palm top by flaming space turtles

thingiverse

This is part of a research project conducted by FIRST Lego League Team #3946, where our challenge was to identify a physical or social need faced by astronauts during long-duration space exploration. We focused on reducing the number of hand injuries suffered by astronauts and improving their manual dexterity. The issue we encountered was that when EVA suits get pressurized, the gloves inflate like balloons, making it difficult for astronauts to use them effectively. To combat this problem, astronauts strap a bar across their palms to reduce air pressure, which ironically limits airflow to their hands. Our solution was to adapt a hand and forearm design developed by Project Inmoov that can be mounted on a rover or EVA suit. The hand would be operated by flex sensors integrated into the astronaut's gloves, providing greater dexterity and eliminating the need for the palm bar. We modified the palm top to achieve this goal. Future improvements will include replacing some fingers with mission-specific tools and possibly adding haptic feedback. We appreciate your time.