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NASA is seeking to challenge the GrabCAD Community to design a common restraint and mobility aid system that works in four gravity environments.
In microgravity, astronauts need hand rails, foot holds, and work area restraints. In gravity, astronauts may need safety railings, steps or ladders, particularly for large, multi-deck habitats. Develop a common solution: a single system that will restrain crew members in microgravity, while being unobtrusive in gravity; that will enable astronauts to translate between decks on the Moon or Mars, but not be a passageway obstruction in microgravity. The same system must be effective in any gravity field: 0g, 1/6g, 3/8g, and 1g with no reconfiguration. This project will require a high degree of creativity and innovation to create a common restraint and mobility aid system that works in all four gravity environments.
This problem is in support of the Common Habitat, an exploratory design study seeking to develop a single habitat architecture that functions on the Moon, Mars, in microgravity transit, and as an Earth trainer/analog. The advantage of such a design is that if successful, a single design and procurement activity can provide for all four needs. NASA funding levels may not allow the Agency to develop highly capable habitats for the Moon, Mars, and Mars transit all in parallel, and spreading these out in series could increase the time required to prepare missions to Mars. This challenge addresses a key component of the Common Habitat. Properly designed and placed, restraints and mobility aids enable the crew to live and work effectively in space, on the Moon, and on Mars. It will also enable crews to train on Earth-like they will operate on their missions. But improper design or placement can reduce work efficiency, cause crew injury, result in equipment damage, or even lead to loss of life. Thus, a common restraints and mobility aids solution that works in all gravity environments is a critical element to a truly Common Habitat. A successful outcome is a complete restraint and mobility aid system as measured by the following:
1. Separate CAD models of each restraint and mobility aid component item and associated linked models (see requirements below).
2. Excel format table listing for each component item the name, quantity, rough dimensions, volume, suggested material (e.g. aluminum, plastic, fabric, etc.), estimated mass, and any associated operating parameters (e.g. power if an electrically powered item).
3. The report in Word format describing the overall restraints and mobility aid system each component item and how they should be used throughout the Common Habitat. No page length guidelines – should be sufficient to describe your concept. Include illustrations.
For purposes of this challenge, all hatches shall be assumed to have an opening described by a rounded rectangle, 60 inches in height by 40 inches in width, with a radius of curvature of 5.9 inches at each corner. All vertical passages between decks have the same size openings – anything that can pass through a hatch on one deck can be transported through a vertical passage to another deck. Vertical passages are generally not adjacent to a wall but are instead near or at the center of the deck.
Assume a habitat with 3, 4, or 6 decks and a floor-to-floor distance of 2.5 meters.
(Number of decks is a trade study currently in progress and the solution must work
regardless of the habitat height ultimately selected.)
Ideas that should be excluded:
Exclude swapping out of gravity-specific solutions. (e.g. ISS-type handrails on the microgravity variant and traditional stairs on the lunar/Mars variants). Any solution not common to all gravity environments is to be excluded.
Avoid any diagonal vertical translation between decks (e.g. like a staircase - takes up too much floor space). Constrain all such vertical motion to fit within
the previously described 60” x 40” envelope.
Avoid solutions that are difficult or cumbersome to operate. Imagine having to use this system in your home.
Avoid solutions that could cause injury or leave crew members trapped or cut off from one another.
JUDGING CRITERIA
1. Successful designs will meet submission requirements
Requirements needed for Submission:
ENTERING THE COMPETITION:
SUBMITTING AN ENTRY
AWARDING THE WINNERS
The sum of the Awards is the total gross amount of the reward. The awarded participant is solely liable for the payment of all taxes, duties, and other similar measures if imposed on the reward pursuant to the legislation of the country of his/her residence, domicile, citizenship, workplace, or any other criterion of similar nature. Only 1 award per person. Prizes may not be transferred or exchanged. All winners will be contacted by the GrabCAD staff to get their contact information and any other information needed to get the prize to them. Payment of cash awards is made through PayPal. All team awards will be transferred to the member who entered the Challenge.
We will release the finalists before the announcement of the winners to give the Community an opportunity to share their favorites in the comments, discuss concerns, and allow time for any testing or analysis by the Jury. The Jury will take the feedback into consideration when picking the winners.
