Carnegie Mellon University’s bid at the Lunar X Prize needs a user interface. While the rover is on the moon, a team of engineers will be controlling it from the ground, using various stations such as navigation, camera control, and diagnostics. A quality user interface can leverage abstract graphical elements to reduce otherwise complicated tasks down to an intuitive display and control system. Specifically, this will mean easier navigation of the rover, given multiple sources of feedback on the environment surrounding the rover and multiple methods of navigation. In addition, the design features more understandable controls and perceptive displays for the camera head, providing more precisely relevant imaging. The abstract graphical elements will also give an intuitive variable-granularity complete state of the rover while it’s on the moon, in order to diagnose any potential problems. Much of the interface has already been designed, but it’s kept flexible to accommodate the inevitable future changes to the rover’s design before the 2013 launch date. Let’s take a look at the current design for the external diagnostics portion of mission control: In the center of the interface there are the thermal and electrical diagnostics for the external-facing components of the lunar rover, and in this mock-up of the design, the thermal diagnostics are being displayed on the surface of the rover diagram, with blue being the lower extreme, and red the higher extreme. Also present is a diagram of the sun’s position relative to the solar panels, in order to help maximize power efficiency, and two graphs. These graphs represent either the thermal or electrical diagnostic data over time for a component of the user’s choice, and can be switched on demand. In order to draw attention to high-priority events (like a temperature spike), an alert box is included on the bottom right. The emphasis with this portion of the interface is on an intuitive visual representation of the complex system of sensors that are planned to exist within the rover. As always, user interfaces are an iterative process, and incremental changes can and will be made. Additionally, any ideas for the interface design are welcome.