Astra: A dual-position seating system DESIGN for space exploration
Updated: 1 hour ago
Research & Design exploration
User Research, Product Design, Prototyping, User Testing, Virtual Reality
SolidWorks, Key Shot, Miro, Maya, Unreal Engine
How do you design for the Moon?
For this project, I focused on the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) for NASA’s Artemis program... specifically how seating impacts astronaut comfort, mobility, and performance.
I explored lunar environments, materials, and manufacturing methods, that led me to design a dual-position seat that transitions between leaning and seated modes. Through several evaluations, I found ways to improve the seat’s ergonomics and restraint system, showing how human-centered design can directly improve safety and functionality in extreme environments.
RESEARCH
Background
NASA's Artemis program aims to establish a lasting human presence on the Moon as a step towards Mars. Named after Apollo's twin sister, Artemis marks a new era in space exploration. The program plans missions to expand lunar exploration, with key infrastructure like the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) helping astronauts move beyond their landing sites and build a lunar base.
My study examines the LTV as a crucial tool for extending astronauts' reach and supporting NASA's long-term goals on the Moon and beyond.
Lessons Learned
The concept of a lunar surface vehicle began in early science fiction and evolved with space exploration, leading to the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), developed by companies like Boeing and General Motors.
Based on feedback from the Apollo 15 and 16 missions, I identified four key areas needing improvement: the console, seatbelts, ingress and egress, and seating.
I focused on enhancing the seating design to improve comfort, functionality, and durability, making it easier for astronauts to use and reducing physical strain in the harsh lunar environment.
Understanding the User Experience: Task analysis
This review looked at the Apollo 17 EVAs, where NASA categorized tasks into Engineering, Operational, and Scientific areas, highlighting the focus on those involving the LTV.
Understanding these activities is crucial for designing a functional LTV. By knowing the tasks and challenges astronauts face, designers can refine features to support lunar exploration. This review, along with Moon-to-Mars documentation, sets the stage for the next section.
Understanding the User Experience: User journey
The UX of the LTV maps out each step of a hypothetical mission, identifying challenges and opportunities along the way. By integrating these insights into the astronaut's journey, designers can pinpoint issues and make improvements that boost functionality, mission success, and astronaut well-being. In this context, adaptability is crucial, ensuring designs meet operational needs and the constraints of spacesuits and lunar conditions. This approach sets a new standard for ergonomic design in extreme environments and lays the foundation for future advancements in space exploration technology.
Human Factors
Human factors and anthropometry were crucial in designing space vehicles by analyzing astronauts' body dimensions. This ensured seating and restraint systems fit properly, even with bulky suits. For example, reach and clearance were vital for safe operation, with postures like upright for visibility, seated for comfort on long missions, and reclined for stability on rough terrain.
The seating system, based on ISS crew data, was made adjustable to fit all astronauts, from the 5th percentile female to the 95th percentile male, with intuitive and sturdy features for microgravity.
Understanding the User Experience: The Seating and ergonomics Exploration
To create a user-friendly design, I conducted an experiential study using similar terrestrial vehicles, gaining insights into the user's physical and psychological experience.
At NASA's open house, I observed the GTU LTV with features like angle adjustability, side entry, height adjustment, and suspension. However, these features weren't intuitive, highlighting the need for design that supports intuitive use and real-time adjustability in the LTV.
The Moon
To ensure successful lunar missions, it's crucial for the designer to understand the Moon's unique challenges. The LTV needs to be compact for transport but tough enough to handle extreme conditions. It must resist abrasion from lunar dust, endure extreme temperatures, withstand high radiation levels, and function in the vacuum of space. By tackling these challenges with strong design and careful material selection, the LTV can safely and efficiently support lunar exploration, providing reliable transport on the Moon's surface.
Curious about the full research?
DESIGN EXPLORATION
I evaluated the best seating options for astronauts, focusing on their comfort and needs. I explored four different designs, each with its pros and cons. After analyzing them, I found that traditional seating and leaning positions were the most practical for the LTV.
This led to the main concept:
a foldable and adjustable seat that makes it easier for astronauts to enter and position themselves, even with bulky xEMU spacesuits.
At this stage, I focused on functionality and simplicity to ensure the seat was efficient and reliable. The minimalistic design adapts to different astronaut sizes and mission needs without adding extra bulk or complexity.
I chose mechanical systems for height adjustment because they're reliable and easy to use, avoiding electrical or hydraulic systems due to maintenance concerns. After gathering feedback from experts, I refined the design. I selected aluminum for its cost-effectiveness and went with a layered fabric structure for durability and comfort.
I focused on dual-position seats and how they fit into the bigger picture with a modified version of the Tri-Rotor controller created at NASA. For the restraining systems, I explored using lap bars like those in roller coasters. They’re simple, effective, and provide a secure hold without being too restrictive.
Lap bars are comfortable for those wearing bulky gear like the xEMU suit, allowing more arm movement and visibility. They’re also quicker to lock and unlock, adjustable for different body sizes, and easy to maintain.
PROTOTYPING & TESTING
My LTV prototype played a key role in studying different components. It allowed for realistic simulations of astronaut interactions, helping me understand the best vehicle design for extraterrestrial settings. I started with early mockups and design ideas that aligned with my goals, focusing on a side entry configuration for easier access.
I chose the LTV model proposed by Leidos and NASCAR as my main reference, making adjustments based on LRV specifications. I used MDF for the platform, metal rods for the frame, and cardboard for smaller parts. Initially, I painted these materials but later covered them with a green screen for virtual simulations, making it easier to test different scenarios.
I tested the LTV seating design using a dual-fidelity approach.
