Abstract:

Astronauts routinely train spacewalks when on Earth. These spacewalks—extravehicular activities (EVAs)—are typically trained in neutral‑buoyancy pools or VR environments. However, neither environment captures the chaotic micro‑dynamics of a tethered tool in micro‑gravity. We designed and developed ZeroTraining: an encountered‑type haptic training rig (ZeroArm) paired with a VR simulation (ZeroPGT) that recreates the physical behavior of a tethered floating object in space. The integration of virtual and physical interactions supports dexterity training and improves transferability to real situations. We demonstrate feasibility using low‑cost components and validate the design in a formative study with ten participants.