Space Suit RoboGlove (SSRG)

About this technology

Overview

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) have created an enhanced second-generation, robotically assisted extravehicular activity (EVA) glove. The SSRG has been engineered to further decrease the exertion required to do complex, hand-intensive EVA tasks and reduce the risk of astronaut hand injury. Originating from its predecessors, the NASA/General Motors RoboGlove, and the later first-generation Space Suit RoboGlove, the SSRG realizes improved sensing, control, interface, and avionics capabilities. Among these improvements is the implementation of a “power steering mode”, which allows the user to position his/her fingers in an arbitrarily chosen position and receive assistance in holding that position. The SSRG retains the ability to operate like a conventional space suit glove while the actuators are unpowered. The design intent for the SSRG is to enhance a user’s ability to perform human scale work, with considerations for speed, power, durability, dexterity, and ease of operation.