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In Space, a Laptop Doubles As a VR Headset

Posted by Soulskill on from the elegant-hardware-solutions dept.

Nerval's Lobster writes: On Earth, the engineers and developers in charge of building the Oculus Rift and other virtual-reality headsets are concerned about weight: Who wants to strap on something so heavy it cricks their neck? But in space, weight isn't an issue, which is why an astronaut can strap a laptop to his head via a heavy and complicated-looking rig and use it as a virtual-reality device. NASA astronaut Terry Virts recently did just that to train himself in the use of SAFER (Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue), a jetpack worn during spacewalks. (In the movie Gravity, George Clooney's character uses a highly unrealistic version of SAFER to maneuver around a space shuttle.)

26 comments

  1. inertia? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Wouldn't it still have a much higher inertia and put a heavy strain on the neck after a short period of time?

    1. Re:inertia? by binarylarry · · Score: 1

      Gorilla Neck.

      --
      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
    2. Re:inertia? by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      I looked at the image it appears the laptop bulk is directly over the head so turning your head left and right shouldn't be a big issue, Up and Down may put a little more strain.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    3. Re:inertia? by Guspaz · · Score: 2, Informative

      You're still moving that mass, regardless of how it's mounted on the head.

    4. Re:inertia? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I'm one of the guys that worked on this. And yes, moving the mass does take force, but how it is mounted does matter. Having more of the mass over the axis of rotation significantly reduces the angular inertia.

    5. Re: inertia? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Any reason you guys didn't just decouple the laptop screen from the rest of it? Probably just a matter of unscrewing a few screws and getting a longer ribbon cable.

      Or, why not use a small form factor PC or RPi and a lightweight screen?

      Or just a tablet?

      Or am I missing the detail where this was done in 2004?

  2. Up next: Apple Sues NASA... by pin_gween · · Score: 3, Funny

    for violating its patents.

    --
    Ignorance is not a crime; neither should it be a way of life

    Congress control $ = inmates run the asylum
    1. Re:Up next: Apple Sues NASA... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Serious question, how applicable are patents in space? Is there any treaty that has been previously established that would cover use of patents and other things in space?

    2. Re:Up next: Apple Sues NASA... by kesuki · · Score: 1

      my best guess is that 'ig no run ce' has to do with a Personal Digital Assistant running windows CE. i spelled it out because someone thinks PDA means public display of affection. which is possible but just guessing randomly is going to cause crashes!!! I should Know I Used Windows 95 on a pentium 120! with F00F bug!

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      https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
    3. Re:Up next: Apple Sues NASA... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Like pretty much anything in space the question is "does anyone with antisatellite missiles care enough to expend one stopping you?".

      In other words, "no".

  3. Um angular momentum anybody? by monkeyxpress · · Score: 1

    Swinging your head around to shoot at the zombie behind you with that contraption stuck to your head is probably not going to be quite the immersive experience this article makes it out to be...

    1. Re:Um angular momentum anybody? by garyisabusyguy · · Score: 1

      better be strapped down to something

      --
      Wherever You Go, There You Are
    2. Re:Um angular momentum anybody? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I'm one of the guys that worked on this. Angular momentum is reduced by keeping as much of the mass near the axis of rotation as possible. Most of the mass is in the laptop base, which we try to keep right above the head. Since operators rarely need to pitch their head, the momentum in that direction is not of much concern.

      Also, when flying SAFER, or doing EVAS in general, there is not very fast or far yaw motion of the head. If you yaw too far, you will be looking at the inside of the helmet, as turning your head doesn't turn the helmet.

  4. mass by magarity · · Score: 1

    In space, weight's analogue is called mass, and it does matter.

    1. Re:mass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      weight's analogue is called mass

      Eh... not really. Weight isn't an analogue of mass, it's an effect of it in a gravitational field.

    2. Re:mass by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

      In space, weight's analogue is called mass, and it does matter.

      No, there is no weight in space. Weight is a force that pulls in the direction of local gravity. Yes, we use the wrong units for weight - weight is mass times acceleration (usually gravitational). So the real unit for weight is actually the newton.

      Mass is conserved, but as you enter and leave acceleration, the weight changes as the acceleration changes.

      Strap a laptop to your head on Earth and you still have to contend with the mass of the laptop (thanks, inertia!).

  5. Glasses with screens in them work well enough. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    But in space, weight isn't an issue

    It's less of an issue, but inertia will still cause the device to resist turning your head -- or stop turning your neck.

    I'd rather have a crick in my neck than a broken neck because some zombie jump-scared me into twisting my head right off.

    Actually, I'd rather just use the VR and AR gear I already have been using for years, since they are portable, work with my phone and look like a pair of sunglasses.

    1. Re:Glasses with screens in them work well enough. by Guspaz · · Score: 1

      A 35 degree diagonal field of view isn't a virtual reality headset, it's a portable personal display. If the manufacturer is citing "equivalent to an X inch screen at a distance of Y feet away", then it's not for VR.

    2. Re:Glasses with screens in them work well enough. by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 1

      Twin high-resolution WVGA (852 x 480) LCD displays

      When was this written? 1992?

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    3. Re:Glasses with screens in them work well enough. by bughunter · · Score: 1

      For space-hardened laptops, that is high-resolution.

      --
      I can see the fnords!
  6. Clooney is using an MMU, not a SAFER in Gravity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Clooney's character in Gravity is using an updated version of the old Martin-Marietta MMU, Manned Maneuvering Unit, originally used on some early Shuttle missions. It is not, no way, no how, a "highly unrealistic version of SAFER" as the idiot poster suggests. SAFER is a highly stripped down, emergency-only version of the MMU -- it compares to the MMU the way a life preserver compares to an inflatable boat with an outboard. (The wikipedia article on SAFER calls it " a small, simplified version of the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), which was used for regular maneuvering." )

    The device used in the movie is an upgraded version of the MMU apparently with greater fuel reserves (possibly using chemical rockets rather than pressurized nitrogen thrusters).

  7. Did You? by tquasar · · Score: 1

    Did you just say "strap on"? Let the hilarity begin.

  8. In space... by oldmac31310 · · Score: 1

    no one can hear you screeeeeeee-------------

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    http://www.acetonestudio.com
  9. This is a dup by neo-mkrey · · Score: 1

    but I'm too lazy to search for the original post.

  10. Newton's laws of physics still apply by aklinux · · Score: 1

    An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

    It could get a little rough on the neck at times. Starting to move, stopping, changing direction, getting accidentally bumped by a fellow astronaut.