Schedule
$7000 In Prizes
$3000
$2000
$1000
$750
$250
This challenge is sponsored by the Center for Design and Space Architecture (CDSA), which is NASA Johnson Space Center’s design studio for human-centered design, concept development, and rapid prototyping of human spaceflight architectures. The CDSA team uses sketches, engineering analysis, CAD modeling, Virtual Reality, and physical mockups to create options for human exploration of the inner solar system.
Maijinn Chen
A Scott Howe
James Maida
David Smitherman
Jerri Stephenson
Nathan Moore
Kara Latorella
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D.Have an awesome idea for this competition? Want to win cool prizes? Sign-up now to upload your entries.
If you don't receive the email within an hour (and you've checked your Spam folder), email us as confirmation@grabcad.com.
82 comments
Kamen Rusev over 4 years ago
Please provide sample pictures. Thanks.
Kenneth G McNeil over 4 years ago
Also, if anyone would like to make a team and work on this challenge together, I am up for it. You can private message me and I do not mind organizing are crowd source group. I have a feeling that this challenge is going to be one that is a little harder to tackle all on one’s self. If we group up, I believe we can come up with something amazing.
Dan Rudmin over 4 years ago
Can you elaborate on the specific functions? Or maybe describe a specific scenario of how this would be used? What I'm understanding is that you basically want something that is a ladder to get between floor and ceiling hatches under gravity and also a restraint while working in microgravity. Is this correct?
What is the definition of a restraint? What does it need to do? Is it something that tethers or harnesses get attached to? What are astronauts doing while they are hooked into these restraints? How do we determine task-appropriate support without a list of tasks? What does a work station look like?
Where are these hatches located relative to the walls? Are ceiling/floor hatches flush against the wall or do they have a lip or are they placed arbitrarily far from the walls. If there's a lip how big is it? Do the hatches seal? If so how do they open? Are they normally left open or closed? Do they require significant force to open or unlatch? What are the walls and ceilings made of? Are their standardized attachment rails or bolt patterns available. Are all interior surfaces considered load bearing or do they need additional reinforcements?
It shouldn't block large objects from passing through hatches, but it should also prevent people from falling through open hatches. These requirements seem at odds with each other if a person is considered a large object. Again, even a vague description or sketch of the environment would help illuminate how these requirements coexist. Are these going to be installed in tight vertical passageways or cavernous open rooms? How big is a deck?
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Kamen, some additional pictures are being uploaded by GrabCAD. They should be online soon.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Dan, those are good questions. Before I address your specific questions, let me say a few things at a high level. Think of this as “restraints and mobility aids” (RMA) as opposed to “restraints” and “mobility aids.” In other words, an RMA is a system that can either restrain or aid in mobility. I am trying to leave this open to creativity as to whether the same device facilitates both mobility and restraint or if you have separate devices for each function.
The basic idea is that RMAs give the crew the ability to control their position within the spacecraft. Let me use life on Earth as an example. In your home, you simply walk where you want to go or stand wherever you want to stay in one position. If you are in a single-story building that’s the end of it. However, if you have a second floor, you need a RMA to reach the second floor. In a typical home, the RMA solution is a ladder to enable mobility and a banister to perform the restraint function. In cases like a balcony or other elevated platform, guard rails are the RMA to protect against falls.
This gets more complicated in space due to the lack of gravity, but also a little simpler for the same reason. With no gravity, it is not possible to simply walk from place to place. And once at a desired position, any disturbance will cause the crew member to move away. But on the simpler side, without gravity, it is easier to move in vertical directions. Handrails and foot rails are used as RMA in microgravity.
