American scientists from Brandeis University in Massachusetts have developed vibration suppressors, wearable devices that help prevent disorientation while in space. They send vibration signals by which a person can take the correct position in space. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Frontiers in Physiology (FIP).
Experts stated that losing the sense of direction in airless space and weightlessness can be fatal for astronauts, while staying outside the Earth for a long time causes various physiological and psychological stressors that make the person hypersensitive to spatial disorientation.
The researchers used sensory deprivation and a centrifuge to test the vibrotactors’ performance. 30 volunteers participated in the experiments. 10 of them received centrifuge training, 10 received vibration tactor training, and the remaining 10 received both training and device training.
Each of the volunteers was subjected to 40 tests, during which they had to find a balance point in difficult conditions while blindfolded.
In half of the tests, the centrifuge was operated in a vertical plane, reflecting being on Earth or somewhere else where gravitational forces exist. In the second half, the installation was rotated in a horizontal plane to simulate spaceflight in zero gravity.
After each block of trials, participants were asked to rate how much confusion they felt and how much they relied on the jitter factors. The scientists measured their success by observing how often the volunteers fell and how well they controlled their balance.
All groups were initially confused about the semblance of spaceflight. The researchers expected this because the participants could not rely on natural gravity cues. Nearly all participants reported confidence in jitter suppressors, but they also reported confusion due to conflicts between internal signals and device commands.
Participants who wore the vibrators performed better than those who received centrifuge training alone. As testing continued, the group that received both the training and the devices performed best on the tasks. But even in this situation, volunteers continued to make mistakes.
“The astronaut’s cognitive trust in this external device will likely be inadequate. Instead, the trust must be at a deeper, almost non-cognitive level. Achieving this will require specialized training,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Vivekanand Vimal.
Previous scientists was created Composition that protects astronauts against bone loss in zero gravity.