Development and Testing Update on the MX-2 Neutral Buoyancy Space Suit Analogue

Braden, Jeffrey R.; Akin, David L.

doi:10.4271/2004-01-2343

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Throughout various space suit development projects, several methodologies of joint torque measurement have been explored. Many have been used by suit designers to track their progress in their quest to reduce torque [5][6][7][8][9] . One of the long term goals of pressure suit design is to reduce the induced joint torques caused by the suit, eliminating work done by the subject to move the suit, so that all of the subject's energies can be spent accomplishing the tasks at hand.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Robotic Joint Torque Testing: A Critical Tool in the Development of Pressure Suit Mobility Elements

Meyen

Holschuh

Kobrick

et al. 2011

41st International Conference on Environmental Systems

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Pressure suits allow pilots and astronauts to survive in extreme environments at the edge of Earth's atmosphere and in the vacuum of space. One obstacle that pilots and astronauts face is that gas-pressurized suits stiffen when pressurized and greatly limit user mobility. As a result, a critical need exists to quantify and improve the mobility characteristics of pressure suits. A historical survey and critique of pressure-suit testing methodologies is first presented, followed by the results of recent pressure suit testing conducted at the MIT Man-Vehicle Laboratory (MVL). MVL researchers, in cooperation with the David Clark Company (Worcester, MA), used an anthropometrically-realistic robotic space suit tester to quantify pressure suit mobility characteristics of the S1034 Pilot Protective Assembly (PPA), a pressure suit worn by U-2 pilots. This suit was evaluated unpressurized, at a vent pressure of 5.5 kPa (0.8 psi), and at an emergency gauge pressure of 20.7 kPa (3 psi). Joint torque data was collected for elbow flexion/extension, shoulder flexion/extension, shoulder abduction/adduction, and knee flexion/extension motions. The aim of this study was to generate a robust baseline mobility database for the S1034 PPA to serve as a point of comparison for future pressure suit designs, and to provide recommendations for future pressure garment testing.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%