Might as Well Be on Mars: Insights on the Extraterrestrial Applicability of Interaction Design Frameworks from Earth

Vanderdonckt, Jean [UCL] Vatavu, Radu-Daniel [UCL] Manon, Julie [UCL] Saint-Guillain, Michael [UCL] Lefèvre, Philippe [UCL] Marquez, Jessica J. [NASA Ames]

As humanity expands its reach into the Cosmos, the imagination sparkling prospect of colonizing other planets, such as Mars, becomes increasingly tangible. However, establishing livable environments on Mars necessitates robust and efficient computer systems, and thus design knowledge for highly usable interactions that match users’ abilities under the unique challenges posed by other planets’ environments. In this work, we connect to current interaction design frameworks, such as Ability-based Design, Reality based Interaction, and Sensorimotor Realities, to assess their suitability beyond Earth. Furthermore, we present insights from the user experience of interactive systems on Mars through observations collected during a mission at the Mars Desert Research Station. We use our findings to propose future research on interaction frameworks with extraterrestrial and interplanetary applicability.