Spending extended periods of time on space flights can be mentally taxing, studies show, and confinement on a spacecraft can result in feelings of depression or isolation, not to mention conflict between crew members.
To help, scientists are working with the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset to offer astronauts a simulated trip back to Earth — whether that be strolling along the beach, sitting at the peak of a mountain or resting at home with family. It's not the same as the real deal, of course, but researchers at Dartmouth's Digital Arts Leadership and Innovation lab (DALI) believe virtual reality could help astronauts feel more at ease in unnatural surroundings.
In addition to the visual component, these experiences would include smells (like sunscreen) and sounds (crashing waves) to closely replicate Earthly experiences for those far away from home.
"The brain can be tricked into thinking we are in another local quite easily," Lorie Joeb, the DALI lab's executive director, told Mashable. "We will use as many sensory inputs as we can, from wind, to sound to smell. If you've ever tried a virtual reality, it is amazing how much you feel like you are there."
These experiences aren't limited to simulating familiar environments; astronauts could also visit abstract environments, like going within a painting, Joeb said.
A test version of the virtual reality system is currently being used at a Mars habitat simulation in Hawaii, which began on Oct. 15. The six-person team will spend eight months in the simulation, and DALI aims to test the virtual interface in Antarctica as well.
Dartmouth, Harvard and other institutions have been developing behavioral health treatment programs for long-term space explorations since 2001; a NASA research institute recently put up $1.6 million in part to support virtual reality development at Dartmouth.
The exact timetable for Oculus Rift's deployment in space is uncertain, Joeb added.