Underwater space suit performance assessments part 2: Reach envelopes as a comparative performance metric

This study assessed the reach envelopes as a quantitative metric to compare the mobility of different spacesuit types, namely the existing extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) and the newly developed prototype Z2. With Z2, two different configurations were considered: 1) Z2 paired with the EMU lower t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of industrial ergonomics 2019-09, Vol.73, p.102832, Article 102832
Main Authors: Kim, K. Han, Hernandez, Yaritza, Benson, Elizabeth, Jarvis, Sarah, Meginnis, Ian, Rajulu, Sudhakar
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arm
Assembly
Biomechanics
Comparative analysis
Envelopes
EVA
Extravehicular activity
Hand
Intersections
Microgravity
Mobility
Posture
Shoulder
Space suits
Task design
Torso
Underwater
Weightlessness
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Summary:This study assessed the reach envelopes as a quantitative metric to compare the mobility of different spacesuit types, namely the existing extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) and the newly developed prototype Z2. With Z2, two different configurations were considered: 1) Z2 paired with the EMU lower torso assembly (Z2-ELTA) and 2) Z2 with the mobile lower torso assembly (Z2-ZLTA). Five subjects performed reach motions in the underwater microgravity analog, including isolated hand and arm reaches (IHAR: arm sweeps at the shoulder) and whole-body reaches (WBR: reaches at extreme whole-body stretching/bending poses). The analysis showed the IHAR envelopes were generally similar in shape between the Z2 and EMU, but Z2 exhibited improved reach characteristics, specifically in the coverage area, volume and cross-reach capability. The reach envelopes stretched further backward by 17 cm on average compared to the EMU (p 
ISSN:0169-8141
1872-8219
DOI:10.1016/j.ergon.2019.102832