First, I created a physical mid-level fidelity prototype of the LTV structure for hands-on interaction, and then I made a high-quality 3D rendering for an immersive VR experience.
The VR process started with modeling the seat in SolidWorks, optimizing it in Autodesk Maya, and finally integrating it into Unreal Engine to create a realistic lunar environment.
Participants, who wore a mock-up of the NASA xEMU spacesuit, interacted with both the physical prototype and the VR environment.
The group included four physically fit adults with either normal vision or vision corrected by contact lenses, and they all had some understanding of space-related concepts. I made sure participants were safe by excluding anyone with significant motion sickness, a history of seizures, or physical limitations.
Participants, who wore a mock-up of the NASA xEMU spacesuit, interacted with both the physical prototype and the VR environment.
The group included four physically fit adults with either normal vision or vision corrected by contact lenses, and they all had some understanding of space-related concepts. I made sure participants were safe by excluding anyone with significant motion sickness, a history of seizures, or physical limitations.
Participants simulated driving the LTV in VR while seated in the prototype and provided real-time feedback on ergonomics, usability, and overall design. This approach allowed me to gather meaningful feedback through ergonomic assessments, usability tests, and post-simulation surveys to evaluate the design's functionality and user experience.
RESULTS
During the testing sessions, analyzing behaviors in both leaning and seating positions revealed significant issues and valuable feedback. Participants often expressed discomfort with the suit, occurring 15 times in the seating position and 17 times in the leaning position.
This reflects how the mockup suit replicates the astronaut's experience with the xEMU suit. There were ten instances of incorrect control use in the seating position and none in the leaning position, likely due to the learning curve of using the controls.
In the leaning position, participants commonly felt insecure and uncomfortable, highlighting issues with stability or support. Despite the low-fidelity prototype's influence, this feedback was crucial for the final design.
Participants frequently needed to adjust their height or position, underscoring the importance of making targeted adjustments for each astronaut. In the leaning position, feelings of insecurity and discomfort were common, signaling stability issues that influenced the final design. During the ingress phase, participants often collided with the structure due to insufficient training with the heavy suit and reduced spatial awareness. This was more frequent without VR headsets and happened less often in the leaning position.
During the seating position's settling in phase, participants felt discomfort with the suit, needing posture adjustments due to pressure on their shoulders and lower back. The space for the PLSS lacked a back, causing a sense of insecurity and making participants lean forward, affecting their posture and leg position.
Prototype fidelity and varying body types caused issues with the restraining system. Shorter participants found the system inhibiting, while taller participants had more space, fitting comfortably. Similar issues occurred in the leaning position, with significant contrasts in balance. Participants unfamiliar with this position found it unnatural, while those with naval or boat-related experience preferred it.
During the simulation phase, there was an increased need for position and height adjustments, likely due to the VR headset affecting posture. The egress phase showed fewer collisions with the structure, indicating participants adapted to the suit's bulk.
Participants noted a significant change in visibility when moving from seated to leaning positions, with an average score of 4.88, indicating a considerable shift. The change in balance was notable, reflected by a high score of 8.45, showing a substantial enhancement in balance during transitions. These findings underscore the benefits of a dual-position seat in improving visibility and balance during operations.
For feeling supported and safe, participants scored 5.38, suggesting a reasonable sense of security but with room for improvement. The score for position or reach was high at 7.38, highlighting good ergonomic design. The Adjust Position score was 5.90, indicating frequent positional adjustments by participants. Physical Accommodation scored 5.43, showing moderate comfort and fit, pointing to the need for further enhancements.
In testing and UX, the Expectations of Test Difficulty scored 6.28, meaning the test met or exceeded usability expectations. The high score of 8.30 for Ease of Following Instructions indicates that instructions were clear and easy to follow, positively impacting UX and task efficiency.
In part A of the survey, each question reflects a feature explored during the design process. The radar chart measures attributes like change in balance, change in visibility, safety, fit, ergonomics, and UX, providing a holistic assessment of the design and testing method.
Part B aimed to evaluate the influence of a new testing method compared to a traditional one used for Industrial Design. This section assessed the low-fidelity prototype and the immersive VR environment.
The fidelity of the prototype impacted the results more significantly than the VR, indicating that despite technological advancements, tactile sensations remain highly influential in perception.
Overall, both elements could be further improved to provide a more immersive and seamless experience between the prototype and VR.
Part C uses NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) simulation quality scale to rate the design on a 10-point scale, evaluating aspects like the leaning and seating positions and the overall design. The results indicate that while the simulation effectively mimics the seating position, it does not accurately simulate the leaning position or interaction with the LTV. Both positions require significant improvements to meet acceptable standards.
Testing provided critical insights into the LTV seating system's human-machine interface. Specific areas, such as the lack of a back surface, the leaning position, and the restraining system, were identified as needing adjustments. These issues were addressed, aiming to improve the overall experience and ergonomics of both seating and leaning configurations. Iterative improvements are essential to advance the design to meet the stringent standards required for space missions.
FINAL DESIGN
The final design features a dual-position seat that enables astronauts to enter the vehicle in a leaning position and transition to a seated position for expeditions.
The seat's base consists of coated aluminum and incorporates suspension. This study suggests modifying and compacting a jockey-style suspension system to improve stability and comfort. The seat utilizes aluminum tubing, also coated for protection. Wrapped around these tubes is a Kevlar mesh that serves as a suspension for the seat and the PLSS.
Behind the seats, utilizing the LTV design as a reference, the Kevlar mesh is employed again to provide a flexible barrier and support for the PLSS, allowing astronauts to recline without overextending. The flexibility of the mesh also acts as an additional suspension for the PLSS.
Additionally, the restraining system has been revised to integrate the hand-holder more effectively, aiding both the entry and the leaning position.
