Exosuit Prototypic Knee: EPK

Abstract

Resistive/aerobic exercises are invaluable countermeasures to musculoskeletal/sensorimotor/cognitive deconditioning resulting from spaceflight (i.e., microgravity). In preparation for human exploration to the moon and beyond, exercise countermeasures face new mass/volume constraints, rendering current on-orbit systems infeasible. Further, effective exercise systems are critical for maintaining crew performance/health levels necessary for Lunar extravehicular activities (EVAs) and transit. Exosuits are the pinnacle of wearable and adaptable technology set to provide a lightweight, compact, innovative solution to exploration-constrained exercise. However, reliable wearable kinematic sensors integrated with softgoods have not been demonstrated in (operational) spaceflight applications. To address this gap, the project team developed a prototype exosuit knee-joint, replete with relevant sensors for determination of joint angles, and corresponding laboratory testing bench to validate the exosuit sensing performance. This technology advancement is a pre-cursor to a more expansive multi-purpose exosuit concept that provides metrology, exercise, rehabilitation, and/or augmentation.