Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Sole Morphing Astronaut Boots - A New Pair Of Moon Boots?
Lunar dust was a big problem for the Apollo astronauts; moon dust is abrasive and also sticks to everything (see Lunar Dust Fountains Due To Electrostatic Charges). How about SMABs (Sole Morphing Astronaut Boots)?
Step Out in Style: New Moon Boot Designhttps://t.co/ejracb8XjG pic.twitter.com/eeUTcWQ47S
— marsboy (@marsboy) March 16, 2021
The multi-layered Sole Morphing Astronaut Boots (SMAB) incorporate an adaptive design with replaceable studs to allow for maintenance and to reduce the general problem of “gouging” out dust from the lunar surface.The sole of the shoe will contain thirteen studs located where the foot holds the most weight: the heel and balls of the feet.
Each stud has what’s called a shock-absorption mechanism (SAM), similar to a shock absorber found in an automobile. This mechanism is intended to make the studs both shock absorbent and surface conforming.
By literally putting a spring into your step via SMABs, the result is reducing dust clouds and aiding astronauts with their lunar treks.
Science fiction authors have put plenty of effort into imagining what kind of footgear would be appropriate for astronauts. James P. Hogan wrote about flexible sprung boots in his 1977 novel Inherit the Stars:
“It’s quite ingenious. The mechanical properties of the sole material vary with applied pressure. With the wearer walking at normal speed, the sole would remain mildly flexible. Under impact, however, for example if he jumped, it assumes the characteristics of a stiff spring. It’s an ideal device for kangarooing along in lunar gravity, utilizing conditions of reduced weight but normal inertia to advantage.
(Read more about James P. Hogan's flexible sprung boots)
As far as I know, the first mention of space boots was in The Passing of Ku Sui, a 1932 story by Anthony Gilmore. That technovelgy entry has lots of links to other astronaut footgear.
Also, why not skip lunar vehicles when you could just equip astronauts with jumping boots? (See Russian Power Boots Can Use Biofuels.)
Thanks to Winchell Chung of Atomic Rockets for retweeting that article.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 3/9/2021)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 0 )
Related News Stories - (" Space Tech ")
The New Habitable Zones Include Asimov's Ribbon Worlds
'...there's a narrow belt where the climate is moderate.' - Harl Vincent, 1931.
Will Space Stations Have Large Interior Spaces Again?
'They filed clumsily into the battleroom, like children in a swimming pool for the first time, clinging to the handholds along the side.' - Orson Scott Card, 1985.
Reflect Orbital Offers 'Sunlight on Demand' And Light Pollution
'I don't have to tell you about the seven two-mile-diameter orbital mirrors...'
Chrysalis Generation Ship to Alpha Centauri
'This was their world, their planet —
this swift-traveling, yet seemingly moveless vessel.' - Nat Schachner, 1934
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
The New Habitable Zones Include Asimov's Ribbon Worlds
'...there's a narrow belt where the climate is moderate.'
Can One Robot Do Many Tasks?
'... with the Master-operator all you have to do is push one! A remarkable achievement!'
Atlas Robot Makes Uncomfortable Movements
'Not like me. A T-1000, advanced prototype. A mimetic poly-alloy. Liquid metal.'
Boring Company Drills Asimov's Single Vehicle Tunnels
'It was riddled with holes that were the mouths of tunnels.'
Humanoid Robots Tickle The Ivories
'The massive feet working the pedals, arms and hands flashing and glinting...'
A Remarkable Coincidence
'There is a philosophical problem of some difficulty here...'
Cortex 1 - Today A Warehouse, Tomorrow A Calculator Planet
'There were cubic miles of it, and it glistened like a silvery Christmas tree...'
Perching Ambush Drones
'On the chest of drawers something was perched.'
Leader-Follower Autonomous Vehicle Technology
'Jason had been guiding the caravan of cars as usual...'
Golf Ball Test Robot Wears Them Out
"The robot solemnly hit a ball against the wall, picked it up and teed it, hit it again, over and again...'
Boring Company Vegas Loop Like Asimov Said
'There was a wall ahead... It was riddled with holes that were the mouths of tunnels.'
Rigid Metallic Clothing From Science Fiction To You
'...support the interior human structure against Jupiter’s pull.'
Is The Seattle Ultrasonics C-200 A Heinlein Vibroblade?
'It ain't a vibroblade. It's steel. Messy.'
Roborock Saros Z70 Is A Robot Vacuum With An Arm
'Anything larger than a BB shot it picked up and placed in a tray...'
A Beautiful Visualization Of Compact Food
'The German chemists have discovered how to supply the needed elements in compact, undiluted form...'
Bone-Building Drug Evenity Approved
'Compounds devised by the biochemists for the rapid building of bone...'
