Research
Earthgazing VR experience to help astronauts cope with loneliness
Research aimed at helping astronauts deal with isolation and confinement could also have an impact on those back on Earth suffering from COVID-related loneliness. Researchers in 51猎奇入口鈥檚 iSpace Lab have created a virtual reality experience鈥攃alled Earthgazing鈥攚hich will be tested as part of , a study launching Nov. 4 in Moscow.
The 51猎奇入口experiment is one of 70 to be undertaken as a 鈥榗rew鈥� of six people spend the next eight months in a facility modeling a spacecraft heading to Mars.
The virtual Earthgazing experience draws on phenomena that elicit feeling of awe and connection, taking viewers on a meditative journey that invites them to 鈥渞eflect on their connection to Earth and humanity鈥� through meditation and inspirational views of nature and space.
The 51猎奇入口lab is collaborating with researchers in Germany to investigate how virtual reality (VR) impacts the effects of isolation on crew members and their ability to cope amid isolation and sensory deprivation.
It further uses VR technology as a means of supporting mental wellbeing of the crew and countering space travel鈥檚 potentially negative psychological effects.
51猎奇入口PhD student Katerina Stepanova travelled to Moscow last month to set up the experiment and brief participants. She will return in July to meet the crew as they exit the mission to collect post-experimental data and learn about their Earthgazing VR experience.
鈥淒ealing with loneliness and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has often been a very difficult experience, so this research is relevant not only for space exploration but the general public as well,鈥� says Stepanova, who is part of a team led by professor Bernhard Riecke of SFU鈥檚 School of Interactive Arts and Technology.
The research grew from aiming to immerse people in the world of space travel without having to send them to space, providing the psychological benefits of the profound experience of witnessing the Earth from space.
It also builds on the concept of what鈥檚 known as the 鈥榦verview effect,鈥� an extreme, awe-inspiring experience shared by many astronauts characterized by a cognitive shift in perspective.
鈥淲hen witnessing the overwhelming beauty of Earth, astronauts also come to realize the fragility of our home planet and the interconnectedness of all life,鈥� explains Stepanova. 鈥淭hey return to Earth with a renewed sense of connection and responsibility for our environment.鈥�
SFU鈥檚 virtual Earthgazing experience was recently exhibited at Vancouver鈥檚 .
German colleagues include those from at the Charit茅 鈥� Universit盲tsmedizin Berlin. The project is funded by European Space Agency (ESA) and German Space Agency (DLR).
SIRIUS (Scientific International Research in Unique Terrestrial Station) is a series of on-land isolation experiments modelling long-term spaceflight to assess the psycho-physiological effects of isolation on crew and prepare for long-duration spaceflights. The first was undertaken in 2019. The experiments are intended to focus on behavioral health and performance under difficult conditions.
