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The MX-2 neutral buoyancy space suit analogue has been designed and developed at the University of Maryland to facilitate analysis of space suit components and assessment of the benefits of advanced space suit technologies, The MX-2 replicates the salient features of microgravity pressure suits, including the induced joint torques, visual, auditory and thermal environments, and microgravity through the use of neutral buoyancy simulation. In this paper, design upgrades and recent operations of the suit are outlined, including many experiments and tests of advanced space suit technologies, This paper focuses on the work done using the MX-2 to implement and investigate various advanced controls and displays within the suit, to enhance crewmember situational awareness and effectiveness, and enable human-robotic interaction.

The University of Maryland Space Systems Laboratory and ILC Dover LP have developed a novel concept: a soft pressure garment that can be dynamically reconfigured to tailor its shape properties to the wearer and the desired task set. This underlying concept has been applied to the upper torso of a rear entry suit, in which the helmet ring, waist ring and two shoulder rings make up a system of four interconnected parallel manipulators with tensile links. This configuration allows the dynamic control of both the position and orientation of each of the four rings, enabling modification of critical sizing dimensions such as the inter-scye distance, as well as task-specific orientations such as helmet, scye and waist bearing angles. Half-scale and full-scale experimental models as well as an analytical inverse kinematics model were used to examine the interconnectedness of the plates, the role of external forces generated by pressurized fabric, and the controllability of the system.

The Ranger Telerobotic Shuttle Experiment (RTSX) is a Space Shuttle-based flight experiment to demonstrate key telerobotic technologies for servicing assets in Earth orbit. The flight system will be teleoperated from onboard the Space Shuttle and from a ground control station at the NASA Johnson Space Center. The robot, along with supporting equipment and task elements, will be located in the Shuttle payload bay. A number of relevant servicing operations will be performed-including extravehicular activity (EVA) worksite setup, orbital replaceable unit (ORU) exchange, and other dexterous tasks. The program is underway toward an anticipated launch date in CY2002. This paper gives an overview of the RTSX mission, and describes several follow-on mission scenarios involving cooperative Ranger and EVA activities.

The Maryland Advanced Research/Simulation (MARS) Suit is designed to be a low-cost test bed for extravehicular activity (EVA) research, providing an environment for the development and application of biomedical sensors and advanced EVA technologies. It is also designed to be used in gaining more experience with human-telerobotic interactions in an integrated EVA worksite. This paper details the first generation MARS Suit (MX-1) design, describes the low-cost development process, and presents results from ongoing suit testing, as well as plans for future work.