Hand Controller Commonality Evaluation Process

Remotely controlled devices will be used extensively to support Space Station Freedom on-orbit assembly, maintenance, and payloads. These include crane-type or remote manipulator systems (RMS), dexterous robots, and remotely-piloted free flyers. A hand controller evaluation process has been established at NASA's Johnson Space Center to determine the appropriate hand controller configurations required to support these devices. Three test facilities include dynamic computer simulations, kinematic computer simulations, and physical simulations. The dynamic simulator supported a rate-controlled RMS and a free flyer. The kinematic simulator supported a rate-controlled RMS and a rate or position-controlled dexterous manipulator. The physical simulator supported a rate, position, or force-reflecting dexterous manipulator. Standard interfaces were developed to evaluate six different hand controllers in all three facilities. The hand controllers included six degree-of-freedom (DOF) position and rate mini-master and joystick controllers, and three-DOF rate controllers. There were six tasks and four non-astronaut subjects per task. All six controllers were tested for each task. Six astronauts then completed all tasks using all controllers for each task. Data collected included task performance data, subjective comments, and anthropometric data. The results of these evaluations were then used to make hand controller configuration recommendations to the Space Station Freedom Program.