Visual Intelligent Robot Performance Monitor

We propose to develop a Visual Intelligent Robot Performance Monitor (VIRPM) that will help crew members maintain situation awareness of robot performance more effectively. VIRPM will provide intelligent assistance to crew members by detecting topical data that suggest possible problems (causes and effects), gathering additional topical data that provides supporting or rebutting evidence for each problem, and presenting routine and topical data graphically that enable crew members to quickly understand the situation. During Phase 1, we will specify intelligent data monitoring, analysis, and visualization requirements, create a high-level system design of the monitoring, analysis, and visualization software, and develop a software prototype that demonstrates the utility and feasibility of our approach.

The resulting technologies will help Department of Defense personnel evaluate the progress of plan executions by autonomous vehicles and by military forces, compare actual and planned events, and identify possible causes and downstream effects. The technologies will also enable intelligent software that helps project managers review progress data to detect and assess possible problems and their effects on the rest of the project.

These technologies will increase the ability for crew members to oversee the operations of teams of robots during lunar and Martian missions and, in the nearer term, during analog experiments on Earth. The technologies might also help NASA project managers analyze project progress data to detect possible problems.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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