A Simulation Study of a Reduced-Gravity Simulator for Simulating Human Jumping and Walking in a Reduced-Gravity Environment

This paper presents a computer-simulation based feasibility study of a passive Reduced Gravity Simulator (RGS), which uses spring-based static gravity-balancing technology to simulate a reduced-gravity environment. The concept of the simulator was developed for providing a potentially low-cost and easy-to-use simulation method for assisting astronauts training. The proposed RGS is capable of compensating full or partial gravitational effect of the trainee, providing a similar experience or feeling as if he/she is in a real reduced-gravity environment. Due to the safety requirements, the proposed technology has to be fully studied by means of simulation and nonhuman experiments before it can be safely tested with a human subject. The work presented here is the result of such a simulation study. In the study, a physical human is modeled as a multibody dynamical system with 54 degrees of freedom. The dynamic responses of a human jumping and walking with the RGS are simulated and analyzed. The simulation results are compared to those of the same human body on free jumping and walking in the same reduced-gravity environment.