Download or read book Engineering a Robotic Exoskeleton for Space Suit Simulation written by Forrest Edward Meyen and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Novel methods for assessing space suit designs and human performance capabilities are needed as NASA prepares for manned missions beyond low Earth orbit. Current human performance tests and training are conducted in space suits that are heavy and expensive, characteristics that constrain possible testing environments and reduce suit availability to researchers. Space suit mock-ups used in planetary exploration simulations are light and relatively inexpensive but do not accurately simulate the joint stiffness inherent to space suits, a key factor impacting extravehicular activity performance. The MIT Man-Vehicle Laboratory and Aurora Flight Sciences designed and built an actively controlled exoskeleton for space suit simulation called the Extravehicular Activity Space Suit Simulator (EVA S3), which can be programmed to simulate the joint torques recorded from various space suits. The goal of this research is to create a simulator that is lighter and cheaper than a traditional space suit so that it can be used in a variety of testing and training environments. The EVA S3 employs pneumatic actuators to vary joint stiffness and a pre-programmed controller to allow the experimenter to apply torque profiles to mimic various space suit designs in the field. The focus of this thesis is the design, construction, integration, and testing of the hip joint and backpack for the EVA S3. The final designs of the other joints are also described. Results from robotic testing to validate the mechanical design and control system are discussed along with the planned improvements for the next iteration of the EVA S3. The fianl EVA S3 consists of a metal and composite exoskeleton frame with pneumatic actuators that control the resistance of motion in the ankle, knee, and hip joints, and an upper body brace that resists shoulder and elbow motions with passive spring elements. The EVA S3 is lighter (26 kg excluding the tethered components) and less expensive (under $600,000 including research, design, and personnel) than a modem space suit. Design adjustments and control system improvements are still needed to achieve a desired space suit torque simulation fidelity within 10% root-mean-square error.
Download or read book Space Suit Simulator for Partial Gravity Extravehicular Activity Experimentation and Training written by Andrea Lynn Gilkey and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During human space exploration, mobility is extremely limited when working inside a pressurized space suit. Astronauts perform extensive training on Earth to become accustomed to space suit-imposed high joint torques and limited range of motion. Space suit experimentation is difficult for researchers because the current suit is expensive, bulky, heavy, hard to don/doff, and in very short supply. The main objective of this thesis is to develop a wearable space suit simulator (S3) exoskeleton that can mimic the joint torques and reduced mobility of various pressurized space suit designs. A space suit simulator exoskeleton is a novel method for simulating joint torques while offering a lightweight, portable, and easily accessible design. This thesis describes early work towards development of the S3 exoskeleton. A space suit joint database was developed, which includes joint torque and angle range of motion information for multiple pressurized space suits, degrees of freedom, and pressurization levels. The space suit joint database was used to set the joint torque and angle range of motion requirements for the S3 exoskeleton. Additionally, various actuators that have been used in previous exoskeleton designs were compared according to weight and bulk characteristics to select actuators for the S3 exoskeleton. The conceptual designs of the S3 knee and hip components are presented. Finally, the S3 computer simulation is described, which allows users to input the geometries and locations of the S3 exoskeleton components. The computer simulation outputs the space suit hysteresis curves to compare S3 joint design performance to actual space suit performance. Feasible design solutions for the S3 exoskeleton joints can be determined from designs that minimize the root-mean-square error of the hysteresis curves.
Download or read book Aerospace Psychology and Human Factors written by Ioana V. Koglbauer and published by Hogrefe Publishing. This book was released on 2024-08-12 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explore the critical importance of integrating the human element in aerospace Based on cutting-edge research Written by experts from academia and industry Explores the use of extended reality technologies In the face of evolving technological and societal challenges, this book delves into advanced techniques essential for integrating the human element in aerospace operations and development. Written by experts from academia and the aerospace industry, the volume explores powerful techniques for system safety engineering, innovative design approaches for cockpits, cabins, and space vehicles, and strategies for creating effective assistance systems and implementing artificial intelligence. Chapters present methods for studying typical hazards related to human operations in space, in the air, and on the ground. Additionally, the book explores the use of extended reality technologies (e.g., virtual, augmented, and mixed reality) to enhance operators' perceptions and explore uncharted territories in the universe. Proposals are also made for advancing industry standards and effectively integrating human and organizational factors within the aviation industry. This is an invaluable resource for practitioners, researchers and students interested in aerospace, as well as professionals from other safety critical domains (e.g., medicine, automotive, rail).
