Scientists have created wearable devices called “vibrotactors” to help astronauts avoid getting disoriented in space. Spatial disorientation, where you lose your sense of direction, is risky for astronauts.
The researchers tested these devices during simulated spaceflight situations, where participants received sensory deprivation.
They found that the vibrotactors, when used along with specialized training, helped participants correct their sense of direction.
This technology could be very useful for astronauts during space missions, especially when landing on other planets or moving outside their spacecraft.
“Long duration spaceflight will cause many physiological and psychological stressors which will make astronauts very susceptible to spatial disorientation,” said Dr. Vivekanand P. Vimal of Brandeis University in the United States, lead author of the article in Frontiers in Physiology. “When disoriented, an astronaut will no longer be able to rely on their own internal sensors which they have depended on for their whole lives.”