As NASA is working hard on its plan to launch a crewed mission to Mars in the following decades it is vital that state-of-the-art technology will be used in order to facilitate the initiative.
One of those technologies is a smart AI that will be able to take care of a planetary space station without external help. The idea has been inspired by HAL 9000, the antagonist of the cult classic movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
A prototype has been developed by researchers from the Houston-based TRACLabs. Named CASE 'Cognitive Architecture for Space Agents' an AI that is designed to recreate the practical functions of HAL 9000 and look after space missions (without murdering astronauts).
Peter Bonasso, lead programmer, has been heavily influenced by the movie when it was first released back in 1968. HE was a student at West Point when the movie premiered. At that point in time the university only had one computer in the shape of the iconic General Electric 225. While the machine was obviously limited, the students were able to develop several creative projects. Bonasso dreamed that he will be able to create a replica of HAL 9000 in the future and the dream may soon become real.
The CASE prototype manages a space station (in simulations only, so far), dealing with emergencies such as gas leaks, dust storms and broken motors and controlling the software and hardware on a colony base.
The artificial intelligence software that Bonasso and his colleagues have now designed, is composed of three key layers. The first is a continuously running control layer that connects to and runs hardware such as robotic hands and eyes. Specifically, CASE controls a simulation of a planetary base.
The second layer carries out procedures underlying routine activities. These include connecting power to batteries, controlling oxygen-generation and carbon-dioxide-removal systems, and charging and sending rovers to retrieve samples of planetary rock.
The final layer consists of automatic planning software that decides how to achieve CASE's programmed goals for the day and the order in which to perform them. It can also automatically reschedule activities when problems arise, such as gas leaks, broken motors or planetary dust storms.
All three layers are linked to an ontology server — a rigorous, exhaustive database that can reason about its data. For example, if someone moves a toolbox from the equipment locker to the crew quarters, the ontology server reasons that all of the tools in the box will change location as well.
The software can visually display information such as those regarding life support and robot status, but can also converse with people so they can ask questions, send commands and be warned about any impending problems. To prevent a situation like one where HAL betrayed its astronauts, CASE is designed to carry out plans only after sharing them with people and getting consent for action.
The AI is still in the early stages and it only managed to run a simulation of a planetary station for a period of 4 hours but the results were great as no incidents were recorded.
CASE cannot do something that hasn’t been already programmed so the risk of sentient rebellion is nonexistent. The AI system is composed of three layers that work in conjunction in order to ensure optimum performance. The first layer controls various hardware, the second is responsible with the software needed in order to execute various task and the third verifies if daily goals are reached and that any problem is addressed immediately in order to prevent escalation.
Researchers are now working on refining the program and hope to test it a controlled environment in the future.
In reality, AI will be more crucial for deep space missions than Mars. Places where human astronauts aren’t part of the picture. An decendend of CASE may be making decisions in places like the deep seas of Europa, where no radio contact with Earth is possible, and could one day be sent as part of an automated spacecraft to an entirely different solar system.