Ethereal Matter’s MEK enables fully active, bidirectional haptic interaction with the virtual training environment.

MEK generates interactive, full-body haptic forces that generate a physicality to the virtual entities in-scene.

Components

  • Gimbal Grip

    Gimbal Grip

    The gimbal grip rotates motion about the center of the user’s grip. This allows safe interaction, and a natural force for interaction.

    Each grip houses ‘deadman’ switches for safe interaction. A trigger button allows grab and release functions, and a ‘pause’ button enables fine-tuning in-scene.

    An internal vibratory motor provides feedback or contextual haptics through the user’s hands.

    Load cells interpret all inbound and outbound forces on the grip, and allow data gathering for analysis.

  • Active Armatures

    Active Armatures

    The armatures move to cover the entire human range of arm motion in all directions. Their motion is motor controlled, allowing them to generate force, guide motion, apply resistance, simulate physics-driven motion.

  • The MEK Platform

    The MEK Platform

    The MEK Motion Platform comprises active armatures that cover the human range of motion, and active foot platforms, able to generate haptic sensation through controlled motion modulation.

  • Interactive Immersion

    The trainee sees and hears the accurate, 3D, surrounding environment. Assets appear as real, and MEK generates their physical interaction characteristics, resulting in a deeply immersive training setting.

Details

Networked, Multiuser Sessions

MEKs are networked and multiuser, allowing trainees and trainers to interact in a shared virtual space, regardless of physical location. They appear to the other as if real, oriented correctly, in-scene.

Touchscreen Interaction

The integrated touchscreen allows simple interaction with the platform. Users may log on, invite others, filter experiences, and customize details according to individual needs.

Bespoke Simulation

Since all physical interactions are controlled at the software level, they may be adapted for specific training exercizes.

A specific EMU may be selected, adjusting the universal resistance load to match the known characteristics of the particular EMU. Similarly, the visual representation to user and others will match

Gravity, likewise, is controlled by parameter setting, allowing specific details to be customized as preferred.

The time and date of the mission being trained may be set, updating the Sun, Moon, Earth, Stars and ISS to match. The net effect is training a familiarity with a setting before leaving Earth.

Custom simulations, including mission-specific models, may be generated on demand as training requires.

Motion Capture Scanning

When in use, the trainee is motion-capture scanned, allowing a first-person view of themselves, in motion, and in the correct EMU. Others in-scene will see them accurately represented in-scene.

The motion capture also allows later analysis for further study and comparison.

Motion Analytics

Motion Capture generates a simplified ‘Inference Model’, which is used to drive the motion on the EMU. The same Inference Model may also be used for analytics, storing accurate motion data for purposes including analysis, optimizatoin, training, and progress monitoring.

Mass without Gravity

Free floating objects in the virtual setting represent mass and inertia, but no gravity. This is difficult to recreate on earth, but may be easily generated with using MEK, resulting in a muscle memory and familiarity to enhance the training results. Any shape, proportion or entity may be recreated and given physical characteristics to be accurately simulated.

Such training experiences include the universal resistance applied to all motion by the EMU, unique to each type.

Motion Control parameters designed into MEK’s code allow precise control over simulation qualities. These include:

Drag : applies a universal or specific drag on motion. This may be adjusted for each EMU.

Bias : applies a gravitational pull in a direction. When used with inertia, the effects of motion may be simulated on Earth, Moon, Mars, or any setting desired.

Velocity Cap : often a safety feature, this limits the speed allowed by the armature motion.

Inertia : applies inertia to any moving object.

EVA Motion Training

EVAs requiring motion of the user are simulated by moving the scene, relative to the motion of the trainee’s hand/arm forces and orientation. Resistance of the EMU is accurately added to all motion. Inertia from the weight of the trainee and the specific EMU creates an accurate physical experience of the weightless environment.

The trainee may move in any direction, along rails, or any other component on the ISS or any chosen asset, enabling the trainee to learn and explore the structure, adding to the realism. Multibody physics allows accurate simulation of the forces encounted among multiple objects interacting in Space.

Although the trainee never repositions within the scene, the assets that they interact with - ISS in particular - move in precise coordination with their motion, creating an accurate simulation of weightless motion.

Photoreal Settings

Accurate visual representation contributes to the overall authenticity of the virtual scene, improving the trainee’s familiarity, and reducing their cognitive load when in situ. To this end, the celestial bodies may be correctly oriented to match the specific hour and date of an EVA, further enhancing realism.

Intense light, glare, and shadow are all represented with accuracy for scene fidelity.

Digital Assets

In-scene assets may be realized from existing CAD models, created for the specific purpose, or from trusted asset stores. Many such assets are ‘rigged’, allowing accurate articulation of, for example, robotic arms or other articulating components.

Assets frequently accurately represent the material, graphics, and lighting effects of the actual object.

Avatars

With new EMUs in development, MEK allows specific selection and customization of the digital asset. Mechanical attributes include the universal motion resistance associated with a specific model. Others may include the field of view of the helmet, illumination location and attributes, and other visual details that lend to the overall authenticity.

The more familiar the trainee becomes with the specific EMU, the lower their cognitive load when in situ.

Scanned Assets

Organic and existing physical objects may be integrated as needed into a scene for enhanced realism for improved training. 3D scans, Gaussian Spats, and NRFs are easily integrated, in order to better famiarize the trainee with the setting.

Physical attributes, including regolith density, brightness, hue, etc, may all be designed into the environmental settings for enhanced simulation fidelity.

Meet the Team

  • Scott Summit

    FOUNDER, DESIGNER

  • Orson Rossetto

    Code, Mechatronics, Design

  • Eric Almgren

    Business Advisor

  • Mike Jordan

    Business Development

  • David Boyd

    Mechanical Engineering, DFM

  • Leila Amirsadeghi

    Industry / VR Advisor

  • Dana Ware

    Industry / VR Experience Advisor

Connect

Ethereal Matter, Inc, hopes to connect with Space-minded companies interested in enhanced simulation and training opportunities. Connect with the team here for a demo or more detailed look at the MEK.

Ethereal Matter is located in Sausalito, CA. Demos arranged upon request.

scott@ethereal-matter.com

415.546.6919