FACTOR MEASUREMENTS IN SPACE.

TO ENHANCE HUMAN CAPABILITIES AND OPTIMIZE CREW USEFULNESS IN A SPACE ENVIRONMENT, TECHNIQUES FOR OBTAINING PARAMETRIC DATA ON STRENGTH AND FORCE CAPABILITIES OF INTRA AND EXTRAVEHICULAR CREWMEMBERS IS ESSENTIAL. THIS INFORMATION ALLOWS PLANNERS AND DESIGNERS TO DETERMINE REASONABLE WORK LOADS AND OPTIMIZE TOOL DESIGN AND TASK STRUCTURE. STANDARDFORCE MEASURING DEVICES SUCH AS, STRAIN GUAGES, VELOCITY TRANSDUCERS AND ACCELEROMETERS HAVE BEEN LIMITED IN SPACE APPLICATIONS DUE TO THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT AND/OR THE CALIBRATION PROBLEMS INHERENT IN THE DEVICES. SCOTT SCIENCEAND TECHNOLOGY, INC. HAS DEVELOPED A FORCE MEASURING DEVICE WHICH IS HIGHLY ACCURATE AND RELIABLE, WHICH PROMISES TO PERFORM WELL IN THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT. THIS UNIQUE OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICE IS CAPABLE OF MEASURING EXTREMELY SMALL ANGULAR DEFLECTION AT ITS POINT OF ATTACHMENT AND IN ITS SENSITIVE PLANE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP TECHNIQUES OF MEASURING CREWMEMBER STRENGTH AND FORCES IN BOTH INTRA AND EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITIES USING THIS DEVICE.