Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, Expedition 32 flight engineer, uses a digital still camera to make a photo of his helmet visor during the mission’s third session of extravehicular activity (EVA). During the six-hour, 28-minute spacewalk, Hoshide and NASA astronaut Sunita Williams (visible in the reflections of Hoshide’s helmet visor), flight engineer, completed the installation of a Main Bus Switching Unit (MBSU) that was hampered last week by a possible misalignment and damaged threads where a bolt must be placed. They also installed a camera on the International Space Station‘s robotic arm, Canadarm2. The bright sun is visible at left. Credit: NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
A new review has examined the current applications and persistent challenges of astronauts’ flexible wearable technologies in aerospace medicine.
As human space exploration progresses toward extended-duration missions, the imperative for real-time monitoring of astronauts’ physiological and psychological wellbeing has become increasingly critical.
The unique space environment characterised by microgravity conditions, cumulative radiation exposure, and extreme thermal fluctuations presents multifaceted health risks to crew members.
The effects of microgravity on an astronaut’s musculoskeletal system. Credit: Yi Wang, et al. CC BY-NC-ND.
Integrated platforms
Flexible wearable systems, equipped with multimodal sensor arrays, enable comprehensive and continuous health surveillance.
These integrated platforms include inertial measurement units, biosignal electrodes, and environmental detectors, among others.
They have proven to be indispensable for early anomaly detection in cardiopulmonary functions, neuromuscular performance, and circadian rhythm regulation, thereby facilitating timely personalised countermeasures.
Nonetheless, despite recent advancements in materials science and miniaturised electronics, three notable technical barriers persist: 1) device reliability under combined space stressors; 2) secure data management protocols addressing confined spacecraft privacy concerns; and 3) multi-parametric data fusion challenges involving temporal-spatial synchronisation of heterogeneous bio-signals.
Integrated smart wearables with advanced features. Credit: Yi Wang, et al. CC BY-NC-ND.
Important role
Breakthrough development trajectories emphasise future research in the field of flexible wearable devices, particularly for astronaut applications, will focus on several key areas and their interdisciplinary collaborations.
These research areas will cover advanced materials science, new materials and sensor technology, intelligent algorithms, data processing and device integration.
Interestingly, the development of technologies in the field will still rely on material innovation, the creation of intelligent algorithms, the improvement of user experience and interdisciplinary co-operation.
In particular, continuous development and maturity of the technology, together with flexible electronic devices, will play an important role in enhancing astronauts’ health monitoring capabilities and promoting the progress of human space exploration in the future.
The study is published in Wearable Electronics.
