Validation of Assessment Tests and Countermeasures for Detecting and Mitigating Changes in Cognitive Function During Robotics Operations

Although robotic operations during spaceflight have been successful, there have been a few incidents in which fatigue has been identified as a probable contributing factor. Astronauts are often so busy, they sleep much less than eight hours per night, and sometimes have to dramatically change their sleep schedules. Dr. Charles Oman is leading a team of researchers at MIT and the Brigham & Women's Hospital in a project to validate countermeasures and tests used in the detection and reduction of human performance changes during robotic operations.

The researchers will study the performance of subjects performing robotic tasks in a laboratory setting while following typical astronaut sleep schedules. The project's first objective is to understand how fatigue affects various aspects of robotic operator performance. Another goal is to validate several widely used neurobehavioral performance tests including the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) as predictors of robotics task performance. The third goal is to test the ability of countermeasures – including caffeine and blue-enriched light – to maintain or improve performance.

Specific Aims:
(1) Characterize the changes in cognitive function during robotic operations that affect performance;

(2) Validate proxy cognitive assessment tests such as the Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) or Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) as predictors of performance changes in a complex operational task, and;

(3) Test the efficacy of fatigue countermeasures (e.g., light, caffeine, modafinil) to improve cognition during robotic operations.

The project is a collaborative effort between the MIT Man Vehicle Laboratory the Division of Sleep Medicine at Brigham and Womens Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School, the NASA Johnson Space Center Mechanical and Robotics Systems Group, and the NASA Astronaut Office. MIT will develop the simulations of robotics operations and implement the cognitive assessment tests. The BWH/Harvard team will create realistic schedules and environmental conditions to test the impact of countermeasures under these conditions. We will work closely with NASA trainers and astronauts to guide the direction of the research and recreate valid operational scenarios.