NASA has gone virtual reality and is holding a public competition to allow the best and brightest to help them create a new astronaut training program for a trip to Mars.

mars

Competition Announced

After announcing a partnership with Epic Games, NASA plans to join the metaverse. The iconic American government space agency has created a competition with Epic Games and Buendea to develop a martian metaverse simulation.

This unique challenge was first posted on Herox, the crowdsourcing problem-solving platform. It tasks developers with helping NASA to build “Virtual Reality (XR) assets and scenarios for use by NASA in research focused on extravehicular activities on the surface of Mars.”

NASA is teaming up with Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite, for their Martian metaverse competition.

It is a great competition with high hopes. Furthermore, those keen to compete will be providing the tools for space missions in years to come. Significantly, The United States government plans to have boots on Mars by 2040. The development of the NASA martian metaverse simulation may help the odds of the mission succeeding. 

This is not the first competition NASA has put out to the public. Quite often, these challenges take place on Herox. Significantly, there is a cash prize for those who do well in the NASA metaverse challenge. In total, there is up to $70,000 up for grabs.

“Creators can use Unreal Engine to build realistic simulation scenarios to help prepare NASA for future missions, whether to the moon or Mars,” said Seb Loze, Unreal Engine business director for simulation at Epic Games. “Whether you’re a game designer, architect, hobbyist or rocket scientist, anyone can build with UE5, and we can’t wait to see the immersive simulations the community comes up with.”

How will the NASA x Epic Games Metaverse competition work?

Virtual reality is a modern tool used in everything from pilot training to Formula one driving. It allows the users to gain high-level training experience at little cost. It is effective because of the visual emphasis on users and provides a fully immersive experience.

Now, NASA wants to use Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 for a realistic metaverse environment. Buendea will also play a vital role in the process. They are a unique group dedicated to solving extended reality (XR) graphics simulation challenges.

Image of astronauts in the MARS metaverse
The Mars metaverse competition will provide key information for its future space missions.

Basically, the challenge aims to populate an already-started metaverse world called MarsXR. It is a model of Mars, complete with identical 400 km2 of Mars landscape and featuring natural day/night patterns.

Mars follows a similar day cycle to Earth. It orbits the Sun once every 24 hours and 39 minutes, and these Martian days are called ‘sols’, short for Martian Solar Days. Developers will have to consider all of these things for the competition.

Guidelines

This challenge will award four winners in each of five different categories. Teams may submit multiple submissions in each category and submit to multiple categories. Each submission should be materially different from the other submissions the team has made in relation to content and focus. Teams are eligible to win more than one award.

To participate in this challenge, you will need to complete the following steps:

  1. Click on the Solve this Challenge at the top of this page and accept the terms and conditions
  2. Sign up for an Epic Games account
  3. Download the NASA XOSS MarsXR Engine on the Epic Games Market Place
  4. Read the How-to documentation for using the game engine

Check out the Resource Tab.  This is where you can find different, useful resources to support your work on this challenge, including:

Successful submissions will include a video walk through, an executable file, and a full library of supporting documentation. Each submission will need to be either a scenario or an asset that should bring value to the larger XR environment being developed for NASA. Submissions with higher levels of realism, novelty, and usability will be more favorably received. Furthermore, the documentation submitted should provide a clear guideline and explanation of what has been developed.

Submissions must be based on the Unreal Engine 5 development tool.

Mission Information

Mission Aim: As humans, we are explorers at heart, and the search for life elsewhere has driven our desire to explore another planet. The success of the first human missions to Mars will require a sustained effort of stunning technical and operational complexity. With Mars being over 140 million miles from Earth, all the challenges of exploring are compounded by the distance and dealing with situations without real-time support from Earth.

Ongoing research has identified over one thousand tasks that are likely needed to be performed during early human expeditions to Mars. It is unrealistic to build all the training elements for tasks, but using virtual reality we can evaluate some aspects of future missions, such as the optimal size of the crews, what procedures will enable crew health and performance, and what equipment the crew will need to take on each mission.

This challenge is looking for developers to create new assets and scenarios to create realistic research, development, and testing environments for NASA test subjects to give them an immersive experience that can be updated and modified with new hardware and software solutions and physical equipment as they are created.

MarsXR Engine Information

In collaboration with NASA, Buendea has developed the NASA XOSS MarsXR Engine,  using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5.

The NASA XOSS MarsXR Engine already includes:

  • Motion capture for full-body tracking using VIVE Trackers
  • Multiplayer environment that allows users to connect and explore Mars
  • Full Martian Day and Night Cycles, with the orange hues of daytime transitioning to blue at night
  • Realistic weather conditions, and Martian gravity
  • Over 400 km2 (approximately 154 miles2) of Mars terrain covering the Jezero Crater (based on photogrammetry and satellite imagery)
  • Numerous assets such as suits and rovers.

There are a number of existing assets available for you and your team to integrate into the scenarios you build. You are also encouraged to enhance existing assets as needed by improving visual fidelity, adding Animation, and extending interactive functionality using either Blueprint or C++ scripting/programming languages.

