Study of the microgravity effect on the inertia of mental tracking of moving objects
Lipshits, M.I.; Leon, Z.; Gurfinkel', V.S.; Bertoz, A.
Aviakosmicheskaia i Ekologicheskaia Meditsina 29(5): 20-23
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0233-528X PMID: 8664869 Document Number: 452137
Effect of microgravity on operator's ability to mentally track moving objects was investigated during the joint Russian-French space mission in 1992 and the subsequent 6 month Russian mission. Subject was to track a sequence of 4 frames in which 3 points were changing their locations in the manner as if they were moving linearly at a constant speed; after that the subject was to compare the last frame of the sequence with a new, 5th frame in which the points either had the same locations or slightly shifted on the preceding pattern or in opposite direction. Shifting of the points at which their locations in two last frames seemed to be identical was evaluated. The investigation infers that microgravity does not exert any significant influence on the inertia of mental tracking of moving object or there occurs rather quick, within a period of days, adaptation to a new situation.