- IIT Madras is creating an astronaut training module with advanced technologies like AR/VR/MR from eXperiential Technology Innovation Centre (XTIC) for ISRO’s human spaceflight programmes.
ISRO and IIT Madras Collaboration
- ISRO and IIT Madras have signed an MoU to work together on implementing Extended Reality (XR) and other technologies in Indian human spaceflight programs.
- Professor M Manivannan, Principle Investigator at XTIC-IIT Madras, stated that XR technologies have the potential to add value in many aspects of the human spaceflight program, specifically in shortening the design cycle and simulating the space environment.
- Dr. Umamaheswaran R, Director of the Human Space Flight Center (HSFC), ISRO, is looking forward to collaborating with IIT Madras.
- XTIC will also train HSFC engineers in XR and aid in setting up an XR/VR lab.
- Key outcomes from this collaboration include modeling and simulation of human physiology and space systems, outreach activities, visualization and optimization of design architecture, and training ISRO scientists in developing their own XR systems.
About XTIC
- XTIC has created ‘CAVE’, a group of start-ups and industries working in the XR and haptic fields in India.
- XTIC is India’s first Research and Product Innovation Center for XR and Haptic Technology, embracing multiple sectors of engineering, health, psychology, and the arts.
- The center at IIT Madras is focused on the fundamentals of XR – human factors, particularly perception and illusion, and pioneering a new field called Perceptual Engineering and perceptual algebra.
- The collaboration between ISRO and IIT Madras is set to bring about new advancements in the field of XR and human spaceflight programs.
