Aouda.X, spacesuit simulator for planetary surface exploration
Aouda.X is a novel spacesuit simulator developed by the Austrian Space Forum. It is not a real suit, but simulates the functions and feel of a spacesuit that would possibly be used by the astronauts on a planetary surface. This lets us learn here on Earth how difficult it is to operate and perform science on a distant planetary body.
With a helmet featuring a Head-Up Display (HUD), full air circulation with carbon dioxide control, medical monitoring for safety, joints and gloves emulating the stiffness of a real suit and radio equipment, Aouda.X is a perfect way to simulate extravehicular activity on a planetary surface.
An advanced human-machine interface, a set of sensors and purpose-designed software act as a local virtual assistant to the wearer. It is designed to interact with other field components like the rover and instruments.
System Overview
- Mass less than 45 kg
- Hard-Upper-Torso suit with ambient air ventilation
- Outer hull: Panox/Kevlar tissue with aluminium coating
- Modifiable exoskeleton able to simulate various pressure regimes for all major human joints, including fingers
- Biomedical and engineering telemetry with W-Lan (including continuous video & audio, various temperatures, CO2, GPS, air pressure, humidity, acceleration), human waste management
- Advanced human-machine interface including speech recognition and accelerometer input devices in the gloves
- Voltage: various busses, 12 V main bus; 5 GHz W-Lan band for back-up analogue radio for contingency situations
Performance envelope
- Endurance 4-6 hours (including donning/doffing) field operations
- Temperature limits: -110°C and +35°C (tested)
- W-Lan range up to 1 km (can be extended with directional W-Lan)