For this challenge, we must combine both gravity and microgravity environments and use a single RMA concept to operate in both.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Dan asked: {Can you elaborate on the specific functions? Or maybe describe a specific scenario of how this would be used?}
On the Mars transfer vehicle in microgravity halfway between Earth and Mars, a crew member is working at a science workstation, using RMA to stay in one place. The crew member then moves from the science workstation to the galley, using RMA to translate horizontally on the lab deck, then vertically to the galley deck, then horizontally to the galley. At the galley, the crew member uses RMA to stay in place while preparing a meal, then uses RMA to move to the wardroom table and uses RMA there to stay in place while eating a meal. Meanwhile on the Moon in a surface base, a crew member goes through the exact same sequence of events with the same RMA present, but is in lunar gravity. Another lunar crew member passes by the vertical passage and RMA protects that crew member from falling into an open hole in the deck.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Dan asked: {What I'm understanding is that you basically want something that is a ladder to get between floor and ceiling hatches under gravity and also a restraint while working in microgravity. Is this correct?}
Not exactly. Those are specific design solutions that might or might not work for this Common Habitat that has the same RMA in all gravity environments. Also, there must be some protection for crew members on upper decks to keep them from accidentally falling into a vertical passage. (Some of the new images will help show this potential danger.) Some form of a ladder is likely part of the solution, but do not lock yourself in to where you miss other ideas.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Dan asked: {What is the definition of a restraint? What does it need to do? Is it something that tethers or harnesses get attached to?}
A restraint is something that prevents the crew member from moving in unintended directions. Tethers and harnesses are examples of restraints, but a restraint does not have to use tethers and restraints. A foot rail is another example of a restraint. There are examples of restraints connected to other restraints – for instance, a tether connected to a handrail.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Dan asked: {What are astronauts doing while they are hooked into these restraints? How do we determine task-appropriate support without a list of tasks?}
Do not try to design task-specific restraints. For this challenge I am looking for generic RMA. A task specific restraint might be the restraint used to hold a crew member on an ergometer during exercise. Focus instead on generic RMA. Crew members will be performing tasks such as preparing meals, dining, scientific research, maintenance, packing or unpacking stowage, etc. In general, RMA should avoid requiring the use of the hands (the crew may be carrying something or using their hands to do some form of work) and should not cause injury or be burdensome to use.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Dan asked: {What does a work station look like?}
Workstations can vary widely in appearance, shape, and function. The flight deck, aft deck, and mid deck of the space shuttle are all examples of workstations. Many of the racks on the International Space Station are also examples of workstations. Any area where a crew member does work is effectively a workstation.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Dan asked: {Where are these hatches located relative to the walls? Are ceiling/floor hatches flush against the wall or do they have a lip or are they placed arbitrarily far from the walls. If there's a lip how big is it?}
Be aware that vertical and horizontal passageways may or may not have hatches (doors) associated with them. The minimum size passage is 60 inches by 40 inches so all passages ways will have that profile or larger. Vertical passages generally are not near the wall. Vertical passages may or may not have a lip. Do not design a RMA that either requires a lip or one that fails in the presence of a lip.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Dan asked: {Do the hatches seal? If so how do they open? Are they normally left open or closed? Do they require significant force to open or unlatch?}
Any external hatch seals and is normally left closed. They open by means of a physical handle. Internal passageways may or may not have a door or hatch. Most internal hatches do not seal, but there may be some special purpose internal hatches that do seal. Any hatch, whether internal or external, will be capable of being opened with a single hand and does not require significant force to open, close, latch, or unlatch.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Dan asked: {What are the walls and ceilings made of?}
Walls and ceilings may involve aluminum, composite, plastic, or textile materials.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Dan asked: {Are there standardized attachment rails or bolt patterns available. Are all interior surfaces considered load bearing or do they need additional reinforcements?}
There are not currently any rails or bolt patterns. You can choose to implement a solution that uses or does not use them. You can assume any interior surface is load bearing.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Dan asked: {It shouldn't block large objects from passing through hatches, but it should also prevent people from falling through open hatches. These requirements seem at odds with each other if a person is considered a large object. Again, even a vague description or sketch of the environment would help illuminate how these requirements coexist. Are these going to be installed in tight vertical passageways or cavernous open rooms?}
The additional images should help. Yes, the requirements are at odds with each other, but both must be achieved. Consider a fall to be an unintended downward vertical translation due to gravity. Neither a crew member nor a piece of equipment should fall through an open hatch or other vertical passageway.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Dan asked: {How big is a deck?}
I am currently trading different deck sizes. The largest possible deck is 15.6 meters by 8 meters. The smallest deck under study is circular, 5.2 meters in diameter. There are several intermediate deck sizes under study. The shapes of the habitats under consideration will likely involve multiple deck sizes on the habitat due to pressure vessel curvature.
