Imagine floating in space where up and down don’t mean much, and the usual ways we tell left from right don’t work.
This can be pretty confusing for astronauts. But scientists are working on a special kind of wearable gadget—like a high-tech bracelet—that could help them figure out which way is which.
Dr. Vivekanand P. Vimal from Brandeis University and his team are studying how these buzzing bracelets can make astronauts feel less lost in space.
Normally, astronauts train hard to know how to move and work when they can’t tell up from down.
But in space, where there’s no gravity like on Earth, this can get really tough. Their bodies can’t rely on the usual sense of balance, and that can be risky.
Buzzing Bands to the Rescue
The scientists tried out these gadgets, called vibrotactors, in a special experiment. They made the participants feel like they were in space using a machine that spins and tilts them in all directions.
The people in the experiment couldn’t use their eyes or ears to help, because they wore blindfolds and earplugs with white noise playing.
Each person had to control the spinning machine with a joystick to keep it stable, trying not to let it tilt too much.
For some of the test, it was like being on Earth, where you can feel gravity pulling you down. But the other half was like being in space, with no helpful gravity cues.
Those wearing the buzzing bracelets had them strapped to their arms. The bracelets would vibrate when the person moved away from the stable position, giving them a hint about which way to move to balance the spinning machine.
At first, everyone found it pretty hard when trying to balance without Earth’s gravity. They had to ignore what their bodies were telling them and trust the buzz from the bracelets instead. It was confusing because their body was saying one thing, and the bracelets another.
But after a while, the people with the bracelets did better than those without them. They didn’t tilt the machine too much or crash as often. Even the ones who only had training got better over time, but the best results came from those who had both the bracelets and the training.
The thing is, even with these cool gadgets, the participants didn’t do as well as when they felt like they were on Earth. They might need more practice to get used to the vibrations, or maybe the buzzing needs to be stronger to really get the message across that they’re off balance.
Dr. Vimal thinks that to really trust these bracelets, astronauts will need more than just thinking they work; they’ll need to feel it without having to think too much. That means more training.
The Future with Buzzing Space Bracelets
If these tests keep showing good results, these vibrating bracelets could be a big deal for space missions. They could help astronauts land on planets or move around safely outside their spacecraft. It’s a bit like having a guide that helps them feel which way is down, or warns them if they’re about to bump into something.
So, while floating in space is still tricky, these buzzing bracelets could be the helpers astronauts need to keep their spacewalks safe and know which way they’re going. It’s one step closer to making sure that when astronauts go on their amazing space adventures, they won’t lose their way.
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Source: Frontiers.
