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802.11b Space Suits
Saint Aardvark writes "The BBC has an article here about WearSat, the new generation of space suits: embedded RISC processor, 802.11b networking, VGA heads-up display, and 1GB microdrive. I want one for my rec room."
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All we have to do now is to increase the signal range on the 802.11b standard, and we'd be able to hack those astronauts from Earth =)
You remember that scene in Naked Gun when Leslie Nielsen goes to the bathroom with the wireless mike on?
:)
Imagine how much worse it's going to be when you go to the bathroom with not only the mike, but the streaming webcam too...
If this device ends up running XP-Embedded, astronauts will need a way to contact Redmond to get an activation key ...
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
is plans for a cheap antena made from 1500 pringles cans...
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One of the big challenges was finding a way of fitting a display into an astronaut's helmet.
/.
"Using new technology, which is referred to as the microdisplay, we were able to fit a small active matrix liquid crystal display around an area where eye glasses would normally be worn," said Mr Schwartz.
This gives me hope that someday I'll be able to walk to the fridge and grab a coke without having to stop reading
Very fancy.
I can see the point of the rest, but the microdrive seems like a waste. For one thing, how shielded are those suits? How much EM can magnetic media take? I can see the usefulness of say, a hud with schematics of circuits, or a map, or whatever displayed on it via the network, BUT, what on earth would you put on the microdrive? If you're taking photos, the drive goes in the camera, not the suit! But otherwise, I think it could be cool. Also, maybe those microoptical lcd glasses could be useful here?
I would think that they would go with a wireless networking standard that allows for greater distance.
In space no one can hear you scream...
if you are more than a few hundred yards away.
...Earthlink finds out that one of our astronauts is illegally sharing his wireless access with everyone in LEO.
I thought that a large portion of the development on wearable computing was in the area of flexible logic boards. Given such flexible system could be woven into the fabric of the suit this would seem a far superior opion that would not require space on the already heavily populated chest and back.
It might even add to the insulating properties of the suit.
And for my comedy points...
does the space suit play mp3s?
Hal, open the pod bay doors.
Open the pod bay doors, Hal
Hal? Do you read me Hal
Hal, I have my space suit, you open the pod bay doors now or I will r00t your b0x0r with my 1337 5k1llZ!
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Hou..., uh, Redmond, we have a problem.
Why bother.
Nowadays, I read space.com and feel an overwhelming sense of depression. I see billions of tax dollars wasted on multimillion dollar toy space suits, and paying large salaries to Slashdot trolls and other function-free individuals.
NASA is a drain on the nation's economy, and we need to send them a clear message: shape up or ship out. We need to run them like the R&D division in a corporation: if they can't produce useful results, innovations, and profit within a few years, we need to start cutting projects and staff. I want to see NASA become synonymous with "technical progress" like it was when I grew up; right now, it is synonymous with "wasted tax money" and that is not a favorable label to have during such a terrible recession.
freebsd guy
The LAST thing we need are astronauts floating around looking at all of the porn they hid on their microdrive...
"Ahh....nobody up here but you and me, Britney.."
Geez, I can just hear the comments now...
I don't even know where to begin how to point out how collosally stupid this idea is.
You shouldn't have.
1) Good luck using ANY heads-up display during spacewalk. The glare from Earth alone is enough to blind most astronauts.
You do know that their helmets are already shielded against glare don't you?
2) What idiot decided that Joe Astronaut needs a power-consuming VGA display? You want fries with that? For cryin out loud, you're life depends on battery power while you're untethered. Gee, lets make a suit that needlessly takes power away from those annoying non-essential features like pumps for HEAT and OXYGEN
You did read the article or the website and notice that it's a *microdisplay*. Hardly a vast consumer of power.
3) Does it _really_ take a RISC processor to tell you how much air you have left, how much power you have left, and other critical information? Nope. This smacks of buzzword bingo, and stinks of collosal stupidity perhaps even moreso than items #1 and #2.
Pherhaps they chose an already space rated processor? Or one that's more compatible with their other hardware? Or compatible with the embedded system they'll need? (And RISC does not always mean 'fast, complex, powerful'.)
4) If you look at the HUD mock-up they cleverly whipped up in MS Paint, you'll notice that their display is predominantly taken up with a window showing "mission objectives". If you need to be reminded of what the hell you're doing up there, you don't belong in the suit in the first place!! Jesus!
What takes up most of the display space depends on the mode selected. In fact the map shown here will be quite useful in orienting yourself in such a complex place as the exterior of the ISS.
5) A 1GB Microdrive. Well, thats lovely. Now what are you going to do with it...It eats more power than static DRAM, and the microdrive would have to be protected from radiation exposure. A 1GB Microdrive also infers an IDE controller, which infers even more onboard power-consuming crap succepible to radiation and power loss. Oh, and not to mention, the platter will get demagnetized within seconds.
The SDRAM and it's controls will have to protected against radiation exposure as well. Just out of curiosity, what do you think will demagnetize the platters? Existing hard drives in space don't seem to have that problem.
5) You want OTHER crew members both onboard and on the ground to monitor your bio stats while you're working. There are plenty of stories of astronauts who having gone on spacewalks, freak out and start drifting off.
A second '5)' you are at least consistent... So what's wrong with being able to check your own bio stats? I'm also curious as the source of your 'many stories' as the space community has never heard of any such thing being common or usual.
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Considering that these modifications cost between US$10m and US$20m per suit above the initial cost of the suit itself (which is pretty amazing because the suits are $12m! - maybe one of these prices is off), you'd think that for this kind of money, you could pressurize your rec room. This will make games like twister much easier to play.
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>If Apple made space suits, they'd only come in very untasteful, bright colours
Hmm like the intel guys maybe?
What would happen to the astronauts if their space suit was cracked by a kid with a beefed up receiver on the ground? Now I know the 802.11b standard doesn't broadcast that far, but it is conceivably possible that, say, another country, could build a huge ass wireless receiver, light up an astronaut, and hack his system, and take total control of his 'desktop.'
Maybe they'll put a new show on cable: Remote control spaceman battles! Now on Comedy Central!
Lack of eloquence does not denote lack of intelligence, though they often coincide.
What happens if the LCD screen blanks out? The astronaut will not be able to see through the screen, NOR will he or she be able to remove the glasses from his or her face.
We better hope this is NOT run by WIndows, otherwise some poor astronaut is going to float off into space and suffocate with only a BSOD filling his field of view.
These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.