Perception of self-motion and size on the International Space Station. Harris, L. R., Joerges, B., Bury, N., McManus, M., Bansal, A., Allison, R. S., & Jenkin, M. In 28th ELGRA Biennial Symposium and General Assembly. 2024.
abstract   bibtex   
Gravity affects the perception of self-motion and of size on Earth. Any errors in these perceptions while in space could represent serious risks to astronauts, for example, for locating and moving to an escape hatch. When perception of self-motion is induced using only visual motion, vestibular cues indicate that the body remains stationary which may bias an observer's perception. When lowering the reliability of the vestibular cue by lying down or adapting to microgravity, these biases may decrease, accompanied by a decrease in precision. Previous studies on the ISS using the perception of the shape of a cube have suggested that perceived size may be compressed also. To assess these perceptions, we used (task 1) a move-to-target task and (task 2) a size comparison task in virtual reality. For task 1, astronauts (6 female, 6 male) and Earth-based controls (10 female, 10 male) were shown a simulated target. After the target disappeared, self-motion was induced by visual motion. Participants indicated when they had arrived at the target's previously seen location. For task 2, they compared the height of a virtual square simulated at three distances with the length of a physical rod held in their hands. Astronauts completed these tasks on Earth (supine and upright) prior to space travel, twice onboard the International Space Station (ISS) (within 3-6 days of arrival, after  85 days in space), and after landing (within 3-6 days of return and  85 days later). Controls completed the experiment on Earth using a similar regime. While variability was similar across all conditions, astronauts displayed higher gains (target distance/perceived travel distance) when supine than when upright in terrestrial sessions. No differences could be detected between astronauts' performance on Earth and in space or between the controls' sessions. We found no immediate effect of microgravity exposure on perceived object height. However, astronauts robustly underestimated the height of the target relative to the haptic reference and these estimates were significantly smaller after 60 days after return to Earth. No differences were observed in the precision of astronauts' judgements. We conclude that no countermeasures are required to mitigate acute effects of microgravity exposure on self-motion or object height perception. Despite adapting to a floating mode of travel in the ISS, astronauts' performance in judging self-motion distance appears largely unaffected by exposure to microgravity. However, space travelers should be warned about late-emerging and potentially long-lasting changes in these perceptual skills.
@incollection{Harris:yk,
	abstract = {Gravity affects the perception of self-motion and of size on Earth. Any errors in these perceptions while in space could represent serious risks to astronauts, for example, for locating and moving to an escape hatch.
When perception of self-motion is induced using only visual motion, vestibular cues indicate that the body remains stationary which may bias an observer's perception. When lowering the reliability of the vestibular cue by lying down or adapting to microgravity, these biases may decrease, accompanied by a decrease in precision. Previous studies on the ISS using the perception of the shape of a cube have suggested that perceived size may be compressed also. 
To assess these perceptions, we used (task 1) a move-to-target task and (task 2) a size comparison task in virtual reality. For task 1, astronauts (6 female, 6 male) and Earth-based controls (10 female, 10 male) were shown a simulated target. After the target disappeared, self-motion was induced by visual motion. Participants indicated when they had arrived at the target's previously seen location. For task 2, they compared the height of a virtual square simulated at three distances with the length of a physical rod held in their hands.
Astronauts completed these tasks on Earth (supine and upright) prior to space travel, twice onboard the International Space Station (ISS) (within 3-6 days of arrival, after ~85 days in space), and after landing (within 3-6 days of return and ~85 days later). Controls completed the experiment on Earth using a similar regime.
While variability was similar across all conditions, astronauts displayed higher gains (target distance/perceived travel distance) when supine than when upright in terrestrial sessions. No differences could be detected between astronauts' performance on Earth and in space or between the controls' sessions. 
We found no immediate effect of microgravity exposure on perceived object height. However, astronauts robustly underestimated the height of the target relative to the haptic reference and these estimates were significantly smaller after 60 days after return to Earth. No differences were observed in the precision of astronauts' judgements.
We conclude that no countermeasures are required to mitigate acute effects of microgravity exposure on self-motion or object height perception. Despite adapting to a floating mode of travel in the ISS, astronauts' performance in judging self-motion distance appears largely unaffected by exposure to microgravity.
However, space travelers should be warned about late-emerging and potentially long-lasting changes in these perceptual skills.
},
	annote = {Liverpool Sept 2024},
	author = {Harris, L. R. and Bjoern Joerges and Nils Bury and Meaghan McManus and Ambika Bansal and Robert S. Allison and Michael Jenkin},
	booktitle = {28th ELGRA Biennial Symposium and General Assembly},
	date-added = {2024-07-31 09:07:21 -0400},
	date-modified = {2024-09-21 11:20:22 -0400},
	keywords = {Optic flow & Self Motion (also Locomotion & Aviation)},
	title = {Perception of self-motion and size on the International Space Station},
	year = {2024}}
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