The Mobile Agents 2005 Field Test at MDRS

The Mobile Agents 2005 Field Test at MDRS: Planning for Exploration William J. Clancey NASA Ames Research Center Chief Scientist, Human-Centered Computing Intelligent Systems Division

MA 2005 Participants Brahms: Bill Clancey, Maarten Sierhuis, Ron van Hoof, Mike Scott, Serge Yentus MEX: Rick Alena, John Ossenfort, Charles Lee, Ed Walker, Hugo Notario RIALIST: John Dowding, Jim Hieronymus Geology: Abby Semple & Brent Garry ERA: Jeff Graham, Rob Hirsh, Eduardo Herrera, Bill Vreugde RST: Shannon Rupert + 12 participating scientists NREN: Ray Gilstrap, Kevin Bass Sci. Org: Dan Berrios, Rich Keller

Origins of MA Design: Historical & Analog Missions Biologists navigating in Haughton Crater (1999) Apollo’s Cap. Com, a virtual assistant on the moon Crew struggles with GPS during MDRS 5 simulation

Human-Systems Integration • Device Control: sensors/ instruments, tools, robots, systems (life, power, computing) • Data Flow: Queue, sample, store, associate, share, display Voice-Commanded Toolkit • Work Management: Monitor, advise (loc, time, activity), interpret, alert WILLIAM J. CLANCEY, PI & MAARTEN SIERHUIS, PROJECT MANAGER

Technical Features • Multi-Agent System – Functional & personal – Distributed control & dataprocessing • Wireless Computing – Platform independent – Tested over 5 km • Modular Configurations – Plug & play (Java API) – E. g. , 5 robots, 3 cameras, 5 biosensors, 2 computer sensors, d. GPS, headsets Astronaut Backpack System

Mobile Agents Utah Field Test 2005 Geologists Exploring with Mobile Agents • 50 Participants; 17 days; 2 NASA centers & several universities • Multi-robot, auto-recon, & freeform exploration scenarios • More proactive ERA design • More proactive RST • More robust, faster, reusable agent system (> 60) • Improved alerts, queries (> 90), & auto-associations • EVA crew less reliant on Hab. Com crew member

New MA’ 05 Operations • Interacting with the robots to determine their status: Whom are you following? Do you still have comms? • Establish dependence on robot relay: Boudreaux, join me. • Contextual robot move commands: Come here. Go there. • Directed photos: Take a picture of work site 5. • Astronaut naming of “work stations" (default 1 m areas) within work sites: Call this location 9 with a radius of 5 m. • Astronauts can refer to names teammates create. • Requesting locations and navigation information: Where is work site 5? Where am I? List all the locations near work site 6. Where is the next activity?

New ERA Hardware Instrument Arm RDR Pin Assembly Robotically Deployed Relay (RDR) Thibodeaux (2 nd ERA)

ERA Spiral Recon Plan MDRS

Mobile Agents Pooh’s Corner Comms Network (2005) Rick Alena, NASA Ames, March 2005

Plan B: ATV with ERA Agent & Operator Display

Mobile Agents MDRS 38 Configuration ERA Agent ERA Hab. Com Agent RST Astro Agent Hab Crew

Collaborative Interplanetary Science ERA Brahms VM Compendium ERA agent Meeting. Replay Hab Brahms VM ERA Comm. agent Science Cap. Com Organizer agent MDRS Crew Science. Organizer Compendium Aagent Compendium Science. Organizer Astro_1 agent EVA astronaut 2 Space. Suit_1 agent Space. Suit_2 Brahms VM CA SUNY Buffalo RST Mars Society RST UK/NY RST Facilitator Astro_1 agent Space. Suit_1 agent AZ Maarten Sierhuis, RIACS/NASA Ames Space. Suit_1 Brahms VM EVA astronaut 1

EVA Data in Science Organizer (Wk. Stn 9)

From EVA to Desktop From: capcom@agentisolutions. com Subject: MDRS New Image. Collection: image_collection 6 Date: April 15, 2005 5: 36: 55 PM PDT To: mdrs_rst@agentisolutions. com Cc: mdrs_crew@agentisolutions. com, mdrs_ops@agentisolutions. com New Image. Collection: image_collection 6 EVA Plan: Day_5_Astro_EVA_2_To_Beyond_ Poohs_Corner_Plan Activity: Work. In. Ravine Creator: Astro. One. Object ID: Astro. One. Model_IMAGE_COLLECTION_3 Time. Stamp: 04/16/2005 01: 08: 07 Latitude: 3824. 201417 NORTH Longitude: 11046. 8688492 WEST Link for RST: https: //marst. arc. nasa. gov/mdrs 2005/183971. . .

Science Organizer Data Map Generated During EVA Dan Berrios, NASA Ames

MDRS IT Network MDRS WLAN DHCP LCD Display Monitor Display LCD Display Ops. Con Win 2003 Server Printer Habcom Laptop TP 390 Hub MDRS Top Floor Network Ext Hab Wired Network SW MEX-NET WLAN Root WLAN AP 900+ Hab. Obs MA Workstations NREN Satellite Link Network Shoreline Phone Processor Science Organizer Hub MDRS Lower Network Hub ERA Work. Stations MEX-Hab(g) WLAN Root Phone Lines Direct. Way 56 Kbps ERA Workstations MEX Work. Stations Rick Alena, NASA Ames, March 2005

Mobile Agents Systems Architecture Peripheral Devices (d. GPS, biosens, cameras, robots, db, email) Agents (Personal, Loc, Nav, Plan, Comm) Mobile Agents Computers (Astro. Packs, ERAs, Hab. Com) Ka. OS Registry (agent locator) MEX Net (hubs to Tropos & EVA Computers) ISP/IT NETWORK (TAZ to MDRS internal hubs)

Experiment Observations (Day 5 EVA 2 Beyond Pooh’s Corner) • Enables independent, simultaneous work, which geologists prefer • But agents talk over astro conversations – Astro cannot hear that partner is listening to agent – Astro interleaves response with conversation – Results in “What did you say? ” Overall: System Responsive and processed data appropriately • Ready for next level: Voice loop management, alternative feedback, protocol personalization

Example Good Results Where is Boudreaux? Boudreaux, stop. How much time is left? What is the current activity? (Astro 2) Where is Astronaut 1? Where am I? Warning: Time exceeded. Sorry: Can’t do that. Warning: Battery is low.

Some Not So Good Results Misunderstood “okay” as volume change command. Boudreaux is 1. 1794857 E 7 meters North-East from you. Thibodeaux, join me (OK) Astro 2 remarks to partner that join command worked; Astro 1 is listening to his agent and didn’t understand; Astro 2 repeats what she said, but agent hears this as the command itself!

Desert. RATS (Sept 05) Scout Rover: Mobile Agents allows voice commanding • Ames, JSC, Glenn @ Meteor Crater area • Scout Rover = ERA • 2 Pressurized Suits & Helmet-mounted display • Power, pressure, coolant systems data • Standard commands: Move, Go To, Photo, Print label, Where is…? • EVA plan monitored

For more information… • http: //www. marssociety. org/ MDRS/fs 04 – “Mission Info” – Daily reports – Photographs • http: //bill. clancey. name – – – • 1 st Space Exploration Conf. Simulating Activities Field Science Ethnography Automating Cap. Com Roles for Agent Assistants in Field Science Brahms: www. agentisolutions. com Special thanks to Abby Semple and Brent Garry