This lab houses Carleton’s second-largest motion platform (Stewart-Gough platform) used for testing shipboard dynamic systems. The platform was purchased in 2008 and examines what is required to land and secure helicopters safely on moving ships. The motion platform is also used to examine “postural stability” or the ability to maintain your stance on a moving ship.
Postural stability in motion environments is measured by the rate of MII (Motion Induced Interruption), which looks at how many times an individual has to stop trying to complete a task due to deck motion. This research has large implications for work safety on ships; informing how much time must be allotted for tasks, or to establish if they are possible to complete safely under extreme conditions.
In 2013 Carleton Researchers travelled to Nova Scotia to conduct a heavy-weather sea trial aboard Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel (CFAV) Quest 130 km off the coast of Nova Scotia. The Quest research ship measures 70 meters in length and is well-suited to this type of research. Waves on this 8-day excursion reached as high as 9 meters providing excellent opportunity to investigate shipboard postural stability.