Beyond Gravity: Exploring the Use of Augmented Reality Devices for Enhanced Astronaut Performance

Astronauts are beginning to use Augmented Reality to enhance their daily tasks through the use of mobile devices, headsets, and glasses. This study reports on a comparative analysis between the XREAL Air AR Smart Glasses, the Meta Quest 3, and a smart tablet, for a variety of tasks involving video streaming and viewing of complex schematics. While all three devices allow users to view a virtual screen along with their physical environment, it is not known how they compare in user preference, comfort, and readability. The study places considerable emphasis on conducting usability tests tailored to astronaut performance (i.e. observing spacewalks, viewing schematics, etc.) to discern how users interact with and perceive the XREAL glasses in contrast to the Meta Quest 3 and the smart tablet. Factors such as usability, comfort, navigation ease, and overall user experience will be pivotal in evaluating all devices. Furthermore, the project serves as a valuable avenue for offering insights into the comparative strengths and weaknesses of a consumer product such as the XREAL glasses against the Meta Quest 3 and a smart tablet, and can serve to act as a baseline for observing how eXtended Reality technologies can be applied to improve task performance within the space industry and other industries.