MARES (Muscular Atrophy Research and Exercise System) is a system for neuromuscular research. This system is an ergometer to be flown and installed in the International Space Station in the year 2004. The system consists of a control electronics that controls a motor, to which a subject is connected by means of a restraining system named HRS (Human Restraint System). This ergometer can be used for 11 movements (wrist flexion/extension, wrist pronation/supination, and wrist radial/ulnar deviation; trunk flexion/extension; arm pull/press, leg pull/press; elbow flexion/extension; Shoulder flexion/extension; hip flexion/extension; knee flexion/extension; and ankle dorsal/plantar flexion).
The HRS must meet the following anthropometric range: from 5 percentile Japanese female to 95 percentile American male. The complete MARES system follow the verification of the specifications set at the start of the project. As part of this verification, it was necessary to perform what we have called a “Population Testing”, that is a test verifying those specifications where the interaction with a human being is unavoidable to check the compliance:
These verification tests included a population sample of six people per movement covering from 5 percentile Japanese female to 95 percentile American. Tests referring to the design of the HRS were described in a previous SAE paper.
The results of these tests on the electrode compatibility, joint alignment stability and comfort are presented and discussed for three movements: wrist prono/supination, trunk flexion/extension and ankle dorsi/plantarflexion. The results of the tests allow a complete evaluation of the HRS of the MARES system that will be flown in the International Space Station.