Principal Investigator Charles Oman
The VEG is a head mounted, computer driven virtual reality display. We're using it on Neurolab as a research tool to provide controlled visual stimuli for our experiments. NASA developed the VEG for Shuttle and Space Station research in neuroscience and human factors, and for operational purposes, such as telepresence and crew training. One potential example of the latter is spacewalk rehearsal. Astronauts already train on the ground using virtual reality because it's sometimes cheaper and faster than using a neutral buoyancy swimming pool. Space Station crews will be in orbit for months, and won't have access to to neutral buoyancy facilities. VR will be the only way to rehearse certain kinds of activities. The VEG was designed and built by a Lockheed Martin engineering team at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Most of the VEG is ready now. It will be the first time virtual reality technology has been used in space.
The VEG helmet mounted display is a high resolution color LCD display in front of each eye, so the research subject sees a completely computer generated scene around himself, rendered in stereo. The computer that creates the scenes is mounted in the rack near the sjubejct's left shoulder. It is basically the same Pentium Pro you might have at home, except that it is in a custom chassis, and has some powerful graphics accelerator cards. The subject starts the VEG using the black keyboard and display, and once he's put the helmet on, he controls the experiment using the joystick strapped to his right leg. During some portions of the experiment, the subject attaches a cable to his belt from a constant force spring reel mounted on the deck. The downward pull of each cable is about 40 pounds, so his torso and legs can be loaded with a force resembling gravity.