Kenneth G McNeil over 4 years ago
Robert you posted an answer to one of Dan's questions.
----------
Dan asked: {What are the walls and ceilings made of?}
Walls and ceilings may involve aluminum, composite, plastic, or textile materials.
----------
I will be referencing this question, its proteins to an idea I was thinking of.
You said, “aluminium, composite, plastic, or textile materials”, I am assuming these are the common materials that are being used to construct part of the space crafts. Using any magnetic capability is out of the question? For the most part those materials do not have magnetic properties.
Also, I am going to make a very large assumption here basing it off prior knowledge. I work at Jefferson Lab as a mechanical cryo tech and we have mag-baring cabinets scattered though out the plants. I know these cabinets house a lot of the electrical systems to produce the liquid helium. Magentas or even a heavy bump can cause a serious disruption to operations. I am assuming that the space crafts are going to have some similar electrical panels/mag-baring cabinets scattered throughout them. This factor would also delete that use of any high powered magnet. Correct?
Kalash P over 4 years ago
anyone willing to collaborate on this pls hit me up.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Kenneth, good questions. Aluminum, composites, plastics, and textiles are common, but not necessarily the only possible materials. (Note that Space X is using steel.) At this point I don't think you should do anything that is sensitive to any particular material being included or excluded from possible use. Technically, that's not one of the requirements, but it's probably wise to not create a vulnerability there. Besides, if this system is successful it could see use in any number of spacecraft and might be used in different vehicles that each use dissimilar pressure vessel materials.
As to whether magnetic capability is out of the question, I don't want to say that specifically, but anyone considering magnetic materials needs to fully account for all of their implications. You raised a good point about interference. Any solution would need to make sure that it is not creating more problems than it solves. If someone poses a solution that creates magnetic or electrical fields, they may then need to protect the spacecraft from those fields. That may turn a complicated problem into a super-complicated problem. But if they can solve the problem, more power to them.
I don't want to suppress any creativity or direct any solutions towards or away from any given direction. The best advice is to only introduce solutions you fully understand.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
I see GrabCAD has posted the images I previously referenced. Please note that these are only concept images. The final configuration for the spacecraft is still in very early development and practically everything is still being traded or refined. Literally, nothing is in its final, flight-like configuration. But these images do represent the restraint and mobility challenges that need to be addressed.
Daniel Voloshkevych over 4 years ago
Hello Robert Howard,
If i am right, Nasa is seeking a habitat for four space enviroments?
And is there any Age requirements for this challenge? If I am 18 years old can I take a part of it?
Daniel Voloshkevych over 4 years ago
And can we use a 3D software like Blender or something else?
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Daniel, eligibility is set by GrabCAD and though you can't see it on this page, it is hyperlinked in their GrabCAD Challenges Terms & Conditions. (The link is above, under Rules.) And according to their rules, yes, at age 18 or above you are eligible. To your other question, I prefer Rhino simply because that is the CAD software package I have access to. However, if you can save a Blender file in a format that Rhino can read then you can use Blender (or any other CAD package).
Stefano Piantoni over 4 years ago
What could be an approximate measure of the thickness of the deck? I mean in the area of the hatch for the vertical passage.
10 cm (3.93 inches) could it be an estimated measurement? I ask you this question because I have seen that the height of the astronauts can reach up to 190 cm. To design the RMA by maximizing space and considering the safety of astronauts first, would it be possible to thin the deck in an area near the hatch, close to the passage of the head? If this area was not interested in a structural collaboration with the rest of the floor, one could think of creating a thinner composite top.
This reasoning of mine also depends on my estimated thickness ...
I thank you in advance, for the opportunity to study this project!
Nahuel Costa over 4 years ago
The system or multiple associated systems must operate on Earth (1G) for astronauts to have prior training. Is this a basic training (how systems works) or is it a accurate training? the variable weight changes, it is possible that an astronaut can move a structurally large piece on the moon but not on earth, if the system can load a maximum of 90 kg (80kg + 10kg (extra load) however on the moon it could carry about 7 times more extra load, the huge difference creates a limitation in ground training, does nasa have any minimum requirements for extra load (1G) to consider effective training?
