Robotic "SuperLimbs" could help moonwalkers recover from falls | Hacker News Reader

Robotic "SuperLimbs" could help moonwalkers recover from falls

news.mit.edu

14 pointsLorenDB7 comments

I thought the big concern around falling down on the moon is the risk of sharp rocks & abrasive dust damaging your spacesuit, not that it's hard to get up. Still, these 'SuperLimbs' sound like a cool technology that will probably be useful for something

Why not apply this to a problem we have everyday on this planet? The elderly frequently experience falls in independent living situations and there are cases of them being on the ground for hours before anyone finds them.

Better to have an exoskeleton that keeps you balanced and prevents falls than one that helps you get back up after a fall (when you may be injured).

I’m having a hard time imagining what it feels like for gravity to be 1/6 of earth, yet inertia to be the same. Is there some way to approximate this on Earth?

Being underwater with the right weighting is a rough approximation, as used by astronauts for training. Parabolic flight is better, and can be done at 1/6 g too. NASA tested a lunar wheelbarrow that way.

SmarterEveryDay has a great video with astronauts training in this fashion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiZd5yBWvYY

Slow movement while partially submerged can be close, you get resistance to acceleration, but it’s much easier to hold a squat or something.

For running, jumping etc having an Aerial Harness set to take 80% of your weight is similar and lets you trivially do 1 handed pull-ups or crazy aerobatic jumps. Though the harness and wires may add some momentum and feel pressure from the harness. A lesser though more accessible version being a bungee workout, which can even be fun for people with extreme obesity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIQBBUee_2E

Ultimate is one of those zero gravity aircraft parabolic dives that’s aiming for lunar gravity not zero G. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecOi5gJTMl4

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