Leading the University of Cincinnati’s first design-led NASA grant, advancing human-centered UX and autonomous communication systems for deep-space missions through a highly confidential, high-impact collaboration with NASA and industry partners.
Timeline: 2024- Present
Reach: Aerospace
Role: Principal Investigator and Project Manager
Funding Amount: NDA Protected
Research Question: How can next-generation AI and autonomous systems for deep-space exploration be designed to support human critical decision-making in highly complex, high-risk environments, while accounting for human factors, cognitive load, and the extreme technical and operational constraints of space missions?
NDA Protected Outcomes: This project is highly confidential. All data collection, insights, system concepts, and project outcomes are protected under strict non-disclosure agreements with NASA and industry partners. Only the general design research process and methodological approach can be publicly shared. Additional details regarding the UX/UI frameworks and human-centered methodologies may be discussed upon request.
Why this work matters?
As space missions move toward deep-space exploration, technical systems are reaching levels of complexity that exceed human cognitive limits. This work demonstrates how human-centered design can play a critical role in next-generation autonomous systems, ensuring that advanced technologies like AI support, rather than overwhelm, human decision-making in high-risk environments. By aligning autonomy, UX/UI design, and human factors, this research helps reduce cognitive load, improve safety, and enable astronauts to focus on mission-critical objectives. The implications extend beyond spaceflight, offering transferable frameworks for healthcare, mobility, and other domains where complex, high-stakes decisions directly impact quality of life.
This highly confidential, NASA-sponsored project represents the first design-led NASA grant awarded to the University of Cincinnati and positions the Future Mobility Design (FMD) Lab as a trusted partner in next-generation space systems research. Beginning in mid-2024, with FMD Lab involvement concentrated in 2025, the project focused on advancing autonomous communication systems for deep-space missions, where astronauts cannot rely on constant contact with Earth. In collaboration with NASA and VISIMO, the work brought a rigorous human-centered design lens to one of the most complex, high-stakes environments imaginable. Due to the nature of the collaboration, specific system details and outcomes are protected under non-disclosure agreements, however the process, methodologies, and broader impact can be discussed at a high level.
Next-gen Autonomous Communication Systems
The project followed a deeply collaborative and iterative design research process grounded in NASA human-factors protocols. Working closely with engineers and scientists at VISIMO and NASA, the team applied mixed research methods including astronaut interviews, primary and secondary research on human cognition and performance in space, and an extensive review of state-of-the-art UX/UI guidelines for autonomous and safety-critical systems. These insights informed the development of detailed system maps, user experience workflows, and interface concepts for GRAMS (Graceful Architecture for Mitigation of System Failures), a cognitive architecture designed to support autonomous problem detection and mitigation in spacecraft. UX and UI concepts were iteratively developed, reviewed, and refined through regular check-ins with project sponsors, ensuring alignment between technical feasibility and real human needs. The engagement concluded with a final refined concept and comprehensive design report delivered to NASA and VISIMO.
Blurred process sample
The impact of this work extends well beyond a single project. By embedding human-centered design into the development of autonomous spacecraft systems, the grant helped elevate UX and design research to a level of scientific credibility within NASA’s research ecosystem. The concepts developed contribute to a broader shift toward autonomous systems that can share cognitive workload with crews and support decision-making in “unknown unknown” scenarios, a critical requirement for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. More broadly, the methodologies validated through this collaboration demonstrate how design-led research can bridge advanced technology and human judgment in extreme environments, with long-term implications for fields such as healthcare, mobility, and complex infrastructure systems here on Earth.
Interested in more information?
This NASA-sponsored work is highly confidential. While detailed outcomes cannot be shared, I am happy to discuss the human-centered methodologies, UX/UI frameworks, and broader implications upon request.
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