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Introducing Heli OS
The product of our research, design, and iterative prototypes is HeliOS, a mobile system that streamlines the work of astronauts and test engineers by improving tool management and bridging communication gaps between collaborators. In our research, we discovered that breakdowns in the communication of status information led to inefficient work. HeliOS allows technicians to create notes and organize tools associated with a specific tasks called Jobs. When changes are made, or when tasks are completed, the system conveys the update to all collaborators on that task. Uncoordinated sharing of tools also accounted for inefficiencies that delayed the work of technicians. With RFID technology, HeliOS keeps track of tools, their location and their maintenance status. When a desired tool is uncalibrated, the system automatically replaces the selection with a similar calibrated tool.
Home Page
The Home Page contains most of the main functions of HeliOS: jobs, job templates, and personal notes. Here, a technician can leave quick notes for himself, access the jobs he’s working on, as well as jobs his co-workers are performing. He can also create a new job based on an existing job template.
Job Page
The Job Page displays the notes, tools, and details associated with this job. On this page, a technician can quickly add a new note, edit an existing note, and mark a note as complete. Similarly, for tools, he can add tools to this job, access details about each tool, and mark it as having been retrieved. Lastly, a technician can edit the collaborators of this feature and make a template out of this job.
Search
The Search bar on the top navigation panel allows a technician to perform a global search, based on keywords, across the whole HeliOS system for tools, notes, and jobs. With a global search that allows a technician to access information with a couple of steps, HeliOS is flexible enough to support one-off, quick use.
Activity Feed
The Activity Feed is a running list of all of the updates in a technician’s work environment, including the work he’s completed, as well as the progress of his collaborators. By collecting and communicating status information through one channel, HeliOS makes it easier for collaborators to work on projects together.