Desenvolvimento de um sistema de simulação de marcha em hipogravidade

Abstract

In space missions, the cardiovascular, muscular and bony systems are affected by the lack of the action of the terrestrial gravitational force. Muscle deconditioning may limit the crew's ability to work due to atrophy and muscle weakness. In microgravity and hypogravity, there are also changes in the structures and functions of bone cells, including morphology, cytoskeleton, cell growth and differentiation, leading to osteopenia, which can progress to osteoporosis. When analyzing that the high impact of running and walking causes the stress necessary to stimulate the muscles and bones responsible for maintaining the posture by reducing the damage caused by the hypogravity, the investigations related to the gait simulator systems have increased considerably making them necessary to avoid bone deconditioning, Muscular and cardiovascular before, during and after space mission. The development of Gait System in Hypogravity Simulation (GSHS) allows the study of the harmful actions of the extraterrestrial environment. Thus, the present study aimed to develop a GSHS to study aerospace biomechanics and physiology. For this system to be possible, a structural and functional planning was elaborated. For the development of a functional prototype, the sub-systems were necessary: Structural, using an already existing structure in the aerospace engineering laboratory; Suspension, which involves welding the support for fixing the mat and adapting the hanger supports, as well as the cables, ribbons and vest involved; Strength, consisting of treadmill and a force platform with a CPU to transfer; Which is responsible for communicating between force platform and interacting with a CPU for receiving, store and visualization data; And, finally, simulation, composed of a dynamometer and a set of elastic cords causing different stresses. The results showed that the GSHS is able to simulate the environments of Mars, Moon and Earth being able also to increase or decrease the apparent weight of the volunteer through the tension imposed by the ropes on the surface of the treadmill. The communication sub-system was able to store transfer data received from the CPU from the power platform to the computer in case of storage and transmit the data to the evaluators in case of testing. And finally, the structure remained stable with no tremor or oscillation when the loads were handled for the tests.