NASA Space Grant

I wrote a proposal, and was selected for a Utah NASA Space Grant Fellowship. For my senior project, I designed restraints and mobility aids for intravehicular activity (IVA) in microgravity environments, with the goals of increasing comfort, making space mobility more accessible, and reducing kinesthetic cognitive load.

Problem

While handrails are very convenient, they can be uncomfortable for positioning the body with one’s feet

To maintain their positioning, astronauts have to flex and contort their feet around handrails

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“

In zero-g, you hook your feet under “handrails,” thus shifting the load from the bottom to the top of the foot… the tops of your feet become red-rubbed raw and gnarly… Perpetually raw and hypersensitive, your foot tops can use a bit of padding to ease the pain.

-Don Petit (Astronaut)

Process

Design Research

Due to the inaccessibility of the users, research focused on relevant academic literature, writings/interviews of astronauts, and combing footage of life/work on the ISS.

Ideation

Ideation focuses varied throughout the project, but ultimately focused around the combination of both footwear and built infrastructure.

Simulated Testing

To simulate different aspects of microgravity, short duration neutral buoyancy testing, and using a movable chair in an angled position to simulate neutral body posture (NBP) were used for formal, contextual testing. Various forms were informally assessed for comfort prior to contextual testing.

Prototyping

For the sake of process efficiency, most prototypes were 3D-printed or formed out of foam, however, any materials used had to have some kind of space-grade functional equivalent.

Virtual Ethnography

I used footage of astronauts living and working on the ISS and cataloged 152 instances of astronauts using handrails as foot restraints, and categorized them by factors that could influence experience or behavior such as:

  • Individual astronaut

  • Relative positioning of feet

  • Method of stabilization (if applicable)

  • Activity

  • Duration

My main source was VR footage from inside the space station of day-to-day life in space. Other videos of astronauts performing experiments were used as well. Generally, videos where an astronaut was presenting to a camera were not used unless another activity was involved.

Ideation

Preliminary Exploration

Prototyping

Scroll to see the project so far

Ideation Sketches

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Design Testing

For this project, I’m conducting two types of testing: general human factors testing and neutral buoyancy testing. Due to the conditions of the fellowship, all testing has to receive IRB approval.

Comfort and grip testing

The first rounds of testing will use a chair to mimic neutral body posture and test hand/foot restraints as well as footwear. Pictured are diagrams of the testing procedure and the first iteration testing chair.

Neutral buoyancy testing

Pending IRB approval, I’ll also conduct testing in a swimming pool to approximate microgravity and assess the design prototypes ability to facilitate movement and orientation in 3-dimensional space.

Grant Proposal Abstract

Astronauts must engage in compensatory behaviors or use structures (restraint, mobility aids, specialized exercise equipment) in built environments to complete tasks and support physical health in microgravity environments. Current solutions, are inadequate, resulting in inefficiency and risk for ergonomic injuries (cumulative trauma disorders, repetitive strain injuries, musculoskeletal disorders), especially for long-duration missions. There exists a pressing need to design more effective restraints and mobility options that address human factors needs, to accomplish tasks required for operations in space. The objective of this project is to use design science and human factors approaches to prototype solutions that facilitate improved intravehicular mobility/locomotion, and increase task efficiency while minimizing physiological risk by facilitating more ergonomically optimal positioning. Positioning aid prototypes will be created for potential further testing by NASA, in alignment with the goals of the Exploration System Mission Directorate.