For this challenge, a scenario is a single or networked XR experience that requires users to perform a sequence or series of tasks to complete defined objectives. An asset is defined as a 3D model of a relevant object with materials and scripted functionality. An example of an asset consists of static mesh components, with scripted events, and functions that define and determine asset behavior when interacting within the NASA XOSS MarsXR Engine environment.

XR Equipment Supported by NASA XOSS MarsXR Engine

The NASA XOSS MarsXR Engine is compatible with the following motion trackers and headsets:

  • Motion capture via VIVE trackers
  • SteamVR supported headsets
    • HTC VIVE
    • VIVE Pro
    • VIVE Pro eye
    • VIVE Pro 2
    • Valve Index

MarsXR Challenge Categories

Within each category, you may develop a specific scenario (including all needed assets), or just assets that you believe will be needed for tasks within a scenario or category.  The XOSS MarsXR engine does not support scenarios inside the habitat. Teams will need to define if the scenario is single or multiplayer modes.

If you are developing an asset, each asset developed will need to be used in both single and multiplayer modes.

If you are modifying any of the existing assets already provided in the Mars Editor, you must duplicate the asset and then move it to your project folder and give it a new name that is different from the original asset.

There are five (5) different categories to participate in, with particular scenarios to explore in each category:

  1. Set Up Camp
  2. Scientific Research
  3. Maintenance
  4. Exploration
  5. Blow Our Minds

Check out the Categories Tab for more information

Prize

HeroX will recognize up to 20 winning ideas, sharing a total prize purse of $70,000. This challenge will award four winners in each of five different categories. Teams can be of any size, from a single individual to a large group or formal organization, as long as a leader is nominated.

Teams may submit multiple submissions in each category and submit to multiple categories. Assets that are submitted as part of a scenario will also be considered for the asset prize. Each submission should be materially different from the other submissions the team has made in relation to content and focus. Teams are eligible to and may win more than one award.

In each category, there will be one Overall Winner. There will be three additional prizes for each category:

  • Best Scenario
  • Best Asset
  • Honorable Mention

In addition to the cash awards, winners will each receive a 30 mins zoom call with the NASA team that is developing and using the NASA XOSS MarsXR Engine.  This will be an opportunity for winners to talk about what they have developed and how they might plan to use XR in the future. Additionally, winners will receive official NASA “swag”, which could include things like posters or pins from past NASA projects and/or missions. Selected winners may be contacted for additional insight into their submissions.

Prize Category Awards Total
Set Up Camp ($6,000) Overall Category Winner
($4,000) Best Scenario
($3,000) Best Asset
($1,000) Honorable Mention		 $14,000
Scientific Research ($6,000) Overall Category Winner
($4,000) Best Scenario
($3,000) Best Asset
($1,000) Honorable Mention		 $14,000
Maintenance ($6,000) Overall Category Winner
($4,000) Best Scenario
($3,000) Best Asset
($1,000) Honorable Mention		 $14,000
Exploration ($6,000) Overall Category Winner
($4,000) Best Scenario
($3,000) Best Asset
($1,000) Honorable Mention		 $14,000
Blow Our Minds ($6,000) Overall Category Winner
($4,000) Best Scenario
($3,000) Best Asset
($1,000) Honorable Mention		 $14,000
Total Prize Purse $70,000 USD

Timeline

Open to submissions May 5, 2022

Submission deadline July 26, 2022 @ 5pm ET

Judging July 27 to September 20, 2022

Winners Announced September 27, 2022

How do I win?

The judges will be looking at how realistic, complex, and detailed the assets or scenarios are.

To be eligible for an award, you must complete the submission form and it must include all of the following items:

1. Video Submission

  • Provide the link for the video
  • Must be 3 minutes or less in length
  • Give a narrative (in English) description of the project, explaining what has been developed and why
  • Show gameplay highlights for the scenario or the asset/s in use
  • Provide a 360’ view of assets, for asset-only submissions

2. Executable Submission

  • Submit an EXE file of the “cooked” submission
  • For the executable you will need to cook and package the project for submission.
  • After you have cooked and packaged the project, rename the build folder from “WindowsNoEditor” to a relevant name for your submission.
  • Verify the build works, and then Zip up the build folder for submission.

3. Mars Editor Project File Folder

  • All project files should be placed under a single parent folder in the content browser in Mars Editor. The parent folder should be labeled with the prefix “AA” and then Your Team Name. Any sub-folders in the parent folder can be labeled as needed.

For example:

  • Project File Naming Conventions: For any project, consistent naming conventions are always important for good organization. You can refer to the UE5 Style Guide for naming conventions. https://github.com/Allar/ue5-style-guide
  • Readme Text Document: You will need to create a readme text file that contains the following information along with any unique requirements (if any):
    • Team Members Names
    • Submission Categories
    • Name of any Unreal Plugins used (if any)
    • Any unique requirements for the project or the executable
  • Mars Editor Project Files Submission Requirements: Once your project is finished and ready for submission you will need to zip up the project files for submission.

Judging Criteria

Section  Description Overall Weight
Realism Scenario submission

Visual

  • Models – Are detailed and scale and proportions are accurate
  • Materials – Surfaces are accurate and detailed
  • Animation – Objects and component movements are clean and move accurately to their real-world counterparts

Process and Procedures

  • The task that the user performs User tasks are accurate
  • Object Interactions – Object behaves as expected or the same as real counterparts

Asset submission

Visual

  • Models – Are detailed and scale and proportions are accurate
  • Materials – Surfaces are accurate and detailed
  • Animation – Objects and component movements are clean and move accurately to there real-world counterparts
 30
Value Scenario submission

What is the value to the development of the VR environment?

  • Mission and scenario designs are relevant and beneficial
  • The Submission meets the submission category requirements
  • Assets have the potential to be reused in other mission scenarios
  • Interactive elements have extended the functionality of the Mars editor

Asset submission

What is the value to the development of the VR environment?

  • Asset designs are relevant and beneficial
  • The Submission meets the submission category requirements
  • Assets have the potential to be reused in other mission scenarios
 20
Novelty Scenario submission

How unique is the submission?

  • Does this submission do something new or in a different way that has not been demonstrated in other submissions or already in the engine?
  • Is there a mission narrative or some device that leads the player through the task at hand? Or does it simply expect the user to understand what the scenario is and expect them to know what to do?

Asset submission

How unique is the submission?

  • Does this submission do something new or in a different way that has not been demonstrated in other submissions or already in the engine?
 20
Usability Scenario submission

Efficiency/ Functionality / Error management

  • Users clearly understand what they are supposed to do or what they are trying to accomplish within the scenario
  • Scripting – Performance is stable and efficient and reliable – No Bugs or show stoppers
  • The project runs efficiently
  • Project runs at an appropriate frame rate.
  • Models, materials, and textures are efficiently made for an XR environment.

Asset submission

Efficiency/ Functionality / Error management

  • Users clearly understand what they are supposed to create
  • Scripting – Performance is stable and efficient and reliable – No Bugs or show stoppers
  • The project runs efficiently
  • Project runs at an appropriate frame rate.
  • Models, materials, and textures are efficiently made for an XR environment.
 20
Documentation
  • Help files and/or documentation is provided
 10

mars

Rules

Participation Eligibility:

The challenge is open to all adult individuals, private teams, public teams, and collegiate teams. Teams may originate from any country. Submissions must be made in English. All challenge-related communication will be in English.

Team captains must originate from either the U.S. or a designated country (see definition of designated country at https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-25#FAR_25_003), OR have been substantially transformed in the US or designated country prior to prototype delivery pursuant to FAR 25.403(c).

No specific qualifications or expertise in the field of  Virtual Reality is required. Prize organizers encourage outside individuals and non-expert teams to compete and propose new solutions.

To be eligible to compete, you must comply with all the terms of the challenge as defined in the Challenge-Specific Agreement.

Registration and Submissions:

Submissions must be made online (only), via upload to the HeroX.com website, on or before 5pm EDT on July 26, 2022. All uploads must include an EXE file and Full Library with the submission form. No late submissions will be accepted.

This challenge allows multiple submissions per individual/team. Should you have multiple entries to submit to this challenge, they will be considered separately. Whether or not multiple entries from the same individual or team may be chosen for a prize is up to the discretion of the Challenge Sponsor.

Intellectual Property Rights:

As detailed in the Challenge-Specific Agreement – To receive a Prize, Winner must agree to license all content and assets developed by Winner and contributed to the project to be licensed under the Creative Commons CC BY (4.0) license and all code developed by Winner and contributed to the project to be licensed under the Apache License 2.0, or similar Open Source Initiative (“OSI”) license as determined by Challenge Sponsor.

Awarding of the Prize:

The Individual Submitter or Team Captain is automatically designated as the Recipient of the prize monies. The Individual’s or Captain’s name must also match the Authorized Person on the receiving Bank Account. No changes are permitted to the prize Recipient after the Submission Deadline date. If you wish to change who would receive the prize monies, those changes must be completed prior to the Submission Deadline. View our Knowledge Base article here for how to change Team Captains.

Additional Information

  • By participating in the challenge, each competitor agrees to adhere to the HeroX Intellectual Integrity Policy and promises to submit only their original idea. Any indication of “copying” amongst competitors is grounds for disqualification.
  • All applications will go through a process of due diligence; any application found to be misrepresentative, plagiarized, or sharing an idea that is not their own will be automatically disqualified.
  • All ineligible applicants will be automatically removed from the competition with no recourse or reimbursement.
  • No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win the competition.
  • Void wherever restricted or prohibited by law.

Participants in this NASA Mars XR metaverse challenge will get special access to this amazing virtual world. Furthermore, they can use assets, such as rovers, suits and more.

The virtual experience challenges within this NASA metaverse also come in categories. These categories include ‘set up camp’, ‘scientific research’, ‘maintenance’, ‘exploration’, and ‘blow our minds’. Each task has a clear purpose for the NASA metaverse space. This metaverse VR project will help in future space missions.

Via this site and this site.

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