Augmented Footwear for Gripping and Holding in Micro-gravity Environments

Abstract

This invention relates generally to human space flights to Earth orbit and beyond. It is designed for use in micro-gravity environments, to allow the wearer to make use of one or both feet as prehensile appendages. The invention enables the operator to use their feet for gripping, holding and manipulating. It achieves this by means of flexible footwear with molded extensions that protrude from under the toes and ball of the foot, creating additional leverage for the flexion and extension of the toes. The basic embodiment of the invention consists of six (6) main components. 1. A solid extrusion, positioned under the metatarsal bones of the foot, extending downward from the plantar surface. 2. A second solid extrusion, positioned under the first phalange of the foot, extending downward from the plantar surface. 3. A third solid extrusion, positioned under the second, third, fourth and fifth phalanges collectively, extending downward from their plantar surfaces. 4. A foot covering, encompassing the phalanges and metatarsus of the foot, and integrating the three extrusions. 5. A means for anchoring or securing the foot covering to the user's foot. 6. A means for allowing full flexion and hyperextension of the phalanges, and by extension, the extrusions positioned under the phalanges.

1 . Augmented footwear enabling improved prehensile grasping and manipulation of objects with the feet, comprising in combination:
 a foot covering, encompassing at least the phalanges and metatarsus of the human foot, and including as integrated and connected elements;   a separate individual compartment for the first phalange of the foot, allowing full abduction, adduction, flexion and hyperextension of the phalange;   a separate individual compartment for the four small phalanges of the foot, allowing full abduction, adduction, flexion and hyperextension of the phalanges;   a means for anchoring or securing the footwear to the user's foot;   a solid extrusion, positioned under the metatarsal bones of the foot, extending downward from the plantar surface of the foot;   a second solid extrusion, positioned under the first phalange of the foot, extending downward from the plantar surface of the foot, attached so that the range of motion of the first phalange is directly transferred to it; and,   a third solid extrusion, positioned under the four small phalanges collectively, extending downward from the plantar surface of the foot, attached so that the range of motion of the phalanges is directly transferred to it.   
     
     
         2 . The augmented footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the material covering encompasses the heel, ankles and/or lower leg, either as a replacement for, or not interfering with, the means for anchoring or securing the footwear to the user's foot. 
     
     
         3 . The augmented footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the phalangeal and metatarsal extrusions can be repositioned to the dorsal side of the foot. 
     
     
         4 . The augmented footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the metatarsal extrusion is principally positioned under the first metatarsal bone of the foot. 
     
     
         5 . The augmented footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the phalangeal and metatarsal extrusions can be detached and replaced with a different extrusion. 
     
     
         6 . The augmented footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the extrusion(s) are shaped to grasp or hold a specific object, or class of objects. 
     
     
         7 . The augmented footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the extrusion(s) are surfaced with a texture or material to augment their gripping function. 
     
     
         8 . The augmented footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the footwear is surfaced with a decorative texture or material. 
     
     
         9 . The augmented footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the foot covering does not cover the toes. 
     
     
         10 . The augmented footwear of  claim 1 , wherein:
 there is no extrusion(s) corresponding to the metatarsus and no extrusion(s) corresponding to the four smaller toes, leaving only the extrusion(s) corresponding to the hallux as the means for enabling prehensile manipulation; OR,   wherein there is no extrusion corresponding to the metatarsus and no extrusion corresponding to the hallux, leaving only the extrusion(s) corresponding to the four smaller toes as the means for enabling prehensile manipulation; OR,   wherein there is no extrusion(s) corresponding to the hallux and no extrusion(s) corresponding to the four smaller toes, leaving only the extrusion(s) corresponding to the metatarsus as the means for enabling prehensile manipulation.   
     
     
         11 . The augmented footwear of  claim 1 , wherein:
 there is no extrusion(s) corresponding to the metatarsus, leaving only the extrusion(s) corresponding to the four smaller toes and the extrusion(s) corresponding to the hallux as the means for enabling prehensile manipulation; OR,   wherein there is no extrusion(s) corresponding to the hallux, leaving only the extrusion(s) corresponding to the metatarsus and the extrusion corresponding to the four smaller toes as the means for enabling prehensile manipulation; OR,   wherein there is no extrusion(s) corresponding to the four smaller toes, leaving only the extrusion(s) corresponding to the metatarsus and the extrusion(s) corresponding to the hallux as the means for enabling prehensile manipulation.   
     
     
         12 . The augmented footwear of  claim 1 , wherein there are said prehensile augmentation extrusions corresponding to one or more toes individually, or in group(s) of two, three, four, or five. 
     
     
         13 . The augmented footwear of  claim 1 , wherein there are extrusions positioned on the anterior and/or posterior side of the foot as a means of said prehensile function. 
     
     
         14 . The augmented footwear of  claim 1 , wherein there is an alternate means of attaching the foot covering to the foot. 
     
     
         15 . The augmented footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the invention is integrated into the design of an Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) suit.