Luminosity is representing ASU in competing against eight other institutions around the United States, with the mission to find a way of improving the life of the astronauts aboard the ISS.
The team spent hours going over ISS logs, video tours and news articles to try to gain more insight as to what life is like on the space station. It was identified that the astronauts on ISS are often surrounded by a variety of designated computers which are mounted to various terminals around the station. Despite there being many laptops around the station, astronauts tend to carry their own personal computer along with them. In what equates to space juggling, consistent attention is needed from both hands for astronauts to work with their laptops in order to insure these devices do not float away. There seems to be a preference toward having a computer near the astronauts at all times, and hence a potential solution was developed by the lab.
The proposed solution from Luminosity is the HP Hover Pro, which is an adjustable auto stabilizing laptop mount that uses mini control moment gyroscopes for stabilization. A central fan can be used for dual axial rotation and propulsion, and 3D mapping will be used to keep track of the laptop to ensure that it never leaves the astronaut’s side. The HP Hover Pro can also follow the user through the station, allowing them to watch the screen or use video chat while staying hands and anchor free. This can help enhance the world’s view on how astronauts interact with the ISS while they are on camera.