Low magnitude high frequency vibrations applied to the foot through the pedal of a human powered artificial gravity (HPAG) cycle

Astronauts are exposed to hazards unique to space travel. These hazards include radiation exposure and adaptation of the human body to the microgravity environment. For lunar and low earth orbital missions, the exposure period is typically less than six months and return to Earth is less than two weeks away. For travel beyond the Earth's moon, the microgravity exposure time will increase from months to years and return time will increase from weeks to months. Current countermeasures employ impact and high force loading to maintain bone health. An astronaut runs on a treadmill to impact load the weight bearing components of the musculoskeletal system. Elastic bands provide the "down" force for the astronaut while running. For high force loading, the astronaut performs a specified regimen of weight lifting exercises using resistive devices. The resistive devices provide a load in microgravity similar to that of free weights on Earth. These countermeasures have been beneficial in slowing bone adaptation, but have not stopped it. The imperceptible muscle contractions required for posture maintenance may be the absent load that the skeletal system requires to maintain bone health. Unlike the muscles that are required for impact and high force loading, the postural muscles work continuously to keep humans balanced and upright in a gravity environment.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Webster, Bruce Naakaii Ts'oh

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Dava J. Newman.

• Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/34165

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/34165