASA

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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VPL_Eyephone_and_Dataglove.jpg

Photo: NASA

1985ish



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8 April 1998 --- Astronaut Jerry L. Ross, assigned as a mission specialist for NASA's STS-88 mission, uses specialized gear to train for his duties aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. This type virtual reality training allows each of the assigned space-walking astronauts--Ross and James H. Newman--to wear a helmet and special gloves to look at computer displays simulating actual movements around the various locations on the International Space Station (ISS) hardware with which they'll be working.

Virtual is 1. Near to 2. Close 3. AlmostVirtual Reality = Almost Real

Virtual reality a part of our core business

Realism increases with higher fidelity

However, VR systems are complicated and bulky

Hard to “jump in” and use

Photo: NASA



NASA/NavyAstronaut Training

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Photo: U.S. Navy

March 24, 2009 - Astronauts Tom Marshburn, left, and Dave Wolf train for a spacewalk



Immersive Environments

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Photo: U.S. Navy

Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, Va. (Dec. 2, 2002) -- Lt. Cmdr. Tom Robson is the Officer-in Charge of the Landing Signals Officer (LSO) school



Role PlayingImmersive Environments

8NASA/Ames “Future Flight Center”

Photo: NASA



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Mirror Worlds

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• Great for campus and facility use• Download from Internet• Free… yes, free

NASAWorld Wind



Mirror Worlds

10NASA World Wind



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Mirror Worlds

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Mars Data:Mirror worlds convey data into a meaningful format for actual places



Augmented Reality

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CC Photo by: Lenard Low http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Augmented_reality_-_heads_up_display_concept.jpg



Augmented Reality

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Augmented Reality, again not new for us…

Photo: U.S. Navy



ConsumerAugmented Reality

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Public Domain http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Augmented_GeoTravel.jpg



JPL iPad/iPhoneAugmented Reality

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Joe Estes, JPL developer of iPad Application

December 2010



Simulated Environments

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Allows us to see the unseen

Photo: NASA



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Total Massively Multiplayer Online Game(MMOG) Active Subscriptions

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Chart by: Bruce Stearling WoodcockUsed with permission MMOGCHART.COM

We noticed a trend…



We jumped in…* Found an eager public* Explored collaboration* Experimented with live events

* Open environment* We own the content we create



Our real estate office was wondering why I wanted an Island

Actually… the island is one rack mounted computer in a data center. The “rent” is really just a software subscription fee.

Explorer Island



Avatar

21Charles White and his Avatar “Jet Burns”



We presented the concept to our co-workers…

Very interested

Vote to continue research

Sanity check…

Tom Soderstrom & Jeanne Holm sponsored JPL open seminar“Exploring Possibilities of Virtual Worlds”



First Event – Space Shuttle LaunchSTS-118 August 9, 2007

Grew into…• Multicast w/NASA TV• Launch event• Orbit operations• Landing event

Commander Scott KellyTo Jet Burns (my Avatar)



Findings…

People enjoyed the event and some stated they felt like it was a “real event”

Avatars posed with photograph of astronauts

Person to person interaction was high

Public wanted more!

Post event analysis



Mixed real world/virtual world eventThe International Workshop on Managing Knowledge for

Space Missions

100 real in person @ Caltech40 avatars in Second Life2 avatar presenters

How about this for Green?Forty plane trips, rental cars, and hotels not utilized= project dollars saved and insignificant emissions!

Reality convergence



NASA multi-center meeting

Meetings inVirtual Worlds

NASA OntologySpeakers series

Multi-government agenciesMixed reality event

Analysis: “One size does not fit all”Those that can do it, love it, but others can’t seem to grasp using an Avatar at all.



Lessons learned: Even though virtual it was still a big production to pull off

What didn’t work

The Star Talkers Show

Talk show with science guests

Music guests

Educational segment



As in real life... after hours social interaction

Difference was: Texas, UK, Los Angeles, Canada

Unexpected finding



Participatory exploration of Mars Victoria

Crater

“Excuse me... I'm crying... This is wonderful!”-visiting avatar

Data convergence

History:

First use of real science data to model real life location in Second Life.



