Adaptation of Humans to Walking while Wearing Semi-hard and Flexible Spacesuits under Terrestrial Gravity

摘要

The spacesuit (SS) donning-on procedure can be viewed as a combination of two kinematic circuits into a single human-spacesuit functional system (HSS) intended for performing extravehicular operations. Optimal human-SS interaction hinges on controllability and coordination of HSS mobile components, as well as SS slaving to the central nervous system (CNS) mediated by the human locomotion apparatus. Analysis of walking patterns in semi-hard and flexible SSs has revealed the direct and feedback connections between the external (SS) and internal (the locomotion apparatus and CNS) circuits of the HSS. An inefficient design of an SS creates difficulties for the direct CNS control of locomotion. Consequently, it is necessary to modify the locomotion command program in order to resolve these difficulties and add flexibility to the CNS control. In addition, the analysis yielded an algorithm of program modifications with the ultimate result of induced (forced) walk optimization. Learning how to walk in a Berkut SS requires no more than 2500 single steps, whereas about 3000 steps should be made to master walking skills in an SKV SS.