Download or read book Kinematic Analysis and Joint Hysteresis Modeling for a Lower body Exoskeleton style Space Suit Simulator written by Anthony J. Nejman and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A mechanical exoskeleton has the capacity to replicate the properties of a pressurized space suit with regards to motion resistance. Using such an exoskeleton for ground based mission training and research provides a lower-cost, less operationally-complex alternative to using a space suit. To that end, NASA is supporting the development of such a device, termed a Space Suit Simulator (S3). The S3 must be designed to allow the wearer the same range of motion allowed in a space suit, and the joints must be actuated to produce the experienced resistive torques. The challenge moving forward is to develop a lower limb (ankle, knee, hip) exoskeleton and then a whole-body exoskeleton that includes multiple interconnected joints with some joints having multiple degree-of-freedom, such as the hip and shoulder. A kinematic design of the lower-body exoskeleton was developed by using Denavit-Hartenberg notation and transformation matrices to derive the Jacobian matrix, which was in turn used to develop a method of testing for singular configurations along a given path of motion. The S3 was tested for singularities while operating through a standard walking gait cycle, and no singularities were uncovered. Translational manipulability of the S3 end effector was analyzed at near-singular configurations along the gait cycle to determine directions of motion which may result in increased joint torques or loss of freedom of motion. A graphical representation of the leg and S3 end effector workspace verified that the S3 allows the human leg to move within the operational envelope anticipated during space suit use. The four degree-of-freedom exoskeleton design eliminates constrictive singularities by aligning human and exoskeleton joint axes. A computational algorithm, based on the Preisach hysteresis model, was used to mimic space suit joint hysteresis behavior in knee flexion and hip abduction/adduction, and it was demonstrated that linear actuators may be used to produce the required joint torque resistance. The kinematic design and computational hysteresis algorithms will support the further development of a physical space suit simulator.
Download or read book Quantifying Astronaut Tasks written by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-06-04 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The primary aim of this research effort was to advance the current understanding of astronauts' capabilities and limitations in space-suited EVA by developing models of the constitutive and compatibility relations of a space suit, based on experimental data gained from human test subjects as well as a 12 degree-of-freedom human-sized robot, and utilizing these fundamental relations to estimate a human factors performance metric for space suited EVA work. The three specific objectives are to: 1) Compile a detailed database of torques required to bend the joints of a space suit, using realistic, multi- joint human motions. 2) Develop a mathematical model of the constitutive relations between space suit joint torques and joint angular positions, based on experimental data and compare other investigators' physics-based models to experimental data. 3) Estimate the work envelope of a space suited astronaut, using the constitutive and compatibility relations of the space suit. The body of work that makes up this report includes experimentation, empirical and physics-based modeling, and model applications. A detailed space suit joint torque-angle database was compiled with a novel experimental approach that used space-suited human test subjects to generate realistic, multi-joint motions and an instrumented robot to measure the torques required to accomplish these motions in a space suit. Based on the experimental data, a mathematical model is developed to predict joint torque from the joint angle history. Two physics-based models of pressurized fabric cylinder bending are compared to experimental data, yielding design insights. The mathematical model is applied to EVA operations in an inverse kinematic analysis coupled to the space suit model to calculate the volume in which space-suited astronauts can work with their hands, demonstrating that operational human factors metrics can be predicted from fundamental space suit information.Newman, DavaJohnson Space CenterHUMAN FAC
Download or read book Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Industrial Engineering ICIE 2020 written by Andrey A. Radionov and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-03-31 with total page 1296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book highlights recent findings in industrial, manufacturing and mechanical engineering, and provides an overview of the state of the art in these fields, mainly in Russia and Eastern Europe. A broad range of topics and issues in modern engineering are discussed, including the dynamics of machines and working processes, friction, wear and lubrication in machines, surface transport and technological machines, manufacturing engineering of industrial facilities, materials engineering, metallurgy, control systems and their industrial applications, industrial mechatronics, automation and robotics. The book gathers selected papers presented at the 6th International Conference on Industrial Engineering (ICIE), held in Sochi, Russia in May 2020. The authors are experts in various fields of engineering, and all papers have been carefully reviewed. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to a wide readership, including mechanical and production engineers, lecturers in engineering disciplines, and engineering graduates.
