The Apollo Number: space suits, self-support, and the walk-run transition.
- Christopher E Carr
- Jeremy McGee
DOIAbstract
BACKGROUND: How space suits affect the preferred walk-run transition is an open question with relevance to human biomechanics and planetary extravehicular activity. Walking and running energetics differ; in reduced gravity (<0.5 g), running, unlike on Earth, uses less energy per distance than walking. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The walk-run transition (denoted *) correlates with the Froude Number (Fr = v(2)/gL, velocity v, gravitational acceleration g, leg length L). Human unsuited Fr* is relatively constant (approximately 0.5) with gravity but increases substantially with decreasing gravity below approximately 0.4 g, rising to 0.9 in 1/6 g; space suits appear to lower Fr*. Because of pressure forces, space suits partially (1 g) or com...
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