Portfolio

Labs/Facilities > Anthopometry and Biomechanics

Current/Past Projects

CEV Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) (2008) Determining the frequency of the periodic oscillation of the canopy or “breathing” cycle of a parachute is important because it accounts for canopy drag and determines the rate of descent of the Orion capsule.  Chute circumference data is analyzed in frequency space as a discrete Fourier Transform in used to determine at what frequencies respiration occurs.

EMU Work Envelope (2005-2008) The purpose of the EMU Work Envelope study was to determine and revise the current work envelope defined in NSTS 07700 “System Description and Design Data – Extravehicular Activities”. Using an optical motion capture system several test subjects were filmed while performing a one and two-handed grasping tasks while wearing the pressurized EMU. Subjects were instructed to work with their arms and hands in a series of positions in such a manner that the outer and inner boundaries of their work envelopes were defined for each task.

Suit Stiffness (2007-2008) The purpose of the Suit Stiffness study was to use the stiffness required to move the current suits through their full range of motion to write requirements for the new suits to be based from.

EPSP NBL Project (2007) Recreating NEEMO in the NBL to capture force data and perform biomechanical analysis on the astronauts performing common exploration tasks.  Center of gravity, and suit weight are important variable in astronaut performance during partial gravity EVA (ie. Lunar surface).  The findings from this EPSP project will assist the Constellation Program EVA Systems Office in determining the optimal CG location and the optimal EVA suit weight of the multi-use EVA suit design as applicable to the Lunar Concept of Operations exploration activities.

ESPO Test I The Advanced EVA Walkback test conducted at the Partial Gravity Simulator (POGO) was designed not only to asses the maximum walking distance a suited crewmember can locomote back to an outpost in the event of a rover breakdown during exploration operations of celestial bodies, but also to collect human performance data relevant to optimizing space suit design for the targeted operational environment. This involved performing tests with matched shirt sleeve controls so that the biomechanical costs of the suit could be understood across a range of gravity levels and ambulation speeds. Post-test analyses were performed on the kinematic variables of interest which included hip, knee, and ankle range of motion (using ViconTM), stride frequency, and stability of the body during the tests.

EAS and VSSA Jettison The goal of this project was to collect motion (Phoenix Technologies) data simulating the jettison of an Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) from the International Space Station. This data was used to evaluate the astronaut corps ability to control the trajectory of the large EAS while generating a minimal release velocity of 0.1 m/s or greater. The EAS serves as a reservoir of coolant in the event of a leak of coolant onboard the space station.

Low Impact Docking System (LIDS) Structural engineers designing the requirements for the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) were interested in finding out the minimum dimensions that allowed a suited crew member enough clearance to translate through the Low Impact Docking System (LIDS) and the CEV side hatch without catching the suit on protrusions. The ABF was tasked to determine whether a suited crewmember could translate through the proposed LIDS diameter or if a revision would be needed to the CEV plans. Both openings were tested with mockups while 5 of the ABF’s digital video cameras recorded the trials for post-processing using video analysis software.

Reconfigurable Airlock Mock-ups – Volumetric analysis This test explored the minimum volume needed for two exploration airlock concepts. The ABF was tasked to perform initial motion analysis to provide measurements needed to fabricate higher-fidelity mockups used to determine and verify airlock dimensions. Using innovative motion capture techniques, the ABF was able to visualize the motion of a subject through a virtual airlock opening and confirm the opening could accommodate the Mark III prototype suit. Additionally, a seated airlock concept was explored. For these tests, an ABF test subject was seated on an inclined seated airlock mockup and performed various tasks such as reaching for controls, ingress, and egress.

Load Sensing Handrails The purpose of this study is to develop a mathematical model to predict and maintain the neutral buoyancy of suited subjects during training operations at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab in order to minimize the occurrence of off axis moments, loading during extended runs, and shoulder injury during inverted operations.

Tile Repair The study was conducted on the PABF in building 9 with numerous astronauts applying the pink putty onto deliberately damaged tile samples to test the new technique for repairing the obiter’s fragile heat shield.

Suit Sizing The overall objective of this study was to quantitatively assess the feasibility of using a Laser Scanner to make anthropometric measurements needed for accurate EVA suit sizing. This assessment included comparison of anthropometric measurements taken with a laser scanner to those taken with a traditional anthropometer. Factors included in the assessment were
accuracy, repeatability, potential data yield, and the time it took to make a measurement. The study was conducted in three phases.

• Phase I of the study compared measurements made with a laser scanner to those made with a traditional anthropometer and a digitizer. While all of these devices come with specifications of instrument precision, these specifications only suggest the precision that may be achieved. The indicated precision may be representative of measurements of regularly-shaped objects but not of irregularly shaped objects such as the human body. Phase 1 was intended to compare how measurements of a complex shape made with a laser scanner compared with those made with a traditional anthropometric tool and with a third device, a digitizer.

• In phase II, the repeatability, variability, and consistency of anthropometric measurements of different human subjects made by different measurers on different days with the three devices was established.
• In phase III, optimal human poses were determined that yield all of the current suit specific anthropometric measurements. The accuracy and repeatability of measurements taken from these posed positions was also determined.