NASA and Google are collaborating to check an AI-powered medical assistant designed to assist astronauts on long-duration missions, the place communication delays with Earth make real-time medical consultations unimaginable.
NASA, which is dedicated to a brand new period of human spaceflight with its Artemis program, is working with Google to check a proof of idea for a Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant (CMO‑DA), a sort of Scientific Resolution Help System (CDSS).
The digital assistant would offer medical assist to astronauts when working past low Earth orbit, such as on missions to the moon and Mars, allowing crews to autonomously diagnose and treat symptoms.
“Trained on spaceflight literature, the AI system uses cutting-edge natural language processing and machine learning techniques to safely provide real-time analyses of crew health and performance,” Google representatives said in an Aug. 8 statement.
In keeping with the assertion, early outcomes point out the potential for dependable diagnoses based mostly on reported signs. NASA and Google at the moment are working with medical doctors to additional take a look at and refine the mannequin.
Deep-space missions, together with to the moon or Mars, can contain communication delays — generally as much as 45 minutes for light-time round-trip for the Crimson Planet — making real-time consultations unimaginable. And a speedy return to Earth is clearly not an possibility in such circumstances.
An onboard AI assistant might due to this fact assist bridge a crucial hole. The know-how is also of use in distant and demanding environments right here on Earth, the place entry to skilled medical professionals is restricted.
