Functional Mobility Testing: Quantification of Functionally Utilized Mobility Among Unsuited and Suited Subjects

A novel approach was used in this test for the creation of mobility requirements to be fed into the Human-Systems Integration Requirements and Engineering Requirements Documents. Existing suits may not provide adequate mobility to perform all functional tasks required in future missions. Looking solely at maximum unsuited mobility could be unrealistic and unnecessary to design into a suit. The new approach focused instead on functional range of motion. Setting design requirements based on the mobility necessary to perform a broad spectrum of functional tasks should save resources while still providing a suit capable of performing all tasks that a suited crewmember is likely to encounter. Unsuited functional mobility testing revealed some interesting nuances of human movement including variances in mobility utilized when completing functional tasks as well as the impact of compound joint motions and the influence of joint loading on range of motion. Suited requirements must reflect the fact that altered movement strategies are utilized while wearing a space suit. Improved methods for the creation of space suit design requirements should lead to improved suit performance while maintaining crewmember safety and reducing overall costs.