Dynamic Model of an Astronaut Equipped with a Manned Maneuvering Unit in Virtual Reality

A virtual reality simulation system for a manned maneuvering unit (MMU) and a training system for an astronaut space walk is introduced. The system can simulate an astronaut’s outer space walk by means of manipulating the MMU, and it also can be used as a training environment by taking advantage of virtual reality properties of imagination, interaction, and immersion. As in microgravity space, an astronaut’s moving limbs cause changes in the MMU posture; these changes result in great offsets to correct direction and have a great effect on the MMU’s manipulation performance. A multibody astronaut model is developed by using relative coordinates according to the motion characteristics of an astronaut equipped with MMU. Motion information on the user’s limbs are captured by means of a motion capture subsystem and are mapped to an astronaut in virtual environment to simulate the astronaut’s limb motions while the astronaut is navigating in outer space. It is an open-chain system for an astronaut multibody mod...

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