The Aerospace Human Systems Laboratory (AHSL) currently operates a Rostock Max v3 3D printer. The Rostock Max v3 is a Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) type 3D printer. The large print volume of the Max v3 allows AHSL to easily print full-sized hands from the 3dMD scanning system.
Facility
The Aerospace Human Systems Laboratory (AHSL) is researching how EVA suits are created with the goal of prototyping our own iteration of EVA suits. AHSL is able to achieve this by using state-of-the-art equipment, software, and other tools including two types of body scanners, a 3D printer, and an in-development glovebox. Below is a list of the current equipment and software found in the lab.
The AHSL Facility is located in room 111 in the Harvey R. "Bum" Bright Building on the Texas A&M University Campus.
3dMD Motion Capture Scanner
The 3dMD system is a photogrammetric scanning system comprised of an array of cameras. The Aerospace Human Systems Laboratory (AHSL) operates two configurations: 3dMDbody.t and 3dMDhand.t. These scans are used to capture accurate 3D representations of human bodies and hands to digitally create space suit and glove designs.
Abaqus/CAE
Abaqus/CAE is a Computer Aided Engineering system developed by SIMULIA/Dassault Systemes. Abaqus is an extremely powerful finite element, visualization, and process automation software package that focuses on real-world simulation applications. The Aerospace Human Systems Laboratory currently uses Abaqus to develop a non-linear finite element model to study the interaction between the hand and EVA glove.
CAD/Vidya
CAD/Vidya is a critical tool used to develop EVA suit prototype pressure garments by allowing the lab to create virtual garments that can be simulated on 3D mannequins.
Digital Human Modeling
Using the 3dMD systems, we can capture accurate 3D representations of human bodies and hands to digitally create space suit and glove designs. Similarly, the Vitus laser scanner is used to “photograph” a high-quality 3D image of a person in a matter of seconds, using laser triangulation. These Vitus scans can then be used to create useful models to analyze critical human dimensions for EVA suit design.
Glovebox
The Aerospace Human Systems Laboratory (AHSL) is in the process of designing and building a partial vacuum glovebox to enable in-house experimental research of EVA gloves. This glovebox will be unique in that it is anthropometrically variable with adjustable height and adjustable arm-port separation.
Intuitive Machines Human Suit Interaction Model (HSIM)
The Human Suit Interaction Model (HSIM) is currently being developed in a joint project between the Aerospace Human Systems Laboratory (AHSL) and Intuitive Machines. The models will then be tested dynamically and contact models and interactions between human and suit will be created.
[Read more…] about Intuitive Machines Human Suit Interaction Model (HSIM)
OpenFOAM
OpenFOAM is an open source Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. Using C ++ as it’s programming language, OpenFOAM has a wide array of solvers including buoyancy-driven, particle tracking, and incompressible flow solvers; all of which will be used by AHSL to model fluids in partial gravity.
Vitus Laser Scanner
A recent addition to the Aerospace Human Systems Laboratory, the Vitus laser scanner is used to “photograph” a high-quality 3D image of a person in a matter of seconds. VITUS uses laser triangulation by projecting a laser line and allowing the camera looking at that line to record the data. Sensors move vertically down to complete a scan.