The number of space travelers is expected to dramatically increase in the next few decades. However, current tools for astronauts are not well-adapted to the needs of mass training for microgravity environments.
This project describes a training system that requires a low level of supervision while also allowing high flexibility, scalability, customization, safety, and immersion. It is based on an upper-body exoskeleton and a Virtual Reality environment that work seamlessly to replicate the movements of the trainees while also allowing force feedback.
With this bilateral communication, the movements of the trainees are replicated in the virtual world in real-time, and the users are able to feel the forces involved in different activities such as grabbing, pushing, pulling, drilling, or even feeling the constraints of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cce9mJ4eppY
Space Applications Services // European Astronaut Centre (EAC-ESA)
Contact: andres.martin.barrio@spaceapplications.com // jeremi.gancet@spaceapplications.com
Credits: NASA / ESRSU / Seán Doran / Alexander Gerst
