A Range of Motion Study and Human-Suit Correlation Analysis Supporting the Morphing Spacesuit Concept

摘要

This paper describes continuing research supporting the Morphing Upper Torso spacesuit design, which uses robotic augmentation of a rear-entry pressure suit to adjust torso dimensions. This concept has the potential to provide easier ingress/egress of the suit, increased mobility when pressurized, and reduced astronaut workload during extravehicular operations. In previous work, the forward and inverse kinematics for the system have been solved, two static models have been built, and data from a range-of-motion (ROM) study has been collected using a Vicon motion capture system. During the ROM study, test subjects wore simulated shoulder scye bearings as they performed selected tasks, with the intent to measure human motion in relation to scye bearing motion. The research presented in this paper describes the data analysis and results of the ROM study. This includes an investigation of the neutral pose observed for the scye bearings when the subject is standing at rest in Earth gravity, with the arms hanging at the subject’s sides, as well as an analysis of the angular range-of-motion observed for the right scye bearing during selected tasks. This paper also presents the development of a heuristic relationship between the motion of the right arm and right scye bearing. The results of this correlation model, applicable to a limited but useful region of motion, provide a mapping between a known arm pose and the desired scye bearing pose needed to facilitate the astronaut’s motion with minimum suit forces. This research is a critical next step towards the development and testing of a fully functional Morphing Upper Torso spacesuit prototype.