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Stefano, there is some variation in deck heights. As a minimum, there is 2.5 meters from the floor of one deck to the floor of the deck immediately above. The current deck thickness is 20.3 centimetres. While it is not visible in any of the images, you should assume that the deck includes more than just structural elements. There will also be utilities ducting. It is possible that you may need some of this volume immediately surrounding the hatches for any given RMA solution. However, remember RMA are needed for vertical translation, horizontal translation, and restraint at specific work areas. So you do need more than just the vertical solution. This doesn't entirely answer your question, but you do have some room to explore options that consume some of the deck thickness.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Nahuel, Earth training could be anything from a one-hour familiarization session for a specific workstation to a one-year (or longer) analog mission inside the habitat. However, in all cases, as you pointed out, what a crew member can lift in 1g is not the same as what that crew member can lift in 1/6 g, 3/8 g, or 0 g. That would be considered in the design of any training session. Usually, lightweight mockups are used for operations that involve moving heavy objects in a 1g trainer. As an example, several years ago we performed an airlock study where we were looking at an incapacitated crew member scenario. An incapacitated crew member in a space suit on the Moon would weigh about 70 lbs. Our mockup suit also weighed about 70 lbs when empty. So we stuffed it with foam to rigidize it and we conducted the test with the foam filled suit representing a suit with an actual injured crew member. That being said, your question goes to what should the RMA be able to support from a load perspective. The driving case should be a crew member translating on Earth with the maximum load allowable by OSHA. (You'll need to look that up to see what restrictions OSHA places on loads carried by a single person. There may be different values for hand carried, shoulder mounted, or backpack loads. Use whichever is heaviest.)
Anastasia Prosina over 4 years ago
Robert,
In the JUDGING CRITERIA, section #5. "If an engineer can provide a simulation of the system, that is a plus."
What kind of simulation? There could be many interpretations. Thanks!
Abbas Saeidi over 4 years ago
Hi.
For all environments (environmental conditions), a design requires or can you design a separate design for each environment?
Thanks.
Sourav Kumar over 4 years ago
How many team members are allowed in a team ?
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Anastasia, a simulation is optional and should not be the focus, so don't let that sidetrack you. If you have a simulation background then you know that there are a great many types of simulation. Anything from math models to animations to physical prototypes can be used for simulation. The point of a simulation is to prove out some aspect of a design. It could be a simulation to analyze structural loads, or a simulation to test usability, or to test timing, or any other number of factors. It could also simply be a simulation to help clarify how a system is used, especially when it's not immediately obvious. If you feel like using a simulation can help represent your concept, then do so, but that isn't more important than the quality of the design itself.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Abbas, I assume by environmental conditions you are referring to gravity (0g, 1/6g, 3/8g, and 1g). You cannot have a different design for each environment. Imagine that the production line has produced four habitats, with serial number 1 for deep space, #2 for the Moon, #3 for Mars, and #4 as the Earth trainer. I should be able to go out to the launch pad at the last minute and pull what was supposed to be the deep space hab off the rocket and send the Mars hab to deep space instead, send the Earth trainer hab to Mars, send the Moon hab to Mars, and use the deep space hab as the Earth trainer, or any permutation thereof. Each one is a backup for the others. (This study is emphasizing robustness over optimization. It will require a very creative design to be able to work anywhere, but that is the goal of this challenge.)
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Sourav, there are no restrictions on the number of members on a team. It can be a single person effort, it can be a hundred-person team. There is value in both group and solo efforts and I expect there will be both participating.
Nahuel Costa over 4 years ago
Maybe I'm taking the rules too far, and I'm restricting very interesting ideas. In section 3 it says, the crew member can operate comfortably without the use of hands, feet, or muscular exertion to maintain position. What is the goal? Prevent fatigue or prevent injury, or perhaps other goals involved.
a little exercise in space is also important
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Adam, a solution could be entirely worn by the crew member; it could be entirely built into the vehicle structure; it could be a combination. Whichever direction you take, consider your system from the perspective of the crew member, who will be using all day, every day, for up to 1200 days.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Nahuel, fatigue and injury are part of it. Requirement #3 (what you mentioned) is for the restraint at a crew workstation. As an example probably everyone can relate to, think about a stationary task in the kitchen performed while preparing a meal. Your hands need to be free to perform the task (in this case cooking - dicing, peeling, whatever). You want to be able to focus on the task, not on making your body hold position - imagine trying to peel potatoes and every time you move your hand your body starts to move in another direction. Using your feet or any other body part to force your body to stay in place would become tiring. And fatigue can lead to both injuries and mistakes. Mistakes aren't that big a deal when you're cooking at home, but for some spacecraft tasks making mistakes could destroy experiments, cause further injury, or even place the crew's lives in jeopardy. (Yes, the crew does need exercise in space, but it is a very specific kind of exercise and this isn't the way to get it.)
