AstroLynx

Inspiration

We were inspired by the challenges astronauts face during planetary exploration, where GPS is unavailable and hazards can escalate quickly. As humanity scales out into the stars, astronauts will venture upon new frontiers and have to navigate planetary environments without any support from Earth. We wanted to build a system for these astronauts that not only detects danger to any member of the exploration team, but actively helps coordinate rescue between teammates in real time.

What it does

AstroLynx is a smart wearable suit system that tracks astronaut movement, detects hazards, and coordinates team-based assistance. When an astronaut enters a danger state - due to gas exposure (from dust storms or other scares), excessive motion, or detected obstacles (like flying debris) - the system identifies the nearest safe teammate and guides both users with real-time feedback.

How we built it

We designed AstroLynx as a distributed wearable system:

Chest module (Arduino + IMU): tracks heading and movement to update position on a local map Head module (camera + LEDs): detects obstacles and displays status (green = safe, red = danger, blue = assisting) Back module (Raspberry Pi): integrates sensor data and handles mapping/logic Wrist module (LCD + buzzer + gas sensor): delivers real-time alerts and environmental readings to astronauts, guiding them on where to go to save their teammates

We used relative positioning instead of GPS, estimating position using IMU-based heading and step detection. Object detection from the camera provides danger awareness, and a shared mapping system coordinates rescue assignments.

Challenges we faced

One of the biggest challenges was localization without GPS. Instead of attempting full SLAM, we implemented a simplified model using relative positioning from a hub: We also had to balance hardware complexity across multiple wearable modules while keeping the system responsive and demoable. Additionally, we had to consider several design ideas with body mounting locations and how to create a suit that is both comfortable and effective.

What we learned

We got to explore human-centered design in the space exploration and wearables field. We also got to tackle a wide range of hardware issues, from low-level OS debugging on microcontrollers to higher-level distributed system integration and inter-device communication.

We loved creating a futuristic and fun project (felt like building our own Iron Man suit - we were our own Tony Stark!) in a truly unique and important application of technology for the future.

What’s next

We plan to improve AstroLynx with better localization and mapping (eventually working towards full SLAM). We'd also love to integrate an LLM-based voice assistant into the suit to have our own Jarvis! Long term, we believe this project could extend beyond space exploration into many other safety-critical applications, like search-and-rescue, disaster response, and industrial safety.