Assessing Vestibulo-ocular Function and Spatial Orientation in Parabolic Flight

Exposure to novel gravitational environments elicits alterations in sensorimotor responses, such as changes in coordinated head-and-eye movements and variations in spatial perception and memory. Functional consequences include an impaired ability to read, disorientation, dizziness, postural and locomotor disturbances, and motion sickness. Thus, it would be advantageous to design a technology that can quickly and effectively assess sensorimotor function. This study consists of an engineering evaluation in parabolic flight of two novel technologies, one that quantifies vestibulo-ocular function without eye movement recording, and another that estimates an individual’s ability to accurately perceive and report his or her orientation in space. Both technologies incorporate the same portable device that requires little computational power and is simple to use.
Paper (2017): A rapid quantification of binocular misalignment without recording eye movements: Vertical and torsional alignment nulling
Paper (2015): Binocular misalignments elicited by altered gravity provide evidence for nonlinear central compensation More »