Designed and tested FLEUR(Fault List Evaluator), an FMEA system used in real-time IRIS Lunar Rover mission, achieving a 28% reduction of operator response time.
Operators faced a systems knowledge gap, needing to memorize numerous FMEA documents and manually verify analyses. This hindered their ability to swiftly analyze faults, identify failure modes, and propose solutions during real-time missions.
Fault List Evaluator for Ultimate Response (FLEUR) is a software that lets users track indicators, explore possible failure modes and input solution suggestions. To streamline usability, I designed wireframes and prototypes, tested during mission simulations with scalability and interoperability perspectives.
Iris is a 2kg rover exploring the Gruithuisen Domes, a part of the moon left untouched & never explored by both man or machine. It flew to space in January 2024 setting the tone for many firsts: world's first private rover, world's first nano robot, & most importantly, world's first student-operated rover mission.
Our team is an internationally diverse group of students, from all different majors across the university, who worked tirelessly over the last few years to create this miracle of micro miniaturization. Along with testing small, lightweight rover mobility on the Moon, Iris was designed to collect scientific images for geological sciences.
As the first CubeRover to secure a flight to the Moon, Iris is an example of how NASA investments stimulate technology innovation.
The United States’ first robotic lunar rover was built by Carnegie Mellon students.
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur soared into night skies on its long-awaited first launch Jan. 8, carrying a commercial lunar lander.
Lead Product
Designer
Interactive prototyping,
UX Research, Product design,
Usability Testing
2 Product Designers
4 Frontend Engineers
4 Backend Engineers
Operators faced a systems knowledge gap, needing to memorize numerous FMEA documents and manually verify analyses. This hindered their ability to swiftly analyze faults, identify failure modes, and propose solutions during real-time missions. Our challenge is to create an easy-to-use interface that allows operators to easily administer the rover and identify correct failure modes throughout the mission within the limited time frame and reduce chances of errors.
Diagnosing failure modes currently requires using both an Excel spreadsheet (FMEA) and a Ground Software applet (Fault Tree), and these tools lack integration. FMEA provides criticality and risk scores, while the Fault Tree illustrates the relationship between indicators and failure modes.
I first analyzed the different tasks operators need to complete during the mission. We conducted contextual inquiry to understand what steps occur need to be taken with the rover, and what operators need to see and do to accomplish those tasks. We could immediately tell that he interface was not user-friendly for operators dealing with a large amount of data with a short time to make a decision.
We supplemented the interviews with an in-depth stakeholder study, as we knew that there is a system of operators who need to perform a collective effort to execute a final command for the rover. Conducting a journey mapping session with the different operator brought out the differences in the decision structure 3 primary stakeholders: Systems, navigation and Telemetry operators.
While we continued interviewing operators, we also conducted secondary research to help further synthesize our findings. To understand the needs of operators:
Our synthesis of our research led is to the following insights:
Using our insights we reframed our problem space to accurately address the needs of the operators, and leveraging the design opportunities.
Design Opportunities:
As the launch date was approaching, we did not have the opportunity to create wireframes first and then move on to high-fidelity prototypes. Since there was a base to create a style guide, we simultaneously updated the style guide and jumped into the process of creating high-fidelity screens.
Presenting the steps of the diagnoses and key pieces of information in a strict hierarchy that was intuitive for the operator to follow.
We optimized the friction point for operators by facilitating cross-comparison of failure modes. This allows users to recognize rather than recall, providing validation for their thinking and reducing errors.
To ease cognitive load, we enabled operators to quickly check the connection between failure modes, indicators, and their marked solutions.
Supplementing the data with a visual representation of the rover, highlighting faulty parts, facilitates tracking new fault indicators and reduces response time to address faults.
To validate our designs we conducted a Wizard of Oz test during one of the mission simulations, where we collaborated with the team on ground to orchestrate few “mistakes” that would lead to faults showing up as indicators on the software. We analyzed reaction time to rover fault indicators and number of clicks take to diagnose a failure mode.
Designing for a high stake situation, crafting experiences that are small in scale but monumental in impact. Working in Space technology, at the intersection of Human Computer interaction and Human Machine Interaction, was one area that I always want to practice my product design skills in, and IRIS gave me a first hand opportunity. I was able to develop my skills in evaluative user research, data-driven design, data visualization and getting stakeholders on board.
I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the launch of the rover on the Peregrine Lander on January 8th 2024. IRIS’s legacy of ingenuity and unity lives on, inspiring future generations to reach for the moon and beyond!