Areski Meziani over 4 years ago
REQUIREMENT 10. # .... will a bunch of STL files for all parts + another STL file to picture final assembly be good enough to be fully considered ?
I can easily learn Rhino and make everything in that environment (given the significant price money) ... but only if i win
Areski Meziani over 4 years ago
i believe all CAD softwares can read STL files, but those files contain way less information than my native catia extension files (.catpart & .catproduct)
==> and so will it be ok ? ... at least until we all know the winning designs
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Areski, in general Rhino can read STL files. However, as you noted, information is lost when any CAD package exports to STL. Unfortunately, Rhino cannot read native Catia extension files at all. I think your best option is to model in Catia and export to STL, but find a way to identify anything important to your design that is not evident in the STL export.
anthony james over 4 years ago
Hi,
A couple of questions:
1.) With regards to [structural] interfacing of the proposed mobility-aid-system: what moments (i.e. statical, electrostatic/electrokinetic, mechanical, etc.), if any, are [to be anticipated] at mobility-aid-system interface-areas (i.e. floorings, translation-areas, extrusions, other [anticipated] mobility-aid-areas)? How should the proposed solution anticipate moments about interface-areas?
2.) The first stipulation of the submission-requirements section states that the system "shall require no reconfiguration or alteration" across operational-scenarios. In the strictest sense, reconfiguration may be interpreted as the torque-adjustment or the [re]placement of a screw though, all things considered, such a "reconfiguration" may likely be construed as inane - can clarification regarding the sensibility of "reconfiguration or alteration" as pertaining to the mobility-aid-system be provided?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
ANIRUDDHA NAYAK over 4 years ago
I just have one doubt, do we have to design just one RMA for the entire workspace or can we design multiple RMA devices to be used at different regions of the workenvelope.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Anthony, for your first question, focus on the moments generated by the crew member that is using the mobility aid-system - in other words the moments that arise from their mass (plus whatever they are carrying). For your second question, consider the case of an artificial gravity habitat that is spun up to provide gravity during cruise but spun down to facilitate docking or other operations that require a fixed attitude. Or a habitat where there is a pressurized tunnel between the axis of rotation (where gravity is ~0) and the outermost deck of the habitat (where gravity is maximum). The crew member should be able to use the mobility-aid system throughout the habitat without having to make any changes based on the local gravity.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Aniruddha, either approach is acceptable provided that the crew member can move and work throughout the entire workspace.with the system you submit. Multiple RMAs may be an easier solution to develop, but either is acceptable.
marco polo sauza over 4 years ago
to participate I must do the designs exclusively for Rhino 6 ???
or can i use something like solidworks or freecad?
Aayush Wadehra over 4 years ago
Hello Mr. Howard
I have one question: Can we create just a single RMA with a single purpose, or are you looking for a 'complete solution' type of deal, with multiple RMA systems that will solve the vertical passage movement, workspace restraints, and general movement about the cabin as well?
For example, if I were to design a simple foot hold device, is that sufficient, or is that not admissible because it does nothing to address the movement through the vertical passageways, or the potential of falling through the passage, or the myraid of other potential problems that still need to be addressed?
Thank you!
Kevin Meraz over 4 years ago
Howdy!
I just wanted to ask the host(s) for this challenge if my submission went in, as I am experiencing some technical difficulties in doing so. Any help is appreciated!
Thanks and Gig'em,
Kevin
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Marco, Rhino 6 will be used to evaluate the designs, but you can do them in other packages as long as they can be opened in Rhino. If you use solidworks or freecad, make sure to provide both a STEP version and the native files. STEP conversions are not always successful, however, hence the preference for Rhino.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Aayush, you have to meet all of the requirements. Some may develop a single device that meets all requirements. Others might develop a suite of devices that together meet all requirements. In either case, your solution should consider the burden on a crew member to use it. So think about having to translate horizontally across a deck, then vertically to another deck, then horizontally on that new deck, including passing that vertical passage multiple times without risk of falling through.
