Lunar stilts

[rogers_buck]

I'm pondering how a good ole pair of stilts would be as transportation on the moon. If you could take in 3-4 meters in a stride you could cover some serious ground. Of course humans are the hardest things to recharge on the moon, but we do also require our walkies to stay healthy...<br />

 

[j05h]

<i>> Original thinking, but how would you protect against a fall onto sharp rocks?</i><br /><br />Stilts on your arms.<br /><br />Given a choice, I envision an articulated "ape" exoskeleton with very long limbs. Kind of like the riding beasts in "The Dark Crystal", stilt-walkers. You could quad-walk or get up on two and sprint, using your arms like a cross-country skier.<br /><br />For falling, the exo could be large enough to protect the wearer (bubble/cab) or the main pressure suit would have to be armored. An effective suit could include a classic "hard suit" like the AX-5 or a skin-suit and plating like Marshal Savage proposed. <br /><br />An option for an articulated walker using very advanced robotics would be the ability to "collapse to standing" at a moments notice. Using gyros and clever body-mechanics, the walker is designed to make the user "fall" feet-first onto the ground. During a stumble, you think/switch it to collapse and it drops you down at the right angle to land on your feet. That part would be powered, but the walk cycle could still be human-powered.<br /><br />A human powered walker could be largely mechanical, check out the "Power Skip" and imagine them Moon-sized. <br /><br />http://www.powerskip.de/mainpage.html<br />http://www.powerskip.de/photogallery.html<br />http://www.hedonistica.com/media.php?path=/videos/bouncy-boots.wmv<br /><br />I like the idea of lunar stilts, too. It's creative, out-of-the box thinking. <br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

A few years ago, someone came up with a foot intended to increase running speed here on Earth. Unlike stilts, it did not add much height. Rather, it was more of a curved piece of metal that acted like a spring. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[rogers_buck]

Of course the low gravity is what makes it practical and safe. Probably the shafing from the dust will be more dangerous than the rocks.<br />

 

[mithridates]

Just in case you missed it, there was an article a few days ago about a new type of bike that is being paid attention to by NASA:<br />http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/070122_technov_nasa_bike.html<br />Not quite the same thing but similar in the sense that it's a much simpler idea than the general motorized rover that seems to be thought of by default. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>----- </p><p>http://mithridates.blogspot.com</p> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

In 1/6 gravity, a human powered vehicle would be an excellent choice for short travel if the suit can be reconciled with the weight of the machinery. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[j05h]

<i>> A few years ago, someone came up with a foot intended to increase running speed here on Earth. Unlike stilts, it did not add much height. Rather, it was more of a curved piece of metal that acted like a spring.</i><br /><br />Will- it's called "Power Skip" - I linked to it above. Pretty cool, being able to do backflips over a pickup truck on Earth. You'd get some great hieght and distance on the Moon. <br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[baktothemoon]

The only problem with any of these things is that with a spacesuit your distribution of mass is different. A couple astronauts during apollo tried to jump as high as they could and ended up turtleing on their back, unable to get up without help because of the pack. With stilts you would probably fall backwards if you tried to stand on them and it would be really hard to run. The Power Skip thing is cool, but with your weight shifted backwards it would probably be very difficult to stick the landing. A few months ago i got to use a 1/6th gravity chair that simulates walking on the moon. The chair is suspended from the ceiling on a track from springs that are adjsuted so that your feet lightly touch the ground. It's hard to walk or run. if you try to run normally you spin in the opposite direction of the leg that you push off on. When I tried to jump high I came close to bottoming out on landing. Which could be deadly to an astronaut if they landed wrong. The best way to move is a two footed hop, like a rabbit, which explains why apollo astronauts moved like that. I think that to move faster on the moon we need a suit with a more even distribution of mass so that you would be able to run more naturally, then you could look at stilts and Power skips.<br /><br />BTW, here is a picture of me using the chair:

 

[willpittenger]

Perhaps the center of gravity problem could be solved by moving some suit components from the backpack to the chest area. With Apollo style suits, it might be more work to put on, but not if we assume hard torsos will be used. That would allow those components to be integrated directly into the torso. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

How long does it take to learn to walk and run with the PowerSkip? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[j05h]

<i>> The only problem with any of these things is that with a spacesuit your distribution of mass is different.</i><br /><br />My post originally suggested RCS on the stilt-walking exo, but I wanted to keep it simple. Properly articulated stilt-arms could fold backwards quickly (per the "collapser" above) to catch you falling backwards. I think the solution is to go quadruped.<br /><br />I'm not sure about a Power Skip either, but wanted it to get a full airing. <br /><br />That lunar-G harness is pretty cool. Where did you get to play with that? <br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[henryhallam]

<font color="yellow">A couple astronauts during apollo tried to jump as high as they could and ended up turtleing on their back, unable to get up without help because of the pack. </font><br /><br />Very interesting! Do you have a reference for this? I was under the impression that the lunar astronauts were very careful indeed not to fall over.

 

[willpittenger]

Cernan's book has him falling over at least once. Or did he have Schmidt falling over? I don't remember. One of them. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[bpfeifer]

I've seen footage of Schmitt falling over while working on an experiment. I think I've seen other astronauts falling over too. I've also heard that while the bunny hop worked on the Moon, it was not more efficient than walking. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Brian J. Pfeifer http://sabletower.wordpress.com<br /> The Dogsoldier Codex http://www.lulu.com/sabletower<br /> </div>

 

[baktothemoon]

>That lunar-G harness is pretty cool. Where did you get to play with that?<br /><br />Space Camp about a month ago, hence the flight suit, I have a thread on page two that describes it, I'll have more pictures there soon. On the 1/6 th gravity chair in the picture I was able to jump at least seven feet high.

 

[baktothemoon]

>Very interesting! Do you have a reference for this? I was under the impression that the lunar astronauts were very careful indeed not to fall over<br /><br />They were careful...most of the time. Imagine the situation if both of them fell over. Anyway, I'don't have a reference, I think it was either apollo 14 or 15, it's just another random fact I learned at Space Camp.

 

[halman]

baktothemoon,<br /><br />This points up how much we have to learn by returning to the Moon. Also, we have to be able to keep an open mind regarding what designs will be suitable (!) for use on planetary surfaces. Perhaps a rover which has umbilicals that connect to a walkaround suit might be better that trying to pack the oxygen supply, heating and cooling system, batteries, communications gear, cameras, biosensors, and everything else into a backpack.<br /><br />The ability to range over large areas is likely to require a rover to support the required equipment. Construction will most likely be done by remote control, except for certain operations. The concept of putting on a suit and taking off on a long walk may be difficult to make possible.<br /><br />Didn't the Apollo backpacks weigh something like 120 pounds? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The secret to peace of mind is a short attention span. </div>

 

[dreada5]

You'd have thought by 2015 we'd have figured out how to do skin-tight, lightweight, spacesuits.

 

[rocketman5000]

MCP suits are already in design now. If we were in an Apollo style space race, or fighting the first lunar war for resources I believe you'd already find them in production. Most of the research is being done at a graduate student level on individual components or sections of the suit to make it the least fatiguing as possible. personally I think that even something as restricting as a wet suit would be a large advancement over current suits, but then again I've never had a space suit on.

 

[quasar2]

i have a thread on here about human powered vehicles on The Moon or Mars. i`ll try to dig er up. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rogers_buck]

Given the way they finally figured out how to hop around on the moon, perhaps a pogo-stick wouldn't be a bad thing to ponder. A pogo stick has the added advantage of being able to get an electromagnetic kick...<br />

 

[quasar2]

landing may be somewhat problematic. one would hafta know the terrain quite well. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>