Space Today Online

Getting the word out

WiredYouTube

YouTube user created video



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Explorer Island

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Virtual Design Center



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Customer Design



Start here known technology

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Virtual World Goals:• Reduce inception time• Increase “ideation” output

Process:• Use existing blueprints• Build skeleton VW• Layout initial concept• First meeting• Over the shoulder• Iterate in real time



Import Blueprint

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Process:• Import blueprint as image• Scale blueprint to in-world dimensions

Note:• Second Life does not import

models directly but soon



Room Layout Concept

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First up…Earth Science Center

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Earth Science CenterFirst Iteration

Features:• Raised floor• Monitors embedded in floor

• 3D Projector• Consumer flat screen monitors



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What’s the avatar buy you?

When using multiple Avatars in the room, the floor mounted monitors did not have the desired effect due to people looking through the legs of other people in front.



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Earth Science CenterSecond Iteration

Design changed for no raised floor, increased usable floor space.Less monitors on the wall to provide same effect.



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Earth Science CenterVenue Change

As a result of our Avatar testing and visualization of the facility… a major venue change moved the entire facility to a new building, JPL 264.



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Earth Science CenterThird Iteration

Same budget… larger space, 3d Projector, Science Globe, Science Collaboration Meeting Area, painted themed areas.



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Real Time Design

Avatar allowed us to see “sight lines” and change window positions.



AstrobiologyCollaboration Center

Design Review

Multiple citizen volunteer Avatars from our CoLab effort tested the environment.

Mark Adler reviews off-line screen captures of the Astrobiology Collaboration Center.



Final review(s)…

New space required support from senior JPL management due to flight building.

With an Avatar in-world allowed over the shoulder real time walk through of the facility.

Charles Elachi and Dianne Evans approved the facility.

“Build it”



Happiness is…

Firouz Naderi, Tom Soderstrom and Jim Rinaldi walk through the nearly completed Mechanical Design Center.

• Results of all parties collaborating• Realized trade space

• Actionable pre-use case scenarios• Predicted sight lines

Real results… and a good management walk through.



AstrobiologyCollaboration

Open for business

“It was very valuable for our sponsors to see what they were funding. It was nice to have something concrete rather than having a blueprint floor plan”, Mark Adler

My favorite quote…



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Wrap up…



Visualizing spacein 2 dimensions

Drafting is the only profession that historically can be documented… as the oldest profession.

1880’s Woodcut of drafters

American Design Drafting Association

1904 Colorado College, Palmer Hall



Not much change in centuries…

“When you are through changing, you are through.” ~Bruce Barton

JPL Drafting Facility 1955 Apollo Blueprints 1960’s



Evolution happens…

1987 CAD-3D 2.0 on the Atari ST

1990’s Early CAD workstation

2005 CAD software

• Computer Aided Design • CAD systems help us visualize 3D

space on 2D screens and prints• Drafters converted or retired



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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:3d-powerwall.jpg

WHAT DOES THE AVATAR BUY YOU?



“It’s not real!”

Exactly.

Real world view of JPL Mall

Second Life view of JPL Mall

We have gained real value



Com

mun

icat

ion

Visu

aliz

atio

nImm

ersi

ve

Virtual WorldFoundation

Three legs to real value

Immersive * Communication * Visualization = Real Value



Virtual VisitsVirtual Training

Virtual MeetingsVirtual Programs

Virtual EngineeringVirtual Collaboration

Virtual Mission PlanningVirtual System Modeling

Virtual Science Visualization

“It takes courage to be an explorer” Charles Elachi Director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA, USA Vice president of the California Institute of Technology

Other uses…



In a mere 100 years…

How could the Wright

brothers have predicted the

outcome in aviation?

Wright Flyer

B2 & F22

NASA 747 & Shuttle

Wilber & Orville Wright

HOW CAN WE PREDICT

FUTURE VIRTUAL WORLDS?



One thing is true… we can’t un-invent this.

Charles P. [email protected]



Unlimited Release CL#10-5330

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration does not endorse or sponsor any commercial product, service, or activity. JPL’s and NASA’s offering of information about these items does not constitute endorsement by JPL or NASA.

Copyright 2010 California Institute of Technology.Government sponsorship acknowledged.

white.charles

Technology

ross