The rigid structure of the space suit causes a lot of muscle injuries, notably around the shoulders. Measuring and quantifying body movements and muscle activity within the spacesuit is difficult because it’s a confined space that masks the body. Electromyography, or EMG, is the chosen method for measuring muscle activity.
Prompted by the Wearable Technologies Workshop hosted by NASA at the Johnson Space Center, a small group and I set out to design an easily applied, wearable system that would measure muscle activity on several locations on the upper body during space missions in microgravity. The non-invasive solution was to minimize motion artifact while not impeding user mobility and comfort.
With our backgrounds in apparel design, human factors, and functional clothing, we focused on adjustability, tight mechanical coupling, and designing an easily wearable system. Our process was research-intense and featured hours of ideation, testing, analysis, feedback loops, and several rounds of prototypes.
Prompted by the Wearable Technologies Workshop hosted by NASA at the Johnson Space Center, a small group and I set out to design an easily applied, wearable system that would measure muscle activity on several locations on the upper body during space missions in microgravity. The non-invasive solution was to minimize motion artifact while not impeding user mobility and comfort.
With our backgrounds in apparel design, human factors, and functional clothing, we focused on adjustability, tight mechanical coupling, and designing an easily wearable system. Our process was research-intense and featured hours of ideation, testing, analysis, feedback loops, and several rounds of prototypes.
Our work won us several awards including First Place in the 2018 Advanced Textiles Student Design Competition with Industrial Fabrics Association International as well as the ISWC Design Exhibition Jury award in the Functional category.