Abstract
Control of a manually handled object may be dependent on a variety of factors. Among these are frictional properties and geometry of the surfaces in contact with each other, position and alignment of the object and the operator, strength of the operator, etc. Control of the object is pertinent to properly direct the object or tool and to minimize the effort required of the operator during its use (i.e. by coordinating the mechanical advantage of the object and the operator). Evaluation of this feature may then help to improve the design and intent of the object or tool. The particular interface of interest in this presentation is the type of surface to be gripped and rotated by the space-gloved hand during a simulation of an on-orbit construction technique. An isokinetic method has been used to examine the effect of surface-type on performance measures including torque production, position of the peak torque, and angular distance rotated. The methodology supported a realistic viewing and simulation of the actual technique, yet also allowed controlled experimentation of the scenario with usable results characterizing each surface-type. The technique may be varied according to the application, and will be described.
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