MIT Libraries logoDSpace@MIT

MIT
View Item 
  • DSpace@MIT Home
  • MIT Libraries
  • MIT Theses
  • Graduate Theses
  • View Item
  • DSpace@MIT Home
  • MIT Libraries
  • MIT Theses
  • Graduate Theses
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

On the deformation of human skin for mechanical counter pressure space suit development

Author(s)
Obropta, Edward William, Jr
Thumbnail
DownloadFull printable version (34.71Mb)
Other Contributors
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Advisor
Dava J. Newman.
Terms of use
M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
Metadata
Show full item record
Abstract
Exploration of planetary bodies requires space suits that do not inhibit astronaut mobility. Gas pressurized suits are typically bulky and stiff to operate or require unnatural human motion. Development of mechanical counter pressure (MCP) space suits can change the current space suit design paradigm. The primary goal of this thesis is to develop methodology to quantify strain and deformation of human skin to inform how to make a MCP space suit, or second skin, that maximizes mobility and minimizes human energy expenditure. Specific emphasis was placed on joint mobility, therefore, the Lines of Non-Extension (LoNE) was investigated in detail throughout the deformation of the human elbow joint. This goal was driven by three research objectives: develop a system to measure human skin deformation and strain, develop a rigorous method to compute LoNE, and examine the variation of skin strain between multiple subjects. The contributions of this thesis are the development of a multi-camera system to measure skin deformation at 1 mm², a streamline approach for calculating LoNE, strain data at the elbow joint and a methodology moving forward to measure more sections of the human body. The results from the six subjects showed that skin deformation can be similar in magnitude between subjects of varying anthropometrics, but the principal strain directions and LoNE maps can vary. The elbow data was flattened to 2D and normalized by anthropometrics to allow comparisons between subjects. This skin deformation data informs material selection, material placement, and suit patterning. This data is relevant to any compression garment or device that interacts with human skin.
Description
Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2015.
 
This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
 
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
 
Includes bibliographical references (pages 137-141).
 
Date issued
2015
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/98588
Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keywords
Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Collections
  • Graduate Theses

Browse

All of DSpaceCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

My Account

Login

Statistics

OA StatisticsStatistics by CountryStatistics by Department
MIT Libraries
PrivacyPermissionsAccessibilityContact us
MIT
Content created by the MIT Libraries, CC BY-NC unless otherwise noted. Notify us about copyright concerns.