Artificial Intelligence Space Physicians Being Assessed by NASA and Google
AI-Powered Medical Assistant Set to Revolutionize Space Medicine
NASA, in collaboration with Google, has developed the Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant (CMO-DA), an AI-powered clinical decision support system designed to aid astronauts with medical diagnoses and treatment during extended space missions. The tool is crucial for missions to the Moon and Mars where communication with Earth-based doctors may be limited or delayed.
The CMO-DA uses advanced natural language processing and machine learning, trained on spaceflight medical literature, to analyze symptoms reported by astronauts and provide reliable real-time diagnostic suggestions and treatment options. It supports speech, text, and image inputs, making it versatile for various scenarios.
Initial trials of the CMO-DA tool have shown promise, with diagnosis accuracy ranging from 74% to 88% as judged by physicians, including astronaut doctors. These trials included conditions like ankle injuries, flank pain, and ear pain.
The tool is designed to support the mission’s designated crew medical officer and flight surgeons by offering data-driven insights and predictive analytics, enabling autonomous medical care far from Earth where immediate help or evacuation is impossible. It aims to make future lunar and Martian missions more self-reliant in health matters.
Moreover, the technology may also improve remote healthcare on Earth in underserved or resource-limited environments. As NASA progresses with Artemis missions and prepares for human exploration of Mars, the CMO-DA represents a crucial step toward ensuring astronaut health and safety over increasingly distant and prolonged spaceflights.
Crews for the International Space Station (ISS) receive training for basic medical procedures and emergencies. However, the CMO-DA is intended to help astronauts autonomously diagnose and treat symptoms when crews are not in direct contact with Earth-based medical experts.
NASA and Google are now working with medical doctors to improve the technology with a view to using it on future space missions. The project includes a proof-of-concept for an automated Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) called the "Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant" (CMO-DA).
Ambitious endeavors, such as missions to Mars, are on the cards but aren't expected to take place until the 2030s at the earliest. During these missions, astronauts, as part of NASA’s Artemis program, could stay for extended periods aboard a lunar satellite or even on the moon itself. The CMO-DA tool, a multi-modal interface that leverages AI, is a significant stride in ensuring crew health and wellness on these long-duration missions.
