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The NASA Reduced Gravity Student Flight Program at Purdue University empowers undergraduate students to propose, design, fabricate, and assess their own reduced-gravity experiments. This unique academic experience includes scientific scholarship and hands-on test operations over eight months. The program addresses significant challenges like spatial disorientation in military aviators and astronauts. Teams utilize tactile feedback systems to enhance situational awareness during flights, culminating in zero-gravity tests aboard the KC135-A "Vomit Comet." Students gain invaluable experience and contribute to advancements in aerospace safety.
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NASA Reduced Gravity Student Flight Program Purdue University School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Flight Team Members • Ryan Casteel --Junior / Electrical Engineering • Jennifer Glassley --Junior / Electrical Engineering • Joachim Deguara --Sophomore / Electrical Engineering • Ryan Traylor --Sophomore / Electrical Engineering • Adrian Lim --Sophomore / Mechanical Engineering
About the Program • provides a unique academic experience for undergraduate students to successfully propose, design, fabricate, fly and assess a reduced-gravity experiment of their choice over the course of eight months. • includes scientific scholarship, hands-on test operations and education/public outreach activities. • Began in 1997 • 48 teams selected by May 7th for August flights from Johnson Space Center
Spatial Disorientation and Situational Awareness • the incorrect perception of attitude, altitude, or motion of one’s own body, aircraft, or spacecraft
WHY???? • major problem facing military aviators and NASA astronauts • costs DoD $300 million per year in lost aircraft • U.S. military loses around 20 aircraft and 15 officers per year as a result of spatial disorientation mishaps • typical SD mishap occurs when the visual system is compromised by temporary distractions, increased workload, reduced visibility, and most commonly, g-lock
Solution • Use a tactile feedback system to enhance spatial awareness • the sense of touch can be engaged in a natural and intuitive manner by using sensory saltation • utilizes the sense of touch to replace vision or audition (i.e., sensory substitution)
Definitions • The human tactual sense is generally regarded as made up of two subsystems: the tactile and kinesthetic senses. • Tactile (or cutaneous) sense refers to the awareness of stimulation to the body surfaces • kinesthetic sense refers to the awareness of limb positions, movements and muscle tensions. • The term haptics is often used to refer to manipulation as well as perception through the tactual sense
Definition • saltation is Latin for “jumping” • does not depend on the user’s knowledge of either spatial nor temporal parameters • the user does not have to look for it — s/he simply feels it
Equipment Description Control Box (Keypad Input) Signal Generator (Microcontroller) Vibrator Driver Circuit Tactile Display
Applications • provide better orientation awareness for astronauts during EVAs
Silent communication for military units on the ground
During the Flight • 2-3 hour flights • 30 to 50 parabolic maneuvers • 25 seconds of zero-gravity on each maneuver • 1.8-g entry and exit conditions in each reduced-g maneuver.
The Backpack Sensors Controller The Experiment Signals Orientations Gravity The Team Test Subject Experimenter THE FLIGHT
Your Experiments • Examples • Experiment packet • Questions
Schedule • May 7th--Selection Day • late May-- we’ll get your materials • August Flights • Follow-up presentation in the fall
