On a dwarf planet called Harmonia, astronauts carry a special tablet, HDS25, for collecting digital samples of the planet’s geological terrain
This university project involved creating design fictions which are based on predicted design and technology trends. The goal was to create design pieces that would contribute to the mission’s objectives on a dwarf planet called Harmonia.
The planet is said to be capable of supporting human life, however, living conditions and the environment are more extreme than Earth.
I focused on one of the most important activities on alien planets, the collection of geological data. My solution was a special tablet for collecting digital samples of rocks, soil, dust or even grains. That way astronauts won’t need to carry special equipment with them or use rovers with drills especially in Harmonia’s difficult conditions.
The tablet can store all the necessary information such as location, size, colour, orientation, an approximate weight, the type of the sample and the chemical composition. These were some of the primary features of the tablet –
Scan for potential samples displaying important information (like in augmented reality).
Collect digital samples by taking photos in best settings.
Project holograms of the samples for further observation.
Send collected data to a mainframe on Earth for further analysis.
But we also had to think of –
How could astronauts, with their space suits, operate the tablet since they are not barehanded?
Since the screen would be transparent, how was it going to be visible in light or dark backgrounds?
What about the time when there was going to be little to no light on Harmonia?
The solutions that I could think of for answering these questions were also based on plausible science.
This project compels us to imagine our interfaces coupled with the needs and the technology of the future.
Maybe we’re not very far from the science of such a device.