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Kevin, I see your submission entitled Anchor Point.
Rahmi Öksüz over 4 years ago
Hello Robert, I used the "Submit an entry" button to upload my designe but the tag "nasarestraint2020" wasn't given automatically. I have now added it manually.
I hope this isn't a problem and my entry is valid. Thanks.
Cyrus Chan over 4 years ago
Dear Robert, can I download the mannequin in cad for design use? or other way to know about their dimensions? thanks.
S Satish kumar over 4 years ago
please provide few more days i am very choose to the project
Dustin Perreault over 4 years ago
I had the same problem as Rhami, but it looks like as long as you typed in the tag you are in the contest. Good luck everyone, this was a fun challenge.
Tahsin Adnan over 4 years ago
Will the deadline be extended?
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Cyrus, you don't need the CAD mannequin. If you have designed for the general US population range you will be fine. (I don't think the NASA anthropometric database is public, but a general US population or military database will be close enough.)
Robert L. Howard, Jr., Ph.D. over 4 years ago
Satish and Tashin, there isn't an extension to the deadline.
ANOUAR BARODI over 4 years ago
New Update / (New idea added to Hook Loop) a new ground attachment device, and new Steps that go together:
Hook Loop
Thanks again for this interesting challenge, and for the opportunity to participate.
Good luck to all !!!
Kevin Meraz over 4 years ago
Can't wait to see who the finalists are. Best of luck to all the submitters
Kesa over 4 years ago
We have a slight delay on the Finalists, We should get the list this week. Please keep checking here for updates .
Kesa over 4 years ago
Hello everyone due to a Category 4 Hurricane, The judges will postponing their Top Finalists until next week. The NASA offices will be closed until next week. Thank you for your patience.
Ridwan Sept over 4 years ago
Hope they're all safe, thanks.
Lauren Fell over 4 years ago
Thanks for the update, totally understandable and hope everyone is keeping safe.
Keaton Chia over 4 years ago
Thanks Kesa. Wishing everyone good health and safety!
ANOUAR BARODI over 4 years ago
Thanks Kesa for the update. I wish everyone to be safe and healthy !
PAVITAR SINGH©️ over 4 years ago
Wishing everyone safety during the storm.🤞
Cyrus Chan over 4 years ago
when we will be able to know the result? thanks
Kesa over 4 years ago
Finalists are now selected.
Ridwan Sept over 4 years ago
Congratulations for all finalist and winners such a great challenge, keep it up !!
ANOUAR BARODI over 4 years ago
Congratulations for all finalist and winners !!!
Dustin Perreault over 4 years ago
Congrats to the finalist, and thanks for the opportunity to participate. It was a lot of fun. My personal favorites (from the finalists) would be the RMA ladder by Bapt, and if I were to pick a design that should be reconsidered for a finalist it would be MRRS by Michael Princip. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoyed my entry, at least for some comedic relief!
Ikponmwosa Obasogie over 4 years ago
Wow wonderful designs. Congrats guys you all have wonderful ideas.
Kesa about 4 years ago
Winners are now Announced
Jesse Grayson about 4 years ago
Great job winners, tons of cool systems made for this project.
Juan Callón about 4 years ago
Congrats to the winners!!
Carlos J. Veloso about 4 years ago
This was a nice journey and experience for me. Congratulations to all winners.
In my humblest opinion, the very simple "Skywalker" (with some adjustments) concept seems to cover all of the winner's cumbersome projects. Being dyslexic, sometimes I over/under see what others clearly see, being the case can someone prove me wrong, please?
Again, just my opinion.
Edson Germano Berticelli Vidal about 4 years ago
Congratulations to the winners ... success in the project ... thanks NASA ... hugs to all ...
harout kojayan about 4 years ago
Congratulations to the winners. Great Job👍
Jesse Grayson about 4 years ago
Congrats to the winners, Look forward to competing again.
Aniello Sessa about 4 years ago
Congratulations to the winners. Great Job
Thanks everybody for the beautiful competition
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