Effect of Gravity on Visual Perception

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Effect of Gravity on Visual Perception

• Astrid Fossum
• Jennie Eckardt
• Jean-Pierre Balley
• Masato Goto
• Space Life Science Department - SSP02

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Table of content

• Vestibular Apparatus
• Test Objectives
• Protocol
• Test Results
• Results Analysis
• Conclusions

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1 - Vestibular Apparatus

• Semicircular Canals responsive to head rotation
• Otolith Organs signal mechanism which
  communicate heads position
  relative to gravity (tilt)

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2 - Test Objectives

• Looking to see if orientation changes the
  perceptive of the image relative to gravity
• To determine the best images that reflect the
  effect of orientation on perception, as well as
  the ones that do not

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• Note Interest is in the CHANGE in the
  subjects selection upon manipulating his or her
  orientation (upright, lying on the side, supine),
  NOT in whether it is right or wrong (often, there
  is no right nor wrong answer)

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3 - Protocol

• 13 subjects presented 48 optical slides after
  individual briefing
• 24-40 years
• 6 females, 7 men
• Administrative, Engineers, Scientists,
  Business-Women and Men, Laywer
• Note 20 subjects were considered at the
  beginning, but only 13 were available for
  complete testing in allocated time
• Slides presented between 60 and 100 cm from
  subject
• Each subject positioned in 3 orientations
• Upright
• Lying on his or her right side
• Supine (lying on his or her back)

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4 - Test Results
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4 - Results Analyses
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Orientation independent0 change
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Orientation dependentgt 20 change

• 20 was chosen as a cut-off for showing a
  significant change in overall perception

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Miscellaneous results

• All the other images did not show any significant
  change when subjects were oriented in the three
  positions.

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5 - Conclusions

• Effect of gravity on visual perception does
  appear moderate
• Perception of some images are not affected by
  change in orientation selected-out images
• Perception of several images appear affected by
  change in orientation selected-in images
• Selection of images for similar tests in the
  microgravity environment shall preferably be
  based on this last category