Compressive Force Suit

Votes: 1
Views: 1755

Astronauts who spend long periods of time in weightless environments tend to suffer from loss of bone density and muscle mass. The intent of this idea is to reduce the degree to which astronauts experience these problems.

The idea is to sew elastic bands into coveralls in a way that provides a compressive force along the length of the body and the length of the arms. These loading stimuli simulate the force of gravity on a standing human body, causing the body to resist. This resistance, in conjunction with exercise and bisphosphonate supplementation, should help to maintain bone density.

The dashed lines represent where the elastic bands are sewn into the coveralls. They run along the front and rear of the body, transitioning to the sides of the legs at about knee level. At the end of the pant leg, they extend into a stirrup. There are also elastic bands along the front and rear of the arms. They are anchored on the torso, front and back. At the end of the sleeve, they extend into a loop that goes between the wearer's thumb and forefinger.

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Paul Hubbard
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Profession:
    Retired
  • Paul is inspired by:
    A desire for exploration, and expanding the boundaries of human knowledge.
  • Software used for this entry:
    None
  • Patent status:
    none