Download or read book The Equipotential Space suit Design Concept and Its Application to a Space suit Elbow Joint written by Donald E. Barthlome and published by . This book was released on 1969 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Design of Soft Knee Exoskeleton and Modeling Effects of Variable Stiffness for Advanced Space Suits and Planetary Exploration written by Allison Paige Porter and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 111 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Existing gas-pressurized space suit designs aim to provide astronauts with a wide range of joint motion while minimizing joint torque during extra-vehicular activity (EVA). However, current space suits have stiff joints with limited range, which impede performance. Future designs should consider that some joint torque can be beneficial in storing elastic energy for locomotion in reduced gravity planetary EVAs. Though current gas-pressurized space suits restrict astronaut movement, they are capable of partially supporting their own mass and storing elastic energy in the lower body, allowing metabolic cost reduction during locomotion in reduced gravity, such as on Mars or the moon. The BioSuit[superscript TM] developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is an advanced, skin-tight compression garment concept, which exerts mechanical counterpressure (MCP) directly on the astronaut’s skin with the benefits of increasing range of motion and performance while also reducing mass when compared to gas-pressurized space suits. A BioSuit[superscript TM] soft knee exoskeleton with tunable knee stiffness was developed to minimize metabolic expenditure during locomotion in partial gravity and maximize mobility. Musculoskeletal modeling simulated predicted soft knee exoskeleton stiffness at the knee during walking in Earth and Lunar gravity. This thesis summarizes the design and development of prototype actuation in a soft exoskeleton in collaboration with the D-Air Lab (Vicenza, Italy) that applies variable knee stiffness. Soft knee exoskeleton design criteria, fabrication techniques, and simulated impacts on joint kinematics and metabolic cost are discussed. The soft knee exoskeleton was shown to exert tunable knee stiffness via airbags. Prototypes were developed to minimize partial gravity locomotion metabolic cost and space suit inflexibility. An OpenSim software pipeline was shown to be capable of torsional spring stiffness modeling at the knee analogous with predicted soft knee exoskeleton stiffness. Integration of 1G and 0.17G walking data enabled comparison of energetics trends between exoskeleton conditions within each gravity level. The results of this thesis demonstrate the ability to integrate a soft knee exoskeleton into the BioSuit[superscript TM] to improve space suit design and enable longer, safer, and more complex EVAs in partial gravity.
Download or read book Engineering Design Study of a Space Suit with an Integrated Environmental Control System written by Douglas C. Howard and published by . This book was released on 1968 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Designing Exoskeletons written by Luis Adrian Zuñiga-Aviles and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2024-03-27 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Designing Exoskeletons focuses on developing exoskeletons, following the lifecycle of an exoskeleton from design to manufacture. It demonstrates how modern technologies can be used at every stage of the process, such as design methodologies, CAD/CAE/CAM software, rapid prototyping, test benches, materials, heat and surface treatments, and manufacturing processes. Several case studies are presented to provide detailed considerations on developing specific topics. Exoskeletons are designed to provide work-power, rehabilitation, and assistive training to sports and military applications. Beginning with a review of the history of exoskeletons from ancient to modern times, the book builds on this by mapping out recent innovations and state-of-the-art technologies that utilize advanced exoskeleton design. Presenting a comprehensive guide to computer design tools used by bioengineers, the book demonstrates the capabilities of modern software at all stages of the process, looking at computer-aided design, manufacturing, and engineering. It also details the materials used to create exoskeletons, notably steels, engineering polymers, composites, and emerging materials. Manufacturing processes, both conventional and unconventional are discussed—for example, casting, powder metallurgy, additive manufacturing, and heat and surface treatments. This book is essential reading for those in the field of exoskeletons, such as designers, workers in research and development, engineering and design students, and those interested in robotics applied to medical devices.
