One of the main problems astronauts face in space is disorientation. Our brain manages quite well on land, but it has much more difficulties in the air. It happens to airplane pilots and astronauts themselves.
A possible solution to this problem would be 'wearables', the portable devices that we use for practically everything in our daily lives: smart watches, bracelets to monitor activity, headphones, keychains… In this case, according to a work published in the magazine 'Frontiers' would be devices placed on the skin that would vibrate to help astronauts position themselves. “When an astronaut is disoriented, he can no longer trust his own internal sensors that he has depended on his entire life,” they explain.
To test its effectiveness, they recruited 30 participants, covered their eyes and ears, and introduced them to a multi-axis rotation device that they controlled with a joystick. Ten of them were trained to balance on the machine, another ten received the wearables – four on each arm that vibrated when they moved away from the balance point – and the remaining ten received both. Each of them participated in 40 tests. During half of the tests, the machine was rocked vertically, in conditions similar to those found on Earth. They all managed to get their bearings. In the second, the device moved horizontally, similar to space travel.
spacewalks
All groups were initially disoriented, but those wearing the wearables did better: they crashed less and moved less around the balance point. Receiving training also helped. And as the tests continued, the participants in the third group – those who carried the 'gadgets' and were trained – obtained better results. Still, none came close to the results that simulated flight on Earth.
The researchers consider that perhaps they needed more time to trust the signals from the wearables or that the buzz of these warning of danger was not loud enough. «Trust has to be at a deeper, almost subcognitive level. To achieve this, specialized training will be necessary,” they explain. Regarding its applications, if successful in broader tests, they would range from helping to land more safely on other planets to assisting them in space walks.
Virtual reality glasses
Lack of orientation is just one of the many problems astronauts face in space. It is estimated that those who spend six months away from our planet are exposed to approximately the same amount of radiation as if they had 1,000 chest x-rays, which translates into a higher risk of cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, and osteoporosis. Additionally, microgravity conditions cause a notable decrease in muscle mass and bone loss.
Astronaut Megan McArthur tests virtual reality glasses on the ISS in 2021.
POT
Another concern is the mental health of the crews, which suffers when their stay off Earth is prolonged. Isolation, the feeling of confinement and lack of privacy can generate stress that those responsible try to alleviate. Last November, NASA sent virtual reality glasses to the International Space Station (ISS). This is the HTC Vive Focus 3 model specially adapted to microgravity conditions. According to the US space agency, the experiment participants will carry out “in-flight test sessions consisting of viewing virtual reality videos and questionnaires” for half a year. It is not the first time that this type of gadget has been sent to space. The ones sent previously caused dizziness and proved to be useless precisely because of orientation problems, since they usually use gravity to align the view.
#Smart #clothing #guide #astronauts
