Use of Virtual Reality as a Tool for Evaluating a Lunar Habitat

What is it about?

This study explores how immersive technologies, like Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR), can help design and evaluate living spaces for astronauts on the Moon. Over four months, researchers from the University of Houston and NASA worked together to see if these tools could improve how they plan lunar habitats—places where astronauts would sleep, work, and live during missions. The researchers tested different habitat designs, including vertical and horizontal modules (sections of living space) for astronauts on the Moon’s surface. This paper shows a process to increase the immersion during the evaluations with a transition from VR, MR, and AR.

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Photo by Minh Pham on Unsplash

Photo by Minh Pham on Unsplash

Why is it important?

By using VR, they could simulate and explore these spaces as if they were real, allowing designers to check layouts, furniture placements, and movement flow from a human’s point of view. This process made it possible to spot issues early and make design changes on the fly, saving time and money compared to traditional methods like physical mock-ups or long design cycles.

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