The Illinois Institute of Technology had built a power-driven articulated dummy for NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center in the early 1960s. This was to support the development of spacesuits.
What Is A Power-Driven Articulated Dummy?
The life-sized power-driven articulated dummy was developed by the IIT Research Institute. It weighs 104 kg and between 1.65-1.88 meters. According to Seeker, it was used to test out spacesuits. Apparently, to spare astronauts from test-induced injuries. Designing spacesuits can be dangerous for humans at that time.
Hydraulic and electrical actuators were used to replicate the movements of the human body. This is according to the report of the spacesuit dummy project. Sensors were also placed throughout the dummy. These sensors let the designers of the spacesuit know the amount of force it could take to move when in space. It could simulate 35 basic human movements.
According to MSN, the dummy couldn't move and stand on its own. An operator had to control it using a console.
The Spacesuit Dummy Project
The spacesuit dummy project ran from May 22, 1963 to July 31, 1965. The dummy that was used had faced problems that couldn't be addressed. For instance, the human body itself is really complicated. It is hard to replicate the joints and its movements. The dummy lacked the space needed inside for the human joints to function. The components used were too big to fit.
The dummy was only limited to four simultaneous rotations. The operator was responsible for moving the dummy both the right way and right time. Otherwise, it would get stuck. The report also indicated that the designers wanted to make the dummy as close to an actual human as possible. Aside from its shape and size, the dummy was covered with 1/32-inch thick aluminum.
This decision compromised the joints that would give it a better range of motion. It also caused the dummy to look strange. There was also an issue with the hydraulic system. It leaked every time the dummy's limbs were lifted. One of their solutions was dressing the dummy in a wetsuit. Unfortunately, they were not able to solve it.
Project Abandoned, Dummy To Be Auctioned
After the project was abandoned, one of the dummies is about to be auctioned by NASA at $80,000 on September 26. The other dummy is at the Smithsonian Institution's Udvar-Hazy museum.
