Measurement of Shoulder/Spacesuit Clearances During Activity

The human shoulder is a complex joint and its range of motion is not simply modeled, yet the spacesuit worn by astronauts does not allow the full range of motion. Shoulder injuries occur during training because of the gap in performance between the suit and the wearer's shoulder. Consequently, a better shoulder joint is needed, but before a suit allowing greater mobility and comfort is designed, a better understanding of the interaction between the astronaut and the spacesuit is needed. In a project sponsored by NASA, College of Technology students are developing an instrument that will dynamically measure the clearances between the wearer's shoulder and the shoulder of the suit to enable better design.

Student participants and affiliations:

• Steven Charry, University of Hartford
• Casie Cowie-Rowley, Manchester Community College
• Christopher Diyaolu, University of Hartford
• Karl Friedl, Asnuntuck Community College
• William Ivey, Manchester Community College
• Robin Kizirian, University of Hartford
• Ahmad Osman, University of Hartford
• Mohamed Osman, University of Hartford
• Kelly Stephens, University of Hartford