will be key for Moon exploration missions

There are exoskeletons to give superhuman strength to the military, others help to do intense exercise with less effort, and there are exoskeletons designed in Spain to help people in wheelchairs walk; So why isn’t there going to be a exoskeleton to walk and work on the Moon? Future astronauts on the Artemis missions could count on this support on their space journey.

“One small step for man, one big step for humanity” these words are always accompanied by images in which the first astronauts to set foot on the Moon walk, or rather, jump with ease on the surface of the satellite. However, the walks that these men took through the arid terrain were not always so accurate.

There are other lesser-known recordings, but just as hypnotic, that reflect the difficulties these explorers had during their visit to the Moon. Somewhat comical falls and vague attempts to get back up attest to the need for the help that future astronauts who decide to live on the satellite will need. That’s why, a team of MIT engineers is adapting their SuperLimbs prototype for this purpose.

One may think that where gravity is one-sixth of that prevailing on Earth, mobility is easier, but we must add the restrictions of the space suit and all the equipment one carries. Having two extra arms or two legs It can be the solution for strenuous work for long periods living on the Earth’s satellite.

Harry Asada, Erik Ballesteros and the rest of the team in charge of this project have presented their design and study at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). The design of this prototype began a decade ago and has been applied in assisting other professions, such as aircraft manufacturers or shipbuilding.

SuperLimbs

Unlike other exoskeletons that seek to be a continuation of the person’s own limbs. Supernumerary Robotic Limbs or “SuperLimbs” is more like a Doctor Octopus costume, you know, one of Spiderman’s villains. This exoskeleton is made up of a backpack to carry the astronaut’s life support, which is made up of controllers and the motors that power the two artificial limbs emerging from that back pack.

In earlier prototypes, the two extra limbs could be attached to a wall, like a piece of an airplane, while the technician worked on it. In this way, the weight of that piece is compensated while drilling. Even the engineers describe that their model could indicate the exact location of the drilling when working.

In later versions, the possibility of using robotic limbs as a pair of legs that help maintain balance just like a cane, crutch or walker would for people with low mobility.

With the announcement of the return of humans to the Moon, the team decided to focus their device on the needs of those men and women who will travel there in the coming years. Artemis II will be the first lunar mission involving an African American person, a woman. “We realized we could make some modifications to our design to help astronauts recover from falls and continue their work,” Asada says.

Learning to get up

To do this, the team of MIT researchers considered the best way to help a person who is trying to get up. “We could say that “About 80% of humans stand up in a similar way.”they say after studying the different movements that most people use when or not they have to carry weight to get up from the ground. “Then we designed a controller around that trajectory,” says Ballesteros.

Both with and without weight, the movements performed when getting up from the ground are similar from one person to another, especially when one is trained to avoid injuries. This is what the researchers studied in preparation before designing the prototype. Some tests were also used to develop software with which to generate the action trajectory of the assistance robot.

It’s not just about recovering from a setback, this system also It would help astronauts get less tired in their daily work. Unlike the experience of traveling to the Moon on the Apollo missions, those chosen in the future Artemis missions must build the first permanent lunar base and explore the surroundings on the satellite.

[El programa Artemis de la NASA se retrasa: el regreso del ser humano a la Luna se aplaza hasta 2026]

“It feels like an extra force moves with you,” explains Ballesteros, who has also tested his invention. “Imagine carrying a backpack and someone grabs you by the top and lifts you up. “Over time, it becomes second nature.”

The proposal does not end here. The researchers plan to pair the control system with their latest version of SuperLimbs, which consists of two robotic arms that are multi-articulated and extend from the backpack. They are similar to another proposal seen a long time ago, but more focused on art, the six Jizai Arms robotic arms.

Ballesteros is preparing to build the entire SuperLimbs system at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. There it is planned to optimize the design and minimize the weight of its parts and engines using lightweight and advanced materials. Later, theThe limbs will be combined with the astronaut suits to be tested in low gravity simulators with the goal of one day helping astronauts on future missions to the Moon and Mars.