Project Sidekick is About to Bring Holograms into Space
NASA and Microsoft engineers test Project Sidekick on NASA’s Weightless Wonder C9 jet. Project Sidekick will use Microsoft HoloLens to provide virtual aid to astronauts working on the International Space Station. NASA
Astronauts aboard the ISS will soon have a new way of looking at things.
If living in space wasn't thrilling enough, astronauts aboard the International Space Station will soon have something else to be excited about.
NASA is teaming with Microsoft to create Project Sidekick, which uses the tech company's HoloLens to provide virtual aid to ISS astronauts and to help researchers on the ground communicate better with the space station.
The device will make its way toward the ISS on board SpaceX cargo-ship launch this Sunday. Once there, astronauts will test the HoloLens device.
NASA hopes to have the device fully in use by the yearend. The idea is that the holographic computing technology will come in handy when the future allows astronauts to work virtually on Mars.
"HoloLens and other virtual and mixed reality devices are cutting-edge technologies that could help drive future exploration and provide new capabilities to the men and women conducting critical science on the International Space Station,” said Sam Scimemi, director of the ISS program at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
NASA recently tested the project on its "Weightless Wonder" C9 jet that creates a temporary weightless environment, to ensure the device will work in microgravity
To see astronauts in action, check out NASA's video below:
NEXT STORY: NASA's Newest Robot is Part Ape, Part Machine