- NASA Home
- > Missions
- > International Space Station
- > Research
- > Experiments
Fact Sheet
Text Size
OpNom:
Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Imagery
Experiment OverviewInformation provided courtesy of the Erasmus Experiment Archive.
Brief Summary
Reversible Figures (Reversible Figures) investigates whether the perception of ambiguous perspective-reversible figures (figure that can normally be seen to change in perspective or orientation in two different ways) is affected by microgravity. A comparison of the perceived reversals during visualization of the figures in crewmembers occurs before, during and after long-term exposure to microgravity. It is expected that measurable, perceptual differences can expand our understanding of human cognitive-perception dynamics by examining the differences that exist between the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS) and that of the Earth?s surface.
Principal Investigator(s)
Developer(s)
CADMOS, Toulouse, , France
Space Applications Services, Zaventum, , Belgium
European Space Agency (ESA)
Sponsoring OrganizationInformation Pending
Research BenefitsInformation Pending
ISS Expedition Duration:May 2012 - September 2014
Expeditions Assigned31/32,33/34,35/36,37/38,39/40
Previous ISS MissionsInformation Pending
Experiment Description
Research Overview
- The objective of the Reversible Figures experiment is to investigate whether the perception of ambiguous figures is affected by microgravity. The hypothesis is that the number of perceived reversals of perspective-based reversible figures is altered in microgravity when compared to normal gravity, but that the perceived reversal of 2D figures is not affected. Ambiguous reversible figures are seen with a statistically known preference in 1g. This hypothesis is to be verified by determining for all phases of the spaceflight: (1) the time for first reversal and the number of perceived reversals of 3D and 2D reversible figures in a given time frame; and (2) the probability for seeing each view/reversal within a figure.
The Reversible Figures (Reversible Figures) investigation involves comparisons of pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight perceptions with regards to ambiguous perspective-reversible figures to assess the influence of microgravity.
Applications
Space Applications
It is hypothesized that the adaptive changes in the processing of gravitational information by the neurovestibular system during space flight may cause changes in 3D visual perception. Several reports indicate that the visual tracking abilities, perception, and reaction time deteriorate in both astronauts and cosmonauts. This could have important consequences on the astronaut’s performance while in flight, including impaired psycho-motor ability, experimental error, or other various behavioral disturbances. Indeed, misperception of the environment in microgravity affects among others astronaut performance on sensory-motor tasks (such as operation of robotic arm), spatial orientation, and navigation. Understanding whether the perception of ambiguous figures is affected by microgravity might help taking this into account for specific tasks to be executed by human’s in microgravity.
Earth ApplicationsThe same alterations in 3D visual perception in weightlessness are also seen in vestibular defective patients on Earth. Disturbances in 3D visual perception may influence the ability to accurately perform perceptual-motor tasks such as those involved in grasping objects, controlling vehicles or robotic arms, and extra-vehicular activities. Thus, understanding how adaptation to changing gravity affects the way an object is perceived is relevant for both fundamental and clinical research on Earth and for human space exploration.
Operations
Operational Requirements
Information Pending
Operational Protocols- Pre-flight baseline data collection (BDC) is comprised of three sessions which occur in the intervals L-120 plus or minus 30 days, L-90 plus or minus 30 days, and L-60 plus or minus 30 days. The duration of each pre-flight session is 45 minutes with the minimum one day between 2 sessions.
- In-flight, for a typical 180 day mission, the data collection includes six sessions during a two-week interval. The duration of each session is 60 minutes on a given flight day (FD), and the time range for each session should fall between FD0 to FD17, FD18 to FD41, FD42 to FD75, FD76 to FD113, FD114 to FD149, and FD150 to FD180. Four of the sessions are mandatory (i.e., the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 6th) with a minimum of two weeks between each of these sessions. One experimental constraint that must be followed is that subjects shall be free-floating during the test portion of the sessions. Data downlink is desired after each session, and is currently planned after the last session of each test subject.
- Post-flight data collection is comprised of three sessions occurring at R plus 1 plus or minus 1 day, R plus 4 plus or minus 2 days, and R plus 8 plus or minus 2 days (only if R plus 4 crewmember responses have not returned to pre-flight baseline values). The duration of each post-flight data collection session is 45 minutes. Note that the first post-flight session could be reduced to 30 minutes in case of time constraints or conflicts immediately after landing.
Results/More Information
Results Publications
Ground Based Results Publications
ISS Patents
Related Publications
Clement G, Skinner A, Richard G, Lathan CE. Geometric illusions in astronauts during long-duration spaceflight. NeuroReport. 2012; 23(15): 894-899. DOI: 10.1097/WNR.0b013e3283594705. PMID: 22955144.
Clement G, Bukley A. Mach square-or-diamond phenomenon in microgravity during parabolic flight. Neuroscience Letters. 2008; 447(2-3): 179-182. DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2008.10.012.
Clement G, Demel M. Perceptual reversal of bi-stable figures in microgravity and hypergravity during parabolic flight. Neuroscience Letters. 2012; 507(2): 143-146. DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2011.12.006.
Related Websites
Imagery
Figure 1: Two examples of perspective-reversible figures.+ View Larger Image
NASA Image: ISS032E008594 - NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Expedition 32 flight engineer, works on the Reversible Figures (RFx) experiment in the Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station.+ View Larger Image
Example of a perspective reversible figure: a chair with seat pointing toward or away from observer. Image courtesy of PI.+ View Larger Image
Example of a 2D reversible figure: a Troyan soldier's helmet and face/or a man swinging a golf club+ View Larger Image
If updates are needed to the summary please contact JSC-ISS-Program-Science-Group. For other general questions regarding space station research and technology, please feel free to call our help line at 281-244-6187 or e-mail at JSC-ISS-Research-Helpline.