Virtual reality platforms for integrated systems health management in a portable rocket engine test stand

Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) consists of processes managing erroneous conditions that systems may encounter during their operational life by either designing out failures early on, or the ability to defend and mitigate any possible failures. A successful implementation of ISHM consists of the following four components: data sensor, computations, data sinks, and visualization modules. In this paper we explore the use of virtual reality (VR) platforms as candidate for developing ISHM visualization modules. VR allows for a complete and spatially accurate 3D model of a system to be displayed in real time. It provides a medium for improved data assimilation and analysis through its core attributes of immersion, interaction and navigation. Furthermore, VR allows for integrating graphical, functional and measurement data in the same platform - this allows for the development of subsequent risk-analysis modules. The effectiveness of deploying VR as a key component in an ISHM environment is demonstrated using an example of a multi-sensor rocket-engine portable test stand at NASA - Stennis Space Center's E-3 testfacility.