Year : 2019
Mentors : Ankur Pandya
Students involved : 16BME001-Abhimanyu Shanbhag, 16BME003-Nikunj Parmar
Project : Link
Abstract:
Astronauts inhabit spacesuits during extravehicular activities (EVAs) and also during the launch and return of the spacecraft. The following substances may interact with the astronauts’ eyes and facial region: Contaminants like dust, spores, bacteria, perspiration, tears or moisture from the eye, leaked water, cooling fluid, Anti-fog agent or other chemical substances. These cause debilitating pain, discomfort and temporary loss of vision in some cases. These substances cannot be cleaned off manually due to the inaccessible and sealed nature of the inside of a spacesuit helmet in operating condition. Here, we introduce the concept of a device to be worn by astronauts inside their helmets, composed of sweeping actuated arms with absorbent and cleaning heads which would effectively remove the undesirable substances and provide relief, hence enabling the astronauts to operate unhindered and undistracted during spacesuit activities.