Australian team to develop health monitoring device for space passengers

The Australian National University, Axiom Space and Aqacia are partnering through a project supported by the iLAuNCH Trailblazer to develop a wearable space health device.

According to a statement from iLAuNCH on Tuesday, the device “will sense, transmit, and real-time assess health data in remote areas including sub-orbital flights” and help “enable real-time simulation, diagnosis, and prediction of astronaut physiology and fitness to function in microgravity”.

ANU is leading the collaborative project, and developing “medical digital twins” for rapid simulation, diagnosis and prediction of an astronaut or space passenger’s physiology.

“ANU will use in-flight data to mature our medical digital twins, utilising embedded machine learning algorithms and mathematical models of the human system,” said project lead ANU Professor Klaus-Martin Schulte.

“These algorithms will enable real-time simulation, diagnosis, and prediction of astronaut physiology and fitness to function in microgravity. They will also provide effective feedback information for future intervention cycles.”

The project’s second phase will involve in-space testing with spaceflight services provider Axiom.

“The aim of the next phase on-orbit will enable real-time health monitoring and health status analyses of crew with reduced transmission bandwidth requirements, which moves toward Axiom Space’s goals of providing fast and appropriate clinical support for large populations of humans living and working in space,” said Dr Lucie Low, the company’s Chief Scientist.

“I’m delighted we are partnering with Axiom Space to fly two of our payloads to space. Our partnership will pave the way for a strategic relationship between our two programs, and hopefully Australia.” said iLAuNCH Trailblazer Executive Director, Darin Lovett.

“Together with ANU and Aqacia, we will collect novel astronaut health markers and apply that to workers here on Earth who operate in remote and hostile environments.”

Picture (credit iLAuNCH, left to right): Tim Searle (Stategic Advisor – AXIOM), Darin Lovett (Executive Director – iLAuNCH), Dr. Koichi Wakata (Astronaut and Chief Technology Officer – AXIOM), Dr. Joni Sytsma (Chief Technology Officer – iLAuNCH), Dr. Kate Ferguson (Associate Director of Strategic Projects – The Australian National University), Dr. Rosalind Dubs (Chair of iLAuNCH Advisory Board).