Alexa goes where no voice assistant has gone before - in space
Now that the man has gone to space, it is (apparently) time to send in our voice assistants. And the first to take this giant leap? Amazon's Alexa will be part of Artemis I, a series of upcoming NASA missions in 2022 that will land the first person of color and the first woman on the moon.
Specifically, Alexa will join a technology demo payload, called Callisto, and integrated directly into NASA's Orion spacecraft. There, this will allow astronauts to have AI on board so they can access information, get help with tasks, and enjoy companionship similar to how we interact with voice assistants at home. .
Amazon's press release states, “Although the first mission is unmanned, Artemis I is an important milestone that will allow NASA and others in the industry to test technology that could be used in subsequent crewed missions to the Moon and other deep space destinations. Alexa is one of many innovative new technologies that will be tested as part of Artemis I, and the integration will help those involved explore how ambient intelligence can help astronauts on future missions.
It also states that, on the ship, “Alexa will be able to access real-time telemetry data and answer thousands of mission-specific questions aboard Orion, including questions such as' Alexa, how fast Orion does he travel? Or "Alexa, what's the temperature in the cabin?" Alexa will even handle requests to control connected devices aboard the spacecraft, starting with cabin lighting.
And, of course, Alexa will always have access to more Earth-related activities, allowing future astronauts to stay connected during their missions. Adding a voice assistant to a space shuttle seems like an obvious choice (just look at all the sci-fi media with similar tech like Star Trek, for example), but it's also smart. This can potentially make it easier for astronauts to get information or help, and it makes flights a little less lonely.
If you have an Alexa-enabled device, you can preview the mission and set reminders for upcoming mission steps right now. All you have to do is say, “Alexa, take me to the moon. "
Source: Amazon via Nerdist