What happens if you run into medical issues in space and can’t get in touch with Houston? NASA and Google say their new artificial intelligence system might help the next time you’re stuck in Earth’s orbit and need some help.
Dubbed the Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant – or CMO-DA – the new AI system is a multi-modal interface that uses natural language processing and machine learning to provide real-time analyses of crew health and performance, Google said.
The tool is meant to support a designated crew medical officer or flight surgeon in making medical decisions and maintaining crew health.
“As NASA embarks on a new era of human spaceflight, beginning with the Artemis campaign’s aim to return to the Moon, preparations are underway to ensure crew health and wellness,” says a release from Google. “This includes exploring whether remote care capabilities can deliver detailed diagnoses and treatment options if a physician is not onboard or if real-time communication with Earth-based medical experts is limited.”
CMO-DA could help support human exploration of the Moon, Mars, “and beyond,” according to the release, which said the care the system provides “could become increasingly important as NASA missions venture deeper into space.”
Google said that trials applying AI on a range of medical scenarios showed “promise for reliable diagnoses based on reported symptoms,” and that it will continue testing alongside NASA and medical doctors to further refine the model with the aim of enhancing autonomous crew health and performance.
The AI tool was co-developed by Google Cloud, NASA’s Lunar Command and Control Interoperability project, and NASA’s Human Research Program.
“This tool represents an important milestone for AI technology, medical care, and our continued exploration of the cosmos,” said Google. “Not only does this innovation hold potential for advancing space missions, but it could also benefit people here on Earth by providing early access to quality medical care in remote areas.”