Considerations in Architecting Heterogeneous Teams of Humans and Robots for Optimal Space Exploration

Abstract

Human-robotic systems will play a critical role in space exploration, should NASA embark on exploration missions to the moon and Mars. Humans and robots will be required to work in teams to explore and conduct science on planetary surfaces, and erect, maintain, and repair space-based infrastructure. Although there is a growing body of literature on human robotic interactions (HRI), there is not yet a framework that lends itself both to a formal representation of heterogeneous teams of humans and robots, and to an evaluation of such teams across a series of common, task-based metrics. In this paper, we examine multiple considerations for architecting heterogeneous teams of humans and robots. Our objective is to lay the foundations of a unified framework for architecting human-robotic systems for optimal task performance given a set metrics. Such a framework is necessary to optimally leverage the capabilities of humans and robots in space exploration, and is expected to be an invaluable tool in planning future exploration missions to the moon and Mars.