Download or read book Innovative Hand Exoskeleton Design for Extravehicular Activities in Space written by Pierluigi Freni and published by . This book was released on 2014-07-31 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Computer Simulation of a Three armed Robot in Space written by Carl Winston Williams and published by . This book was released on 1988 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Robotic space simulation written by Daniel C. Bochsler and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Modeling Space Suit Mobility written by P. B. Schmidt and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 11 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book From Cave Man to Cave Martian written by Manfred "Dutch" von Ehrenfried and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-04-05 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the practicality of using the existing subsurface geology on the Moon and Mars for protection against radiation, thermal extremes, micrometeorites and dust storms rather than building surface habitats at great expense at least for those first few missions. It encourages NASA to plan a precursor mission using this concept and employ a “Short Stay” Opposition Class mission to Mars as the first mission rather than the “Long Stay” concept requiring a mission that is too long, too dangerous and too costly for man’s first missions to Mars. Included in these pages is a short history on the uses of caves by early humans over great periods of time. It then describes the ongoing efforts to research caves, pits, tunnels, lava tubes, skylights and the associated technologies that pertain to potential lunar and Mars exploration and habitation. It describes evidence for existing caves and lava tubes on both the Moon and Mars. The work of noted scientists, technologists and roboticists are referenced and described. This ongoing work is moreextensive than one would think and is directly applicable to longer term habitation and exploration of the Moon and Mars. Emphasis is also given to the operational aspects of working and living in lunar and Martian caves and lava tubes.
Download or read book A Leg Exoskeleton Simulator for Design Sensing and Control Development written by Jiun-Yih Kuan and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leg exoskeletons have been developed in an effort to augment human locomotion for over a century. However, only two portable leg exoskeletal devices have shown a significant decrease in walking metabolism [35, 11], not to mention, no device that has shown effective assistance and biomimetic behavior across different walking speeds and terrains. This thesis aims to build a Leg Exoskeleton Simulator to effectively search the space of potential prosthetic and orthotic design, control, and sensing strategies so as to find the best means to improve human locomotion through wearable electromechanical technology and modern bionics, enabling rapid advancement of the human-machine interface. This thesis presents the MIT Exoskeleton Simulator, which is a modular tethered system that includes cable-drive mechanisms along with off-board power, actuation, control hardware, and wearable end-effector modules. In order to effectively transmit force to a wearable end-effector module, high-performance cable-drive modules with the Rolling Cable Transmission for both unidirectional actuation and bidirectional actuation were developed. A new Adaptive Coupling Joint design principle was proposed for designing a simple mechanical interface that can transmit pure torque from an input actuation source to any biological joint without altering the biological joint motions. The Simulator has been controlled with a bio-inspired control based controller that emulates the behavior of human morphology and neural control for the non-amputee participants. In this thesis, I tried to provide a base of knowledge regarding effective design, control, and sensing strategies for effective human augmentation. In the near future, more criteria can be further established for building effective leg exoskeletons that will improve the ambulatory speed, metabolic economy, and stability of walking humans. The Simulator could potentially enhance the ambulation of able-bodied persons or individuals with movement pathology, as well as providing the treatment or relief of gait dysfunction resulting from movement pathology, or restoration of age-related reduced locomotory function.
Download or read book Dynamic Simulation of a Space Robot Hand off Procedure written by Sung-Soo Kim and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 31 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Simulation of the hand-off of an object from the flexible Remote Manipulator System (RMS) to the Flight Telerobot Servicer (FTS) in a space construction application, including consideration of flexible multibody dynamics, control